Know2eat

Shallot

Allium cepa var. aggregatum

What shallot has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About shallot

A clustering onion that divides into several cloves within one papery skin, finer-textured and less harsh than a bulb onion. It is the standard onion of Southeast Asian cooking and of classical French sauces.

Also known as Échalote, Banana shallot, Bawang merah

Heart HealthBlood Sugar & Metabolic Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Onion-family vegetables have been tested for cholesterol effects mostly as onion or garlic extract, with small and inconsistent results. Shallots have barely been studied at all, and realistic culinary portions are small.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Insufficient evidence

Shallot extracts lower glucose in rodent studies, which is the basis for most of the marketing. The human evidence amounts to a couple of small, poorly controlled trials and does not support the claim.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Shallot

Ask about Shallot

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories72 kcal4%
Protein2.5 g5%
Total fat0.1 g0%
Carbohydrate16.8 g6%
Fibre3.2 g11%
Total sugars7.87 g—
Water79.8 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.017 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.014 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.039 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.037 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C8 mg9%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.04 mg0%
Vitamin K0.8 µg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.06 mg5%
Riboflavin (B2)0.02 mg2%
Niacin (B3)0.2 mg1%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.29 mg6%
Vitamin B60.345 mg20%
Folate34 µg9%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline11.3 mg2%
Minerals
Calcium37 mg3%
Iron1.2 mg7%
Magnesium21 mg5%
Phosphorus60 mg5%
Potassium334 mg7%
Sodium12 mg1%
Zinc0.4 mg4%
Copper0.088 mg10%
Manganese0.292 mg13%
Selenium1.2 µg2%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene3 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin8 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.8 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Shallots, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170499).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • crushedIncreases thiosulfinates

    Cutting or crushing ruptures cells and lets alliinase generate the volatile sulphur compounds. Immediate high heat destroys the enzyme, so a short rest after chopping preserves more of them.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Too much

    Fructans and irritable bowel syndrome

    Shallots carry the same fructans as onions and are restricted on a low-FODMAP diet. Because they are used in small amounts as a background aromatic, they are easy to overlook as a source of symptoms.

  • Worth knowing

    Reflux and raw alliums

    Raw alliums are among the most commonly reported dietary triggers of heartburn. Cooking usually resolves it for people who react.

  • Interaction

    Platelet effects at high intake

    Allium organosulfur compounds inhibit platelet aggregation in laboratory testing, and very high garlic intake has been discussed as a bleeding risk around surgery. Culinary amounts of shallot are far below that, but it is worth mentioning if you take anticoagulants and eat alliums in unusual quantity.