Recently there has been some e-mails circulating online regarding the use of onions for reducing or preventing flu symptoms. I have been asked to comment on this and give my opinion on the validity of this remedy. So here is what I have found.
What centuries of grandmothers have instinctively known is now being confirmed by everyone from modern scientists to naturopathic doctors. Onions may have the ability to ward off and relieve symptoms of the common flu. And in a world where, according to the CDC, many Americans will get the seasonal flu every year, the simple method of boiling onions into a drinkable broth may be a good practice to return to.
Moreover, the outbreak of H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, has caused many people to consider getting flu vaccinations that, in my opinion, will do more harm than good. Prevention is the best method, and the following post will offer some insight into this ancient technique of using onions for flu prevention.
How Onions Help with the Flu
The idea that onions could ward off disease through their potent medicinal properties hails back thousands of years. Ancient Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine revered onions for their anti-inflammatory and congestion-relieving properties. The Ancient Greeks rubbed onions on sore muscles and the Native Americans used them to ward off the common cold and flu.
In fact, the World Health Organization has even recognized the onion for its ability to help relieve symptoms of the flu such as coughs, congestion, respiratory infections and bronchitis. Some traditions have even recommended placing sliced onions beside the bed at night, or even just around the house, to help prevent yourself from getting the flu.
The theory was that the raw onion would absorb germs in the air, preventing them from entering the body. Even though, it must be noted, that one of the most common ways to get the flu, is by contact with contaminated surfaces or people. So remember to wash your hands, especially before eating or scratching your eyes.
In an early 1900′s Los Angeles Times article, the following suggestion was offered to the public:
Onions are known for both their anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also high in sulfuric compounds such as thiosulfinates, sulfoxides, and other odorous cysteine sulfoxides. These compounds give onions their pungent flavor and are what make you cry when cutting them. Research shows that the thiosulfinates in onions are responsible for their antimicrobial properties. Thiosulfinates have even been shown to kill off salmonella and E. coli. Sulfuric compounds also play a role in cancer and heart disease prevention, and therefore act as a great immune-boosting food for general disease prevention.
Onions are also extremely high in the anti-oxidant quercetin. Quercetin helps the body fight free-radicals, and boosts the immune response. A recent study from the British Journal of Nutrition, showed that individuals who ate foods high in quercetin (onion soup was used in the study), had better immune responses and less likelihood for cardiovascular disease.
The Delmar’s Integrative Herb Guide states that, “Onions help break up or clear mucous and other substances that block the immune system from doing its work.” So this season, if you feel a cold or flu coming on, make yourself a big pot of soup using the simple recipe below.
Onion Soup: Easy, Health Restoring Recipe
Ingredients Needed for Onion Soup Recipe:
- 3 large organic yellow onions
- 3 organic cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup of fresh, finely-chopped organic oregano
- 4 cups of purified or distilled water
- Add Himalayan salt, to your taste.
Preparation: Chop both the onions and the garlic into cubes. Bring water to boil and add onions, garlic and oregano. Let simmer for 15 minutes, or until you notice that the onions are translucent and soft. Drink the hot soup and allow the body temperature to rise enough to induce mild sweating.
Onions For the House and Work
Cut fresh organic onions in 4 cubes, place on plates and put throughout house, office, and bedrooms to absorb any harmful organisms that may be floating around in the air. Especially during flu season. Replace with fresh onions every 2 days or when onions lose their odor or become discolored.
Another Onion Remedy
Similar to detox foot pads, try cutting a piece of onion large enough to place directly on the bottom of each foot, cover with a sock before bed and remove in the morning. Do this every night if you are experiencing flu like symptoms.
Disclaimer: Please remember that this post is not intended to be medical advice. If you think you have the flu, please talk to your doctor about how onions may help, as well as what else you may be able to do to fight it. Additionally, here’s a list of flu remedies that may also help you get relief.
November 15th, 2011 at 11:49 am
Look, Everything we put into our bodies do something for us. that’s how we learned about modern meds.
the best way to be healthy is to eat what you need. and what you lack.
Onions are good for you. they do help fight thigns. i’m sure if you sit them next to your bed they will be fine but if you eat them along with garlic you will notice your cold will not last long.
I tested this myself. and i beleive what happens to me over any website.
more so when the website uses books from random un creditied authers. look at their refrences
i was sick on sunday had a very important meeting on tuesday. ate 2 full raw cloves of garlic.. and i was 100% better when i woke up.
the only issue i hated was for 2 days even during my metting i stunk.. like garlic the stuff was oozing out my pours at least the smell .. i took 4 showers and it was still there.
but i’d rather smell like garlic then be sick..
onion and garlics are in the same family sort of so i’m sure both do wonders for our health.
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November 9th, 2011 at 10:03 am
My almost 3 year old came down with the flu. Typically when we get sick it is on for 5-7 days of misery. She is 3, obviously she is always in my face, especially when sick ( sneezing, coughing, runny nose on me, etc.). She slept in bed with me on day 1 of the flu and for the first time I had an onion sliced on a plate in the room with us, not only was she sleeping through the night, I woke up with zero symptoms for once. I believe there is something with that. I did do other things as before as well such as homiopathic vitamins from natural grocers, vitamin c, etc. But this was the only time her symptoms are gone on day 2. As written before, doesn’t hurt to try. All of our bodies are different and respond to things differently. The best part you are not taking your child to the doc and loading on “chemical” prescription drugs.
