Published on
updated on
Reading 2 min.
in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
Medical validation:
November 23, 2024
Onion, to combat coughs. This is the new magic remedy from influencers, who claim that this vegetable helps eliminate toxins and viruses from the body. Rightly so? The response from Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo.
Rich in vitamins (B9, C…), fiber and minerals (selenium, potassium…), theonion has many health benefits. It is even renowned for its digestive, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-parasitic properties. But can it fight a cough or cold, as some influencers claim? Doctissimo’s response.
Is onion effective against colds?
Instead of going to their doctor for treatment, some influencers prefer to place pieces of onion on their chest. If the practice is surprising, the effects would be there: the onion would help many patients to get rid of their chronic cough.
Amoreena McNally, a radiology technologist, is also convinced of the supposed virtues of the bulb. While she suffered from a dry and painful cough “who didn’t heal“, underlines the Daily Mailand despite taking various treatments (inhalers and tablets), the mother allowed herself to be seduced by the said bulb.
Concretely, the young woman reproduced the remedy favored by the Amish influencer, which consisted of putting slices of raw onions on her chest and covering them with a Ziploc bag filled with hot water. Result ? Relief seemed there.
“JI can clearly breathe better, I feel less congested, but I still cough. I ordered some oregano oil capsules, and I’m going to try that“, she specifies in the caption of her video.
Amoreena McNally, however, is not the only one to believe in the supposed virtues of this solution. Videos on this subject are popping up everywhere on Tiktok.
A trend, which is not new, since in 2022 several users already recommended drinking onion water (made from raw onions cut into small pieces and placed in a jar filled with water ) to combat flu or the common cold. On Tiktok, the hashtag #onionwater had even accumulated 38.3 million views.
But does drinking onion water or placing onions on your chest have a real effect on our health? Here is what Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo, thinks.
No link between onions and potential cure
For the medical director of Doctissimo, this is fake news: onions do not fight colds or coughs.
“There is no link between bunions on the chest and potential recovery. Colds linked to a virus do not go away any faster. There is no scientific rationale for such a remedy. Healing is spontaneous in 5 days and individuals attribute it to bunions but without onions it’s the same. We can speak here of a grigri or placebo effect“, he warns.
On the other hand, “onions could help relieve cold symptoms through food thanks to several claimed properties: onion is a powerful natural antiseptic, useful for winter colds and flu. The vitamin C contained in onions helps keep our immune system in good shape and provides protection against infections. recognizes the emergency doctor.
Finally, the onion “contains a lot of sulfur, which makes it a major natural anti-inflammatory, particularly effective on the respiratory tract. The sulfur compounds in onions can help thin secretions and clear the airways. concludes the medical director of Doctissimo.
Slide: Gastroenteritis, flu, colds…10 common ideas about winter illnesses