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View Full Version : Curious - onions preventing flu??


FFC
10-09-2009, 09:08 AM
I got this email today and I tried to verify it on snopes and there is nothing on it. While I know ingesting onions can help, I'm curious about this one....

Has anyone ever heard of this? I figure it wouldn't hurt to try but I'd like to find more info on it if it is true....

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.

The Doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the Doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work. (And no, she is not in the onion business.)

The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home. If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your desk or even on top somewhere. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better. If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case.

Whatever, what have you to lose? Just a few bucks on some onions!

Kirby
10-09-2009, 11:24 AM
I've never heard that before but it's really interesting! I might have to look into that. But I'm wondering if it makes your whole house smell like onions, lol!

SkippyNXC
10-09-2009, 11:26 AM
weird! I can't STAND onions tho uggghhh idk if i'd be able to do that... i'm keepin my fingers crossed that my flu shot holds up ;)

FFC
10-09-2009, 11:40 AM
I've never heard that before but it's really interesting! I might have to look into that. But I'm wondering if it makes your whole house smell like onions, lol!

If in fact it is true - I'm so doing it at work! But I can't find any more info on it :realmad: Plus, I love onions LOL.

ChristineLS
10-09-2009, 03:24 PM
I don't buy it. The onions would have to direct a protein that has limited ability to move off surfaces onto itself. It would have to redirect air currents and defeat surface tension to get that to happen. Seems too... magical. I mean onions are good for you, but that sort of leaving them doesn't make sense. They do emit a really caustic stuff that makes me cry though! I mean it's possible that whatever is in it getting into the air kills the virus. But really... it settles down. I don't think it's that likely.

uptowngirl
10-09-2009, 05:37 PM
This reminded me of a lady that used to work at the camera shop where I worked during college...she would keep a tray of onions on top of the film processor to keep it from breaking. Something about evil spirits? :blink:

I have heard about wearing garlic to keep colds away, but also heard it was because you would smell so bad no one would come close enough to give you germs! Haha!

byrd813
10-09-2009, 05:58 PM
Now I believe this could be true. My mother has a remedy for the flu. She said back in the 1900's when everyone was getting it, her grandmother, and a bunch of other people would gather up onions and make "onion juice". Basically they would they take a bumnch of onions, and coat them with sugar (for taste). They tied it to a string and hung the onions in the sun. The heat produced a syrup, and that's what they drank to prevent & cure the flu. Weird? Yes it is.

melissa1031
10-10-2009, 12:16 AM
i've heard of the onion soup before,but made a different way.