Eating onion or taking onion extract by mouth doesn’t reduce body weight in people who are overweight or obese. Social media is chock-full of anecdotal evidence that you can fight the flu by sleeping with an onion or potato in your sock. Place two onion slices into your socks and make sure that they are under your feet. “If you’re unsure about what’s causing your symptoms, your doctor can order tests to determine the cause and recommend the best course of treatment,” she said. Most respiratory infections are caused by viruses, so antibiotics won’t help. But your doctor can help determine if you have a bacterial infection or other complication that might warrant medication.
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“We were desperate, and willing to try anything, so we sliced an onion and stuck it under our daughter’s bed, parallel to her head. 11 Supplements for Menopause Ease hot flashes and other symptoms. You know, the internet is a wonderful place for sharing alternative healthcare and I know, I KNOW — It’s a wonderful place for bullshit too. But recent research says that even western pharmaceuticals can’t effectively treat sickness more than about 60% of the time. And on absolutely no strong evidence apart from simply having a spare onion, I gave it a try.
Despite these opinions and many similar thoughts from experts in the medical field, the onions in socks theory still has plenty of support, with thousands of everyday people lauding the veggie’s healing effects. Whether or not it’s simply a placebo effect remains to be confirmed. And that might make a wannabe believer cry more than slicing on onion.
Research has been done to assess the ancient practice of foot reflexology, which connects to the claim that putting onions on the feet could help relieve illness. A review of foot reflexology studies showed little evidence that foot reflexology is an effective practice for treating most medical conditions. Some research shows that it could actually make some conditions worse. However, the overall quality of research on reflexology is very low overall. While there is no scientific evidence that this is true, many believe that the purifying effect onions have on the air can make it more breathable. Onions are air purifiers and when in contact with the skin they kill germs and bacteria.
The nerves in the feet have been a focal point of Eastern medicine for thousands of years and are thought to act as access points to the internal organs. Meanwhile, Dr. Ruth MacDonald, chair and professor of the Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition at Iowa State University, concurs with Schwarcz’s theory, stating, “Onions do not absorb bacteria. The idea that a vegetable would attract and suck into itself bacteria from the air is not even logical. The onion may turn black because it would eventually rot from both cell breakdown events and bacterial contamination if you left it out, not because it absorbs germs. Eating these vegetables provides antioxidants that can have health benefits, but they are unlikely to prevent or cure disease.”
The bottom of the feet have many different nerve endings, approximately 7,000 that directly link to different organs within the body. Onion contains chemicals that seem to reduce swelling and lung tightness related to asthma. It also contains chemicals that seem to reduce cholesterol and lower blood sugar. Ultimately, this kind of reasoning is a lazy distraction, equating the benefits of ingestion with other less plausible, and often undefined, pathways. To fight the flu, they say, put either a potato or onion in your sock overnight.
You might not know this, but onions are great for curing puffy nose as well. A spoon of onion juice which has strong antioxidants will relieve you from severe cold. You can also add onions into your salads and food for maximum benefits. Onions can be used as an effective home remedy to cure cough.
Regular use of onion slice will help do away with smelly feet. Perhaps the reason some people say they feel better after sleeping with an onion in their sock or bedside table is because of the thiosulfinates, Havey said. The myth persisted into the 19th century, when onions were used during smallpox and influenza epidemics, according to the NOA, although there was no real evidence doing so prevented people from getting sick. Onions have powerful natural antibiotics that help fight viral and bacterial infections. Place the onion slice in your socks , and sleep as you usually do. One of the coolest ways to stimulate these meridians is to put an onion slice inside your socks and wear them to bed.