Putting onions in your socks might sound odd, but onions have a long history as a medical remedy, and some people say this practice can treat infections, such as the cold or flu.
According to the folk remedy, if you come down with a cold or the flu, all you have to do is slice a red or white onion into rounds, place them on the bottoms of your feet, and put on a pair of socks. Leave the socks on overnight as you sleep. In the morning, you’ll wake up cured.
While there isn’t scientific evidence supporting this folk remedy, onions do contain compounds that may help the body target infections.
Keep reading to discover where this remedy came from and what the research says about it.
According to the National Onion Association, this folk remedy may have started as early as the 1500s, when it was widely believed that placing raw, cut-up onions around the home could protect from the bubonic plague.
In those days, people believed infections spread by miasma, or poisonous, noxious air. Scientists have since replaced miasma theory with the evidence-based germ theory.
Onions are rich in sulphuric compounds, which give them their pungent odor.
According to folklore, placing them on the feet allows these compounds to infiltrate the body. There, they target bacteria and viruses and purify the blood.
This theory also mentions that placing onions around the room rids the air of viruses, toxins, and chemicals.
The general idea of putting onions in your socks for a cold or the flu may also stem from the ancient Chinese medicinal practice of foot reflexology.
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.
No studies have specifically assessed the benefit of putting onions in your socks or anywhere else on your body.
Dozens of online articles advocate putting onions in your socks, but they cite no experimental evidence. They rely only on claims and anecdotes.
No studies have been done to refute the claim of putting onions in socks to treat the flu, but the mechanism by which this remedy is said to work is also questionable.
Onions are slightly acidic, so rubbing them onto things may potentially have antibacterial effects. A 2020 study looked at the effectiveness of onion skin extracts on specific strains of bacteria. The researchers found that the antibacterial properties varied by the onion skin color, whether pink, red, or white.
Some of the bacterial strains the extract targeted include:
- Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria that cause a staph infection
- Klebsiella pneumoniae, a usually harmless type of bacteria found in the intestines
- Bacillus cereus, which is found in soil
- Salmonella typhimurium, a bacteria found in some food that cause a salmonella infection
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of bacteria that can cause infections in the body
However, the flu results from a viral infection, not a bacterial one.
Viruses require direct contact with a human host to spread. Therefore, an onion could not draw in a virus and absorb it.
Moreover, there is
Plenty of people around the internet swear by this remedy, but all signs point toward a placebo effect.
If you have the flu and are willing to try anything to bounce back, the good news is that putting onions in your socks is unlikely to hurt you.
There have been no reports of harm from this practice.
If you want to help out your immune system, it may be better to eat your onions rather than stick them in your socks. It’s well known that eating onions, like most vegetables, is good for your health.
Onions are a great source of vitamin C, which plays an important role in immune function.
Regular consumption of the organosulfur compounds found in onions and garlic may also prevent the development of cardiovascular disease, according to a 2020 review.
Putting onions in your socks won’t hurt you, but it probably won’t help. To get the full benefit from onions and to help your body recover from or prevent an illness, try eating them as part of a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
To improve your chances of avoiding colds and flu, wash your hands, avoid contact with sick people, and consider getting a flu shot. Also, make sure you get enough sleep.