“If you have a cold, all you have to do is put onion rings in a sock and wear it all night,” said one woman, holding a red onion while describing her daughter’s infection symptoms.
In this video, which this mother posted on TikTok, we find just one of many claims circulating again on social media regarding the alleged healing powers of raw onions.
Some of these publications even recommend that parents use this recipe with their sick children, claiming that it “reduces fever,” “kills germs and bacteria,” “absorbs toxins,” and even “purifies the blood.”
Is there any evidence that placing onions under your feet can have such an effect?
First, you should know that onions belong to the Allium family of vegetables, and that they may form part of a healthy diet, since they are rich in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants such as quercetin, a plant compound that research has shown has anti-inflammatory properties.
Research indicates that these compounds may contribute to enhancing heart and intestinal health, in addition to regulating blood sugar.
This is completely different from the claim that onions can rid the body of toxins or eliminate infections, says Dr. Katie Solita, an American epidemiologist and infectious disease expert.
These claims may date back to the sixteenth century AD, according to the National Onion Association in the United States, when it was believed that placing onions around a room would protect one from the bubonic plague.
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Throughout history, people also rubbed onions on swollen lymph nodes, believing in its ability to draw toxins from the body.
Why can't onions flush out toxins?
The skin is the body's first line of defense against germs that enter it. Although some toxins can penetrate the skin, they cannot leave the body in the same way they entered, not even through sweat, according to experts.
Solita says onions "would need to break the laws of physics" to pull toxins through this barrier.
She adds: "It does not have any special magical properties that allow you to expel toxins through the skin, nor through the soles of the feet, nor through any place in the skin at all."
Solita explains that the change in color of onions left in socks overnight is sometimes cited as evidence of the body getting rid of toxins, but it is nothing more than an oxidation process and an interaction with microbes present on the skin.
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The term “toxins” is used loosely on social media, in the context of promoting diets and detox programmes, to refer to non-specific substances believed to be harmful to the body, which allegedly accumulate within it and need to be eliminated.
In medical terms, toxins are defined as toxic substances produced by organisms such as bacteria, and may also include harmful chemicals or drugs taken in large doses, according to the US National Library of Medicine.
However, the body already has its own filtration systems to get rid of waste; The liver filters waste from the blood and helps keep the body clean and free of harmful substances, while the kidneys remove excess water and waste through urine.
Maintaining the health of the liver and kidneys does not require special treatment; Following a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking sufficient amounts of water are all factors that help these organs perform their functions properly.
If anyone suspects that they have swallowed or inhaled a harmful substance, or taken an overdose of medication, they should seek medical advice immediately, rather than trying to detox at home, as recommended by the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.
What might help treat the common cold?
For colds, viruses are the cause, and the condition usually improves on its own, according to the British National Health Service.
To help recover quickly from colds, it is recommended to get plenty of rest, keep the body hydrated, and eat a healthy, balanced diet.
Fluids - such as onion soup - can help hydrate and nourish, and even help soothe a sore throat, but experts say there is a big difference between treatment and relieving symptoms.
In this context, Solita explains, “Colds are limited in duration, and usually go away after about a week or so, regardless of treatment. Onion soup does not shorten this period of time.”
Although cooking onions makes them lose some of the vitamin C they contain, some of it leaks into the water that turns into soup, and eating this soup helps the body build its immunity.
However, research indicates that raw onions retain a greater amount of vitamin C, as cooking over low heat for a long period reduces its presence in onions.
Medical advice may be required in cases where cold symptoms, such as high temperature, persist for more than a few days, and this is necessary earlier for children.
As for inflammation, we do not always need to “fight it,” according to experts. It is actually a natural reaction of the immune system to infection or injury, and this reaction helps protect the body and begin repairing damaged tissues.
Taking the necessary action in this case is based on determining where the inflammation appears in the body and knowing the cause behind it.
The usual signs of inflammation are swelling, pain and heat, but if these symptoms continue to be accompanied by other unexplained symptoms, the best option is to seek medical care, not to use onions, experts say.
“You should do more research into what these toxins are and how they work,” she says. “If [the advice giver] can’t explain to you how they work, you should see that as a warning sign.”
