Onion

[[File:OnionRW.JPG|right|thumb|165px|An onion sucking up all the toxins from RationalWiki.]]
{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[The Onion]], which is a satire site, or [[Tor]], which has websites called "onion services".}}
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{{cquote|I bit into it like an apple and was instantly filled with burning regret. I had to spit it into the garbage. My mouth is still on fire.|||An anonymous [[sucker]]<ref name="AVClub"/><ref name="PoliticalConsequences"/>}}
'''Onions''' are a group of root vegetables related to [[garlic]], chives, and leeks, which are all in the ''Allium'' genus of plants. They may be brown, purple, or white. They grow as a bulb with leaves sprouting out of the top of the bulb. It has been somewhat dubiously claimed that onions have any number of health benefits when eaten [[Raw foodism|raw]].<ref name="LATimes4chan">Holly Van Hare (November 27, 2017). [https://www.latimes.com/food/sns-dailymeal-1859224-healthy-eating-eating-raw-onions-boost-testosterone-4chan-112717-20171127-story.html "Does eating raw onions boost your testosterone? 4chan thinks so"]. ''The Los Angeles Times''. [https://archive.ph/PqN1q (Archived)].</ref> Or when placed in your socks.<ref name="TOIsocks">(September 10, 2018). [https://recipes.timesofindia.com/us/articles/health/heres-why-you-should-sleep-with-onions-in-your-socks/photostory/65755145.cms "Here's why you should sleep with onions in your socks"]. ''The Times of India''.</ref> Or when placed in your general vicinity.<ref name="USATodayWivesTale">Katie Landeck (June 17, 2020). [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/06/16/fact-check-leaving-raw-onions-around-your-house-wont-prevent-illness/3200052001/ "Leaving raw onions around your house won’t prevent illnesses"]. ''USA Today''.</ref> Of course, we're not telling you to avoid eating your veggies. Onions are nutritional. But they aren't quite [[Magical thinking|as magical as some people seem to believe]].

==Woo==
{{main|Woo}}
{{cquote|I was like a child on [[Christmas]] morning, unwrapping my feet. Unfortunately, no gunk, just withered onions. My feet, however, smelled of ... onions.|||Bernard O'Shea, ''The Irish Examiner''<ref>Bernard O'Shea (January 20, 2022). [https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/people/arid-40789254.html Bernard O'Shea: 'I put onions on my feet to suck the toxins out of my body']. ''The Irish Examiner''.</ref>}}
It has been claimed that eating raw onions, or drinking onion juice, will increase one's testosterone. This was based on two [[Iran]]ian studies done in [[rat]]s (who had onion juice injected into their stomachs).<ref>Khaki ''et al.'' (February 2009). [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19384830/ "Evaluation of androgenic activity of allium cepa on spermatogenesis in the rat"]. ''Folia Morphologica''.</ref><ref>Allouh ''et al.'' (December 3, 2013). [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1535370213508360 "Fresh onion juice enhanced copulatory behavior in male rats with and without paroxetine-induced sexual dysfunction"]. ''Experimental Biology and Medicine''.</ref>{{efn|If you hadn't noticed, rats are not humans. Treatment effects in rats can't necessarily be extrapolated to humans, particularly rats injected with paroxetine.}} It was picked up by [[4chan]] users at some point who touted it as a "manly" alternative to [[soy]]. Not wanting to be feminine [[soy boy]]s, some 4chan users on /r9k/, /fit/, and [[/pol/]] embraced the theory.<ref>Paris Martineau (November 21, 2017). [https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/11/4channers-are-eating-onions-to-be-more-manly.html "4channers Are Eating Onions to Be More Manly"]. ''New York''.</ref><ref name="AVClub">Clayton Purdom (November 22, 2017). [https://www.avclub.com/dumbasses-on-4chan-are-eating-onions-to-become-more-man-1820684600 "Dumbasses on 4chan are eating raw onions to become more manly now"]. ''The A.V. Club''.</ref><ref>Don and Sonterp (November 20, 2017). [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-onion-pill "The Onion Pill"]. ''KnowYourMeme''.</ref> In a /pol/ thread promoting this idea, one anon claimed to have taken a bite out of a raw onion as if it were an apple. He commented that he was "instantly filled with burning regret".<ref name="LATimes4chan"/><ref name="PoliticalConsequences">(November 19, 2017). [https://archive.4plebs.org/pol/thread/150140622/ "Individual and Political Consequences of Onion Juice"]. 4chan, via 4plebs.</ref> Following this incident, 4chan's moderators began word-filtering "soy" to "onions".<ref>[https://wiki.bibanon.org/4chan/History#2018 "4chan/History"]. ''Bibliotheca Anonoma''. Quote: "2018 - April 20 - Mods finally crack down on soyposting and add wordfilters. 'soy' is now filtered to 'onions', and any word with 'soy' in it will turn it into '[[based]]' (e.g. soyboy becomes basedboy). As of April 29, /ck/ does not seem to have these filters."</ref>

"Onion water" has been a home remedy for various common illnesses such as colds and [[flu]]s for some time, and has more recently been promoted as such a remedy by [[TikTok]] videos (for example). However, there is no evidence to support its use for this purpose. It is also acidic, potentially causing stomach trouble or heartburn.<ref>Caroline Kee (December 6, 2022). [https://www.today.com/health/cold-flu/onion-water-natural-cold-remedy-rcna59854 "What doctors think about the viral TikTok onion water cold remedy"]. ''TODAY''.</ref>

