Many people put onions on their feet or in their socks to help get rid of a cold or the flu. Onions on the feet are said to help draw infections and toxins out of the body. Onions have many health benefits, but is there scientific evidence to support the claims that raw onions in a sock can cure a cold or the flu?
Getting sick or catching a cold can make you feel awful. You may feel so bad that you are ready to try almost anything to relieve a cough, blocked sinuses, fever, and to get rid of the infection. There are certainly many effective home remedies for treating infections such as colds and flu. Should you put raw onions on the soles of your feet or in your sock as a natural remedy for infections?
In this article, you will see the origins of why people put an onion poultice on their feet. Also, we’ll see what some research says about putting onions on your feet. You will also find some useful recipes if you want to try this remedy and sleep with onions in your socks to remove infections.
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Onions on the feet: What is the origin of this home remedy
Over the centuries, it has been claimed that onions can help treat and prevent diseases such as smallpox, flu, bubonic plague, and other infectious diseases. There are also people who like to use onions to clean the air, remove toxins, and destroy airborne toxins and germs. In this way, healers believed that onions could be useful to treat all kinds of ailments.
Although onions may not help clean the air and destroy airborne toxins and germs, they still have enormous health benefits when used as food.
Health benefits of consuming onions
Here’s what science says about many of the benefits of incorporating more onions into your diet.
Onions have antibacterial activity. A 2017 study found that onion extracts have antibacterial activity against many strains of bacteria. Onions that were stored for at least 3 months showed the strongest antimicrobial activity.
They eliminate toxins. Onions also contain phenols which are natural antioxidants. The journal Food Chemistry reported that many varieties of onion, including the red onion, scavenge free radicals and protect against DNA damage.
Strengthens the immune system. Onions also contain compounds (e.g., Allium cepa ) that have been shown to strengthen immunity. A 2007 scientific study on onion and garlic extracts found that they are some of the most effective medicinal spices for boosting the immune system. Onions contain around 25 active therapeutic compounds.
What is the reason to put the onion on the feet?
The reason you put onion on your feet to cure a cold or detoxify your body seems to originate from foot reflexology.
The Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine says there is anecdotal evidence of the positive effect of reflexology on a variety of health conditions. The report indicates that applying various therapeutic remedies to the feet can help address various symptoms of the disease. The report says that reflexology is used to remove toxins from the body, as well as to increase circulation and increase energy levels.
Many people believe that the health benefits of onions and the effects of reflexology combine to help improve your health. Possibly, the beneficial nutrients in raw onion placed on the feet can help draw out infections, kill toxins, and contribute to better health.
Although science does not support it, many people like to use onion on their feet as a traditional remedy or traditional home remedy for various ailments. There is also anecdotal evidence that this home remedy could work, so why not give it a try?
Uses of onions on feet or in socks
How to detox with onion on your feet
Despite the lack of scientific evidence, there is anecdotal evidence about the effectiveness of putting onions on the feet to detoxify the body. Although the liver and kidneys play an important role in removing toxins from your body, studies have shown that certain toxins are removed through the skin.
Using onions on your feet to remove toxins is said to be an effective way to make your own detox foot pad inexpensively. What do you need:
- Cut a red or white onion into thick slices about 1 1/2 cm thick.
- Put it in a tight pair of socks.
- Place the onion in the socks, making sure the onions are tight against the bottom of your feet, perhaps wrapping them in plastic wrap.
- Leave for a few hours to extract the toxins from your body.
Onion slices in sock to cure cold, flu and congestion
There is some anecdotal evidence pointing to the fact that sliced onions can help kill germs that cause colds, flu, and blocked sinuses. Some people claim that cutting onions in half and leaving them at home can help kill germs.
It is possible that the antiviral and antibacterial properties of onions are the reason why people say that onions in a sock can cure the symptoms of colds or other respiratory infections.
If you want to try and see if onion slices can help you treat colds, flu, and congestion, simply put some onion slices on your feet, secure them with your socks, and leave them overnight.
Onion slices in sock as a remedy for fever
Many people put the red or white onion slices in their socks before going to bed to help break a fever. The claim is that onions help improve circulation by stimulating the areas on your feet to increase blood flow, which can help you recover faster. If you want to try this folk remedy, leave the sliced onions for a few hours and see if they work for you.
How to use onions to extract infections
Poultices have been used for centuries and are still used today to remove infections from wound boils or skin abscesses. Placing an onion poultice could help draw pus out of the skin wound and also kill harmful microbes in the process.
The International Journal of Current Research reported that the extracts of various onions have strong antibacterial activity. Fresh onion juice can kill various staph infections and is even effective against multi-drug resistant bacteria.
To use onions to extract an infection from a wound, you need to make an onion poultice and apply it to the infected area of the skin for 1-2 hours at a time.
How to make an onion poultice for infections
Here’s how to make your own antibacterial onion poultice at home to help destroy wound infections.
- Chop 2 large onions (they can be any onion color for the poultice recipe) and grate a 2-inch piece of ginger.
- Gently boil the mixture until the onion and ginger are soft and lightly cooked (putting them raw will irritate the skin).
- Place the onion and ginger mixture on a clean cheesecloth, wrap and secure.
- Hold the onion poultice over the infected wound and leave it for 1-2 hours to help clear the infection. If you have sensitive skin, you can apply a little coconut oil to the affected area so that the oils from the onion and ginger do not irritate the skin.
- Rinse the area with salt water and pat dry.
- Use for 24 hours to help reduce signs of infection such as inflammation, redness, and pus.
If you notice that the infection is not starting to heal, you should visit your doctor.
Onion in socks to get rid of the disease, does it work?
The claims of many people seem to indicate that there is at least some anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of using onions on the feet to extract the disease.
For example, some people say that after rubbing onions on their feet or sleeping with onions in their socks, they feel the taste of onion in their mouth. The antibacterial properties of onions are supposed to be absorbed into the soles of the feet and penetrate the bloodstream. This is said to play a beneficial role in spreading disease and killing germs in your body.