Whether it’s the flu or a common cold, many of us are searching for ways to relieve symptoms. Various home remedies have been used for years. Apple cider vinegar, chicken soup, honey and onions are the most common – but do any of these things help?

Onions

A persistent report is that onions absorb bacteria and that a sliced onion placed on the countertop will prevent or cure illness. Unfortunately, this is one of those times when if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

“Onions do not absorb bacteria. The idea that a vegetable would attract and suck into itself bacteria from the air is not even logical,” says Dr. Ruth MacDonald, a registered dietitian from Iowa State University.

Some Best Food Facts readers, however, report they have used the onion method and it has cured illness. You can follow their comments.

Onions as well as garlic, another popular natural treatment, do have some benefits, Dr. MacDonald said.

“Onions and garlic are slightly acidic, which could have antibacterial effects if you rubbed the juice on things, but these are much less effective than bleach or chemical antibiotics. Eating these vegetables provides antioxidants that can have health benefits, but they are unlikely to prevent or cure disease,” she said.

While not as tasty as an orange or grapefruit, onions are a good source for vitamin C, which boosts the immune system.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Some people claim apple cider vinegar can help fight off colds and sinus infections and detox the body.

Registered dietitian, Connie Diekman says because apple cider vinegar is acidic, the idea that it can neutralize the body’s atmosphere and help prevent bacteria and viruses from thriving isn’t unfounded. But, she points out there is no scientific evidence behind this idea. There is no evidence that it is harmful or helpful.

Using apple cider vinegar as a detox isn’t necessary. Diekman explains that your kidneys and liver remove the toxins from your body and don’t need any additional help.

Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is one of the most prescribed home remedies. Dr. Wendy Dahl, from the University of Florida, clarifies that chicken soup does not cure a cold. But you may still want to heat up a cup of this winter-time favorite.

“There is a substance in chicken soup that can aid in alleviating the symptoms of the common cold and influenza. Chicken soup was found to inhibit the movement of neutrophils, a form of white blood cell that initiates the inflammatory response, which reduces upper respiratory cold symptoms,” she says. “This inhibition results in fewer sore throats and lowers the production of phlegm. Also, nasal congestion is eased by the lack of inflammation of the cells in the nasal passageways.”

Honey

Trying to use local honey to try and build one’s immunity to allergies also might not be as effective as we would like to think. According to Dr. Steve Taylor, from University of Nebraska, the pollen exposure from honey is not consistent, meaning it would be difficult to verify if local honey did have some immunotherapy capabilities. Honey might have therapeutic potential, but it is not a known preventative.

Grape Juice

It has been suggested that if you’re exposed to the stomach flu virus, drinking grape juice can prevent it from coming on. Drinking 100 percent grape juice does provide phytonutrients, which help keep the body healthy, our experts say. And taking care of the digestive tract with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can is good line of defense in promoting your overall health. Grape juice may be a good choice to keep hydrated, but unfortunately, it cannot ward off the flu virus. You should wash your hands, avoid touching your face and mouth and stay home when you are sick.

While trying these home remedies with onions, apple cider vinegar or chicken soup may not be a quick cure, they will not make a cold worse and may provide some comfort when you’re curled up on the couch fighting a cold or flu.

The post Can Certain Foods Cure a Cold? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Anne Cundiff: “Most individuals will be affected by the sulphuric compounds released by an onion when cut. This reaction could be extreme or minimal, but there is no scientific reason why it affects individuals differently. It could depend on how the individual actually cuts the onion, and whether they wear glasses or contact lenses that could prevent the sulphuric gas from getting too close to the eyes.”

As for ways to keep from crying over sliced onions, Anne provides the following tips:

• Choose less pungent onions. Yellow onions tend to be the most irritating, while red onions tend to be less irritating.
• Try chilling the onions in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Chilling onions delays the release of the sulphuric compounds, which will be less irritating to the eyes.
• Cut the bottom or the root of the onion last. The root of the onion contains more of the sulphuric acid.
• Cut the onion directly under the stove vent. The gases will be sucked up through the vent intake, making them less likely to travel to your eyes.
• Use onion-cutting eyewear. These “goggles” seal around your eyes and prevent the gases from getting into your eyes.