More strangely, it has been claimed that placing onions in your socks will make your feet smell better, or even cure illnesses and "purify your blood".<ref name="LeadStories">Alan Duke (July 2, 2019). [https://leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2019/07/fake-news-why-we-do-not-need-onion-on-our-feet-overnight.html "Fake News: Why We Do NOT Need To Put Onion On Our Feet Overnight"]. ''Lead Stories''.</ref> ''The Times of India'' published an article claiming: "Onions are rich in sulphuric compounds, which make it anti-[[fungi|fungal]] and anti-[[bacteria]]l. This property kills germs and bacterias [sic],<ref name="bacteria">"Bacteria" is already plural, so adding an s would make it...double plural?</ref> which cause foot odor. Practicing this habit will prevent you from smelly foot and will not let bad smell revive."<ref name="TOIsocks"/> Most people find that raw onions smell bad, so even if this were true, a better alternative would be to simply wash your feet with soap, which is what most people do. Another useful bit of advice is to keep your feet dry.<ref>(September 10, 2019). [https://health.clevelandclinic.org/4-sure-fire-ways-you-can-avoid-stinky-feet/ "4 Ways You Can Avoid Stinky Feet"]. Cleveland Clinic.</ref> The explanation for why onions might be capable of preventing regular foot odor with its (mildly) antibacterial properties is at least slightly plausible,<ref name="McGillBacteria">Joe Schwarcz (March 20, 2017). [https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-you-asked/it-true-onions-can-absorb-bacteria "Is it true that onions can absorb bacteria?"]. ''Office for Science and Society''. McGill University.</ref> but perhaps impractical due to the added scent of the onions themselves. And if your plan is just to wash that scent away afterwards, what was the fucking point? You've wasted a perfectly good onion!

One very old claim, which is still kicking around today, says that slicing an onion and pressing it against your foot will treat a fever. This will only leave your feet smelly, and of course it doesn't work. This remedy is also present in [[traditional Chinese medicine]], and may originate from [[reflexology]] in particular, which says that you can manipulate your internal organs through your feet.<ref>Georgina Jerums (May 4, 2022). [https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/onions-on-feet-for-fever-claim-leaves-a-bad-smell/ "Onions on feet for fever claim leaves a bad smell"]. ''AAP FactCheck''.</ref><ref name="LeadStories"/><ref>Alex Kasprak (January 24, 2017). [https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/onion-in-your-sock-cure/ "Does Putting a Raw Cut Onion in Your Sock Cure Medical Ailments?"]. ''Snopes''.</ref> During the [[Black Death]], there was no knowledge of [[germ theory]]. Thus, the idea formed that simply placing onions around a house could prevent [[bubonic plague]]. Somehow, this idea has persisted for centuries, possibly because so many people would rather believe magic than science. During the 19<sup>th</sup> century, it was proposed as a way to prevent [[smallpox]]. Today, it's more generally used as a fake remedy for "purifying the air" to prevent all manner of illnesses,<ref name="LeadStories"/><ref name="USATodayWivesTale"/> an astounding remnant of "bad air" miasma theory which predominated immediately prior to the advent of germ theory. The National Onion Association, despite the fact that they sure sound like a group with an interest in selling more onions, was not a fan of this myth.<ref name="USATodayWivesTale"/>

==Real uses==
Besides shoveling onions down your esophagus, they do have ''some'' medical usages. According to four scientific papers cited by the World Health Organization, onion tea is capable of combating pathogens related to food poisoning (that is, foodborne disease).<ref name="USATodayWivesTale"/> Because of the nature of food poisoning and the administration of the onions into the digestive system (where, of course, the source of the problem is), this is more plausible as a treatment compared to sticking onions on your feet, or eating onions to treat a respiratory disease.

Onions are also delicious in many dishes from around the world.  Not if you're a follower of [[Jainism]], of course.

<center><gallery widths=225px heights=225px>
File:Higado encebollado.jpg|A liver and onions platter from Madrid, [[Spain]].
File:Bratwurst sausage (13352182975).jpg|A bratwurst topped with browned onions.
File:Spring onion pancake 2013.JPG|''Cong you bing'', scallion pancakes from Taichung, [[Taiwan]]
File:Onion soup, Balthazar.jpg|[[French]] onion soup, always a classic. 
File:Sogan-dolma.jpg|''Soğan dolması'', an [[Ottoman Empire]]-era stuffed onion dish. 
</gallery></center>

==See also==
*[[Bodybuilding woo]]
*[[Broscience]]
*[[Carrot]]
*[[User:Onion]]

==External links==
*[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170000/nutrients Raw onions nutritional information], at FoodData Central.
*[https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/the-red-pill-crowd-has-decided-that-eating-a-whole-raw-onion-is-the-best-way-to-prove-youre-a-man "The Red-Pill Crowd Has Decided That Eating a Whole Raw Onion Is the Best Way to Prove You're a Man"], ''Mel Magazine''.
*[https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katiecamero/onion-in-sock-for-cold "Stuffing Your Socks With Onions Won’t Cure Your Cold, Flu, Or RSV"], ''BuzzFeed News''.

==Notes==
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==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Alternative medicine]]
[[Category:Diet woo]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Plants]]

Categories: Alternative medicine, Diet woo, Food, Plants