Wait, why are people sleeping with raw onions?

Health hack or just another TikTok trend?

I’ve seen some strange wellness trends in my time online. Some have been relatively harmless, like beef tallow skincare, while others are far more nefarious. But the idea that people are sleeping with onions in their socks is easily the strangest one by far.

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Once I saw the first video, I simply had to deep dive. What then commenced was a doom scroll through dozens of videos of people putting their feet into plastic bags or socks (gross), full of diced-up onions. I could shudder now, just thinking of it.

So, why exactly are people sleeping with onions?

The TLDR on the whole onion-sock-trend is that if you feel a cold or sickness coming on, you to cut up a raw onion (red or brown) and put it in your sock while you sleep overnight.

The first video I saw about this trend was on Instagram, from a creator called ‘Mr. High Level’. In it, he spoke to the camera while showing sliced red onions cling-wrapped to the bottoms of his feet, listing off various health benefits.

“You will detox your body overnight… It’s one of the best ways to get rid of all kinds of inflammation,” he claimed. He also finished the video telling followers to comment the word ‘homemade’ below for more tips and tricks… so do with that what you will.

But it’s not just Mr. High Level. Wellness creator Madeline B also shared a video online singing the praises of the onion hack. “Onion is one of the best foods to be consuming if you’re sick or if you feel like your body just needs some love,” she said. “And putting this on the bottom of your feet helps with detox and is also a known cold and flu remedy.”

According to various online creators (and don’t mistake that for people with health credentials), it’s supposedly meant to boost your immunity, kill off bacteria and ‘pull out’ unwanted toxins from your body.

@madelinemary__ PSA this hack might save you!!!! #onion #oniongirl #coldandfluseason #coldremedies #coldremedy #fluseason #fluremedy #healingjourney #healingtiktok #nontoxicliving #naturalliving #organicliving ♬ Would That I (True that I saw her hair like the branch of a tree) – Hozier

Where did the trend originate?

Though it might be gaining traction again now, the onion trend is by no means new. As reported by our good friends at the The National Onion Association (I know, I know), the idea that onions can ward off sickness dates back to the 1500s. The idea was that cutting up raw onions and putting them around your room could help ward off the bubonic plague.

The onion lore has since snowballed, contributing to beliefs that the vegetable could prevent other diseases, like smallpox and influenza. There’s also a possibility that it may have originated from ancient Chinese medicine practices, like foot reflexology.

Somewhere along the line, it’s been passed down through families and folklore and made its way online. It’s been popularised on TikTok over the past couple of years – and for some reason, it’s creeping back into the zeitgeist.

What does the science say?

Like all online health trends, you should probably take it with a grain of salt. However, it’s also worth noting that just because a health hack hasn’t been scientifically validated according to Western medical standards, doesn’t render it ineffective. Eastern medicines have been practiced for centuries and still play a large role for many people regarding their health.

In search of some clarity surrounding the onion trend, I decided to seek the perspective of nurse-turned-naturopath, Brooke Oke. As the owner of Goodkind Naturopathy, Brooke uses both elements of modern medicine and ancient practices when treating clients.

“Onions surprisingly have a lot of health benefits,” she tells me. “They’re very high in flavonoids, particularly quercetin, which aid in clearing histamines from the body.”

“Onions are a well known mucolytic in western herbal medicine, so they do have the potential to draw mucous from the body, which is where people find them useful applied topically.”

Brooke often recommends adding onions to your diet to support respiratory, immune and digestive health, and says that anecdotally, a lot of people find they help to clear congestion, particularly for children. However, when it comes to natural remedies that help counter the early signs of a cold, Brooke says her go-to is Echinacea, or vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D for an anti-viral antidote.

“Another simple remedy you can try, is a whole garlic cloves, swallowed like a pill,” she adds. “It sounds insane but garlic is a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial.”

In short, it’s not fully clear whether sleeping with onions in your socks will stop you from getting sick. Though it’s unlikely to harm you, it’s likely worth consulting other treatments and remedies as a backup.

For more on navigating health advice online, try this.