Can Onions in Socks Fight Off Flu and Cold Symptoms?

There’s a theory out there that placing onions—that’s right, onions—in your socks when you sleep can alleviate cold or flu symptoms.

According to some reflexologists, the foot has nerve endings that connect directly to other organs in the body. Here’s a diagram that supposedly explains the process:

And by putting a piece of onion on the foot, it allegedly stimulates the nerve endings.

But some aren’t convinced.

According to hoax-debunking site Snopes, “There’s no medical magic to placing peeled or cut onions around the home: they don’t act as sponges that soak up whatever viruses or other nasty microbes are in their immediate vicinity.”

And About.com says: “While it’s true that eating onions has some proven health benefits, onions are not, contrary to what’s claimed, ‘germ magnets’ capable of absorbing toxins and bacteria from the body or surrounding environment.”

Some people swear by the treatment.