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April 27th, 2011 at 4:14 am
I think it’s better to eat raw onion. But the problem is the smell of the mouth that we may have after. Is there any good way to get rid of that smell? Thank your very much for the article.
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April 20th, 2011 at 6:45 am
India is one of the biggest onion producer and they use in almost all dishes, It is unimaginable to have a meal without turmeric and onion. India produces mainly red onion and the red colour flows on cutting, this is where the main medicinal value is.
The health value is greater in eating raw onions. Recently when I was travelling for over two months and ate food mostly where there was no turmeric and onions, I caught flu and Bronchitis. I am 73 and had only once it was mild. This one was like going to hell and back.
In a poor country like India where over 500 million earn less than $1.5 a day and hygiene conditions are very poor but the life expectancy is 60+ years for the nation . The turmeric and onion proof is there !
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December 7th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
This is just stupid, and a little dangerous. Using pseudo science dating back to the Black Plague, and throw in a lie or two about what officials actually say about it, then we will add a little truth regarding the vitamin benefits of onions that everybody already know and we have made truth out of an old wives tale. To many people believe this stuff, and writing can cause harm to those who cannot effectively fight off an illness when a believer puts out onions so that her friends can come over. Writing this article was just irresponsible
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Julie Marshall replied on January 7th, 2011:
Believe what you want but my mother in law told me about this when I married her son in 1996 and I scoffed. She used this method more for stomach bugs than the flu. She told me that when someone throws up in the house to immediately cut an onion in about 4 pieces and distribute the onions through the house and no one else would get sick. I thought she was crazy but my husband insisted that she had done that their whole lives and that it worked. I had my son almost 10 years ago and everytime someone is sick I cut my onion . Not one time has someone else gotten sick and you know how contagious the stomach bug is.So far I have never had to try the flu theory and I do not recommend that you forgo flu vaccines and just rely on onions to work their magic. However, if someone in my home gets the flu, I will be cutting the onions. I don’t see how spending a few bucks and cutting some onions will hurt even if it doesn’t help.
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May 13th, 2010 at 10:20 am
I am working on my diplomate in Pediatrics. At my last class the doctor recommended onion tea with no sweetners for children with congestion. I has to be better than all the side effects of drugs and immunizations.
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Roger replied on November 9th, 2011:
This campaign against vaccination is reprehensible. Vaccination saves millions of lives the world over, and has given us security where before there was none (and still isn’t in many countries).
People in at risk groups (young, old, poor health ,and any other at-risk and special groups research points to, like health workers) should seek the flu vaccination.
For the rest, good nutrition, healthy lifestyle and hygeine including eating lots of vegatables (of which onions will be one) will probabaly suffiice.
No harm in investigating folk remedies, some are effective, some are myths: vaccination used to be one of these- turned out to be true. But don’t subsitute hearsay and sloppy wishful thinking for evidence.
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Kim replied on January 19th, 2011:
At what age is it okay to give a child onion tea; how young can they be?
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Mary replied on May 13th, 2010:
I meant It has to be better than the side effects of drug etc.
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February 27th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
I’m on the fence whether to believe this or not. both Snopes.com and urban legends.com refute this claim about onions. From what I understand both sites research the items before they post them as true or false. Can you give me information on the research to support your claim? I want to believe, but I’m a skeptic when something sounds to good to be true!
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Sunshines replied on March 11th, 2010:
Articles on both sites are somewhat misleading. They both focus on the claim that onion is supposed to be capable of “catching” or “absorbing” viruses, i.e. flu virus. The truth is that onions don’t absorb any germs – that’s not the point, that’s not how onions help you avoid sickness or get well sooner. It’s not about onions “absorbing germs”, but about onions being rich in some oils that evaporate from the peeled onions while they are drying. These oils spread in the air, you breath them in, and this is how you get to feel better. These oils help your immune system to fight germs and viruses, as well as do releive symptoms like cough, runny nose, congestion. My greatgrandma who was born and raised in a rural Ukraine, always made onion & garlic juice when we got cold or flu. She placed little cups of this juice next to our beds. It did work really well – in just a few hours cough got better and no more runny noses. Try it!
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February 22nd, 2010 at 11:41 am
I heard about the help that keeping onions in the house does to prevent flu or common cold.
I woke up one morning with a very sore throat (I already had the onions in my house). In the afternoon I felt better and the next morning I was fine.
I do believe that the onions helped me because I very often had problems with my throat and it took days to get better.
Try it. You won’t loose anything and can gain something.
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January 25th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I believe onions can help alleviate symptoms (congestion) but not cure disease. Honestly, a viral partical does not gravitate towards a chopped onion. It goes where the wind blows it (or a person puts it). People, you have to use logic or common sense!
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December 1st, 2009 at 9:22 am
This is great! I will have to share with my boyfriend as he is always complaining about my onion breath!
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November 29th, 2009 at 11:40 am
What an interesting article. Looks like we may be having onion soup for dinner! Thanks!
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November 25th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
do u reckonmend eating onions raw or cooking them. which would have the best outcome?
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Dr. Group replied on December 15th, 2009:
Dazza –
Either way is fine or do both. It is always better to eat them raw though..
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November 24th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Thank you for the article
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