A Filipino netizen’s Facebook (FB) post wrongly claimed that sliced onions placed under the soles of the feet or in an open jar near a sick person are effective in curing colds, coughs, and fever.

The FB post, which first appeared on Sept. 3, 2021, recently gained traction among Filipinos, Argentinians, and Colombians. It specifically claimed that:

• Slicing a red or white onion and putting it in an infant’s soles every six hours or overnight for adults is an effective cure for colds and coughs;
• Sliced onions in an open jar near a person who has fever, cold, or cough will help them heal; and
• Onions effectively suck toxins out from one’s body immediately after placing these under one’s feet.

These claims are false, said health and alternative medicine experts consulted by VERA Files Fact Check.

Foreign fact-checking organizations Snopes, the Associated Press, and The Healthy Indian Project (THIP.Media) have debunked similar claims.

Onions under the foot to absorb toxins

Studies have shown several health benefits of eating onions, but research on the efficacy of putting onions under the feet or in any other part of the body to cure ailments has not been conducted, according to health experts working under the Health Desk of international non-profit organization Meedan.

In an email to VERA Files Fact Check, Dr. Cecilia Maramba-Lazarte, director of the Institute of Herbal Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in UP Manila, said:

“There is no biological explanation...

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