THE ESSENTIAL
- The common cold, also called nasopharyngitis, is caused by viruses, such as rhinovirus or influenzae.
- Benign, the disease heals spontaneously in a few days and without treatment.
Grandma’s remedies are popular! On the social network Tiktok, users share a natural trick against winter ailments. Called “water onion” in English, the preparation consists of placing raw, red or yellow onion, cut into very small pieces, in water, and letting everything sit for at least 12 hours. “Many TikTok users claim it relieves respiratory symptoms like cough and congestion and others swear it helps the body heal faster from colds, flu, RSV and sinus infections.”explains the American media Today.
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Onion, a natural remedy used for a long time
This tip is part of Tiktok trends: more than 262 million views are associated with “drink onion water” on the social network. However, it is nothing new. This is one of many home remedies made with onion. Some also claim that placing a cut onion in a bedroom, or even under the bed, would help reduce coughing, especially in babies. Onion boiled with water and then honey would be helpful to fight sore throats. Others recommend using chopped onion to relieve insect bites. “Onion as a cold and flu treatment is a home remedy that has been around for centuries“, confirms Dr. Kitty O’Hare, director of pediatrics at Duke Primary Care, to the media. Today.
Are onion remedies really effective?
However, these different tips seem to have no scientific basis according to this specialist. “There’s not a lot of clear science behind itshe says. It has been around for a very long time, but there is no clear research showing that the remedy has benefits for coughs, colds and the flu.e.” Another professor of pediatrics, Dr. Jason Nagata, confirms the lack of scientific evidence.”I am not aware of any scientific studies showing any benefit for colds or respiratory symptomshe told Today. I don’t think people should expect real improvement from their cold or flu just with onions.”
Why do we feel better with onions?
On the other hand, there is a trail of explanation for the popularity of this remedy. Kitty O’Hare recalls that the onion does cry. “The pungent smell can also make people cough, she continues, but this is all just a temporary reaction – it doesn’t necessarily mean the onion actually relieves symptoms or helps the body heal faster.”