_{The image “Chopped Onion” by Michael Derr is licensed under CC BY 2.0.}

The post No More Tears – How To Cut An Onion Without Crying appeared first on Best Food Facts.

1. Should I Wash Fresh Fruit in Vinegar? – Fruits and vegetables are important components to any diet, so we’re glad to know that you’re concerned with how to clean your apple before taking a bite.
2. Consumer Question – Is It OK to Use Leftover Onions? – We first received questions about this topic back in 2011…and four years later it still seems to be a concern for some of you. Luckily, we were able to chat with Dr. Ruth MacDonald from Iowa State University to get some advice on what to do with that half of an onion you have in your fridge.
3. What’s Healthier? Pork Bacon or Turkey Bacon? – Trying to be health-conscious when it comes to your morning protein? We spoke with a meat science expert to find out about all things bacon – including whether turkey bacon is actually healthier.
4. Egg Prices on the Rise – Earlier this year several cases of avian influenza broke out across the United States affecting millions of hens. Not only were poultry farmers affected, but everyday consumers such as yourselves. We sought out some answers in regards to fluctuating egg prices.
5. The Beef with Hormones – and 8 Other Foods You Might Find Them In – We’ve noticed that consumers are increasingly curious about what goes into producing their food, with hormones in meat being a top concern. We reached out to an expert to learn more about hormones in beef and a few other foods we don’t usually think of as containing hormones.
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7. Is Apple Cider Vinegar a Health Cure-All? – Miracle health cures are all over the web these days and one that we saw frequently this year was apple cider vinegar, which has been said to aid with diabetes, high cholesterol and even cancer as well as other diseases. We reached out to a registered dietitian and nutrition expert to get the facts on the nutritional benefits of regular apple cider vinegar consumption.
8. Spittin’ Seeds? Not with Seedless Watermelons – Contrary to popular belief, seedless watermelons are not the product of genetic modification. We checked in with Dr. Kevin Folta to learn more about the process behind seedless watermelons.
9. Understanding Processed Foods – Are processed foods really bad for us or just misunderstood? To better understand processed foods, we spoke with nutrition scientist Connie Weaver, PhD, from Purdue University.
10. Why is the United States the Only Country to Allow Hormones in Food Animal Production? – Spoiler alert: It’s not.

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Rita Pichardo-Geisinger, MD:

For centuries, people have investigated medical properties in natural products. The truth is: many actual medications are derived from herbs and plants.

There are many articles, videos and opinions posted on the internet with personal experiences related to the excellent properties of onions. But do they really work? I have found articles in magazines, internet, and books summarizing the multiple and apparently wonderful good health properties of onions.

Onions are rich in sulfur which is one of the essential nutrients in promoting hair growth. High amounts of sulfur in onions make them particularly effective in regenerating hair follicles and stimulating hair regrowth. Onions contain many important and essential minerals and vitamins, such as vitamins C and B6, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They appear to be particularly useful in skin conditions because of their abilities to promote circulation and decrease inflammation.

The fascinating world of the natural products in medicine has motivated me to investigate this more. There are not many medicine-based evidence articles which demonstrate in a scientific way the benefit of applying onion extract to scalp may help to improved hair loss.

A review of 10 years in the literature only identified one article that was published in 2002 in the Journal of Dermatology; this investigation was designed to test the effectiveness of topical crude onion juice in the treatment of patchy alopecia areata, a non-scarring hair loss condition, in comparison with tap water. In this study, one group of subjects applied the onion treatment twice daily for two months. Re-growth of terminal coarse hairs started after two weeks of treatment with crude onion juice. At four weeks, hair re-growth was seen in 17 patients (73.9%), and, at six weeks, the hair re-growth was observed in 20 patients (86.9%) ; it was significantly higher among males (93.7%) compared to females (71.4%) P<0.0001. This was definitely a great report to evaluate.

