H1N1 vs. Onion

Well, it is interesting that some people have posted about the virtues of onions when it comes to cold and flues. I can attest myself to have broken quite a lot of cold and flues with a simple few slices of thinly sliced onions soaking it in a cup of hot water.

Just gotta do it in the really early stage of cold/flu but it work wonders

Considering all that back and forth, has this ever actually been dis-proven? Just asking you know...

Originally posted by miss_silver
Well, it is interesting that some people have posted about the virtues of onions when it comes to cold and flues. I can attest myself to have broken quite a lot of cold and flues with a simple few slices of thinly sliced onions soaking it in a cup of hot water.

Just gotta do it in the really early stage of cold/flu but it work wonders

It takes a strong person...or a willingness to heal ones self...but I do that too. I even put a garlic clove in my mouth and just use it like a throat lozenge. Won't allow you to get too intimate with anyone...but, hell, who cares when you are ill!

[edit on 26-10-2009 by Aggie Man]

reply to post by Seiko

Actually I Googled onions cure influenza and there are many websites that advocate it(for many ills) however none appear to be scientific

Well I have used this trick all my life and can say that putting a dish of onions around the house during flu season really DOES purify the viruses in the air. It's been done in my family for generations. I also use onion juice (cut an inion and scrape the inside with a spoon) for ear infections and it works wonders...you only have to do it twice a day for a day or two...sure beats 10 days of antibiotics.
Another good cure for a respatory illness is filling a turnip with brown sugar. Let it sit for a couple of days then store the juice in the fridge...great remedy
Some things shouldn't be knocked until tried...science is CONSTANTLY correcting itself anyway...

Here's one that sounds pretty good hubpages.com...
there are many,can they all be wrong?They are all free so no one is trying to get rich,just pass on some info to their fellow man.

I remember reading that onion poultices, put on the chests of people with pneumonia, are supposed to work wonders. I can't verify that, because I've never had pneumonia, but just thought I'd throw it in here since it goes along with the thread. I imagine the person would smell pretty funky for a while.

This one of the best replies ive read to this, I completely agree with randyvs.And i am going to see if i can take this up a notch, My mother suffers from COPD and is haveing problems breathing, O2 levels are way down, Im going to have her try this, and see if it helps with this as well, I will keep you all posted.

This is bogus, the article states that

he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

so did he see a virus or bacteria? Now obviously the flu is a virus and cannot be seen under a optical microscope, but it makes for a nice story for someone trying to peddle homeopathic remedies

So far I can't find any real scientific tests one way or the other. Here's soemthing from the onions-usa.org

The amazing onion

Antibacterial/Antifungal Although thought to be less active than garlic, onions have been shown to possess antibacterial and antifungal properties (Hughes and Lawson, 1991; Augusti, 1996). Onion oil has been shown to be highly effective against gram positive bacteria, dermatophytic fungi, and growth and aflatoxin production of Aspergillus fungi genera (Zohri et al., 1995). In fact, Welsh onion extracts have been proven to be more inhibitory toward aflatoxin production than the preservatives sorbate and propionate at pH values near 6.5, even at concentrations 3-10 fold higher than maximum levels used in foods (Fan and Chen, 1999). Organosulfur compounds were cited as protective agents by researchers finding antibacterial effects of onion extract against oral pathogenic bacteria (Kim, 1997). The possibility arises for protection against dental caries. It should be noted that no protection was found in extracts obtained from grated onion kept at 37ºC for over two days. Enzymatic destabilization of thiosulfinates was proposed for the change in effectiveness. The organosulfur compounds of onions also have been credited with antiasthmatic effects (Dorsch and Wagner, 1991; Augusti, 1996). Thiosulfinates formed from onion tissue degradation (i.e. chopping) have been credited in inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolic pathways and subsequent anti-inflammatory and antiasthmatic effects (Wagner et al., 1990). In addition to inhibitory effects against pathogenic bacteria, onions have been found to promote beneficial microorganisms.

There's a kernel of truth in here somewhere, but I'd be more interested in some actual lab tests on the absorption rate of microbacterials in onions.

Has anyone tried the onion yet?

Originally posted by genius/idoit
Has anyone tried the onion yet?

Here ya go...

www.abovetopsecret.com...