A hair loss remedy with onion

So how exactly does this work? Here’s what Dr. Pichardo-Geisinger recommends:

Apply freshly-squeezed, raw onion juice directly onto the scalp, massage deep into the scalp and hair roots. Leave on the scalp for about half-an-hour before shampooing. Do these treatments at least 3 times per week. In most cases, regular onion treatments are alleged to result in dramatic improvement of hair thickness within just several months. Since onion juice restores hair follicles and improves scalp circulation, it will help to promote the strong-hair growth. I found experiences with alopecia areata, female pattern hair loss and traction alopecia. The smell may be neutralized using a mixture of water and vinegar after the use of onion juice.

It’s an interesting and cheap alternative, but my recommendation is to visit your dermatologist if you do not see any improvement with this home remedy.

_{“invasion of the red onions” by Robert Couse-Bakermizo is licensed under CC BY.}

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Random, but true, facts about onions to stun and amaze your friends:

1. A great source of vitamin C but certainly less tasty than orange juice
2. Worship-worthy icon in ancient Egypt and a symbol of eternity
3. Diet staple of the prehistoric cavemen and cavewomen, although we can’t speak for the dinosaurs
4. Travel companion for Pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower, we assumed they shared with the Indians
5. Best saved for hamburgers and onion rings, no onion can stave off the flu and colds

(Source: www.onions-usa.org)

DYK Onions were a worship-worthy icon in ancient Egypt and a symbol of eternity?
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For more onion fun facts and myth busting about the onion’s dubious antiseptic qualities, click here:

_{“Red Onions” by swong95765 is licensed under CC BY 2.0}

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It is a widely circulated report such as this Facebook post about onions curing the flu, and we wondered many of the same questions. We reached out to Ruth MacDonald, PhD, RD, Chair and Professor of the Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition at Iowa State University.

Do onions absorb bacteria and cure illness?

Dr. MacDonald: “No, onions do not absorb bacteria. The idea that a vegetable would attract and suck into itself bacteria from the air is not even logical. The onion may turn black because it would eventually rot from both cell breakdown events and bacterial contamination if you left it out, not because it absorbs germs. Onions and garlic are slightly acidic, which could have antibacterial effects if you rubbed the juice on things, but these are much less effective than bleach or chemical antibiotics. Eating these vegetables provides antioxidants that can have health benefits, but they are unlikely to prevent or cure disease.”

Onions do contain sulfur compounds and were used in some cultures for medical purposes, but the effectiveness of these treatments is not significant.

The post also mentioned that you don’t need to refrigerate mayonnaise. Is this true?

Dr. MacDonald: “Mayonnaise that is made from eggs needs to be refrigerated. Products made from oils only may not require refrigeration – however, once opened, they will grow bacteria just as any food might, due to exposure from utensils or hands during use. It is best to refrigerate any mayonnaise after it has been opened.

“The possible sources of foodborne illness are many, especially in salads, and it is usually not possible to trace it back to the original source; however, modern technology is making that more possible. All foods can carry pathogens, and any food left at room temperature or above for more than 30 minutes can become contaminated to the point of causing illness. Pathogenic bacteria in those foods could grow at that temperature. The increased amount of the pathogen (or a toxin produced by the bacteria) in the food causes the illness when the food is consumed.”

Is it bad to feed onions to dogs, as mentioned in the post?

Dr. MacDonald: “I don’t know if dogs can eat onions – but I do know that stomachs do not ‘metabolize’ onions. The stomach of all mammals provides acid and enzymes that break down food prior to entering the small intestine.”

Previously, we asked Dr. MacDonald if it is OK to use leftover onions. Click here to learn more about the food safety rules concerning leftover onions.

What do you think about onions?

_{“Assorted onions” by Alice Henneman is licensed under CC BY 2.0.}

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