– Putting potatoes in your socks cannot cure a cold or other ailments. There’s no medical research that shows that it works. Eating potatoes, however, may help boost your immune system and help you beat a cold or flu. Bake, steam, or boil potatoes in their skins for the most nutrition.
What to put on your feet when you are sick?
Overview Putting onions in your socks might sound odd, but some people swear that it’s a remedy for infections, such as the cold or flu. According to the folk remedy, if you come down with a cold or the flu, all you have to do is slice a red or white onion into rounds, place them on the bottoms of your feet, and put on a pair of socks.
Do potatoes remove sickness?
Well, we took the question straight to UAMS for an answer. And according to Stacy Petty, Director of UAMS HealthNow, the answer is no. ‘The thought behind the idea of using the potato is similar to reflexology, or accessing certain healing pathways of the body via pressure points.
Does putting potatoes in your socks help with sickness?
You may have heard of putting onion in your socks as a remedy for colds and other illnesses. Another folk remedy that’s currently popular is putting raw potato in your socks. Potatoes have many health benefits and are packed with nutrients. Even drinking raw potato juice can help boost your immune system.
Do potatoes pull toxins out of your feet?
Ruth MacDonald of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. MacDonald and others said onions can certainly be good for you when EATEN. But neither an onion nor a potato will pull a virus from the bottoms of your feet or draw out impurities through your toes.
Can potatoes break a fever?
Some people are eschewing modern medicine in favor of home remedies, but are they safe? – No one likes going to the doctor. There’s never a day when we wake up and say, “You know what would be fun? Let’s go get a check-up!” Never. Doesn’t happen. But, sometimes it’s just plain necessary, no matter how much we may dread it.
When we’re sick, when we’re hurt, we have to just suck it up and go. And it’s the same for our kids. No matter how much they don’t want to go, no matter how much we may not want to take them when they’re sick or hurt, we go. Or we don’t. Sometimes we’d rather try to fix whatever the problem is at home and skip the doc for whatever the reason.
Whether it’s fear or finances, sometimes we’re tempted to try home remedies or something our great-great-grandmother used to do. And while some of those old-timey remedies may work, most of them don’t and, depending on the situation, might be dangerous.
- Illustration by Sarina Finkelstein; Getty Images (1); Adobe Stock (1) A recent viral tweet described just one such old-timey remedy—using potatoes to “draw out” a fever.
- In the now-deleted tweet, a mother shared photos of her son with what appears to be pieces of cubed potato strung around his neck.
In the caption the poster described trying something her grandmother used to do, using a potato to treat a fever. The theory holds that as the fever is drawn out, the potato blackens—absorbing the toxins. But according to Atlanta pediatrician Dr. Jennifer Shu, co-author of Heading Home With Your Newborn, the myth is just that, a myth.
- There is no known medical benefit or plausible mechanism as to how might work,” she explains.
- That said, cool compresses (such as a damp washcloth on the skin or a lukewarm sponge bath) can bring down body temperature by allowing moisture on the skin to evaporate and cool, so cool potatoes or other cool items could conceivably do the same thing.” The blackening of the potatoes is a normal chemical process—oxidation—caused when starch-rich potatoes are exposed to fresh air.
Dr. Shu says there are a few home remedies that might work to bring down fevers, but potatoes aren’t one of them. “Drinking or eating cool foods can cool a child from within,” she says. But parents should be careful not to mistake home remedies for professional medical care.
“While vegetables have undisputed nutritional value and there is no known medical concern regarding the topical use of potatoes, it’s important not to use them in place of any medical care that might be needed.” Shu adds that a necklace or string around a child’s neck could also be a choking hazard.
The bottom line is don’t be surprised if that potato doesn’t break your child’s fever. They’re tasty fried, mashed, and baked but they aren’t medicine.
How do you make a cold go away overnight?
4. Treat your nose to a nasal spray – “Nasal saline spray can help loosen secretions and temporarily relieve nasal congestion,” says Dr. Blank. Follow the directions that come with the product. Using a spray the right way increases its effectiveness. While the duration of your symptoms may vary, many people wonder how to cure a cold in 24 hours or even overnight.
How do you draw out a fever?
How to cool your fever – Take a bath in lukewarm water. This temperature will feel plenty cool when you have a fever, and the bath should help bring your body temperature down. Don’t try to bring a fever down rapidly by plunging yourself into cold water; that tactic sends blood rushing to internal organs, which is how your body defends itself from cold.
Your interior actually warms up instead of cooling down. Give yourself a sponge bath. Sponging high-heat areas like your armpits and groin with cool water can help reduce your temperature as the water evaporates. When you’re not bathing, place cold, damp washcloths on your forehead and the back of your neck.
(Related: COVID-19 Vaccines Are Vital—And So Are These )
Why do potatoes turn black?
Protect those peeled potatoes. – Updated on September 26, 2022 Photo: Getty Images Once they have been peeled and cut, raw potatoes will turn brown quickly. This process, which is called oxidation, happens because potatoes are a naturally starchy vegetable.
- And when exposed to oxygen, starches turn gray, brown, or even black.
- An oxidized potato is completely safe to eat.
- The process doesn’t affect the flavor or texture of the vegetable.
- But who wants to sit down to a bowl of gray potato salad ? Whether you’re making potato salad, hash browns, or a sheet pan full of roasted potatoes, you’ll want to prevent oxidation from happening.
Thankfully this isn’t hard to do. Here are three simple ways to keep cut, peeled potatoes looking nice and white.
Why does putting Vicks on your feet stop coughing?
Using Vicks on Your Feet For a Cough – Knowing this, it’s clear that putting Vicks VapoRub on the soles of your feet won’t help you. The product is too far from your nose, so it won’t provide any aromatherapy benefits. Still, there is a popular theory that says Vicks may help a cough by stimulating the nerves in your feet.
According to the theory, this stimulation is passed up the spinal cord to the medulla oblongata in the brain. The medulla oblongata is the part of your brain that regulates coughing. Some compare this idea to a theory about muscle cramps, Some scientists think hyperactivity of certain nerves may cause at least one type of muscle cramp.
A number of studies have shown that a drink made with strong spices can be helpful for these types of cramps. Spices like cinnamon and capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers hot, may distract the nerves that cause these cramps. According to the theory about Vicks VapoRub on the feet helping a cough, the product might have a similar effect on the nervous system.
What does putting Vicks on your feet with socks do?
People swear it works: putting Vicks VapoRub on the souls of your feet and covering them with a towel or socks can get rid of your cough overnight. But is that really the case? The DIY cold remedy has been touted across social media with success stories. But experts aren’t sure if there’s any scientific credence to them. 
Lots of folks say that applying Vicks VapoRub to the soles of your feet and donning cozy socks is a surefire way to rid a cough overnight. (istock/saquizeta) “The scent of menthol in Vicks VapoRub triggers cold receptors in your nose and upper airway, where you sense temperature and smell, Satya D.
- Narisety, M.D., a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Rutgers University, told Parents.com.
- It doesn’t actually open up airways or break up mucous, but the menthol does trick your brain into thinking your airways are opening up and you’re not so congested.” If the heart of the treatment’s effectiveness is the ability to inhale it, why did people start putting it on their feet? (MORE: Outlandish Old-Timey Cold and Flu Cures ) It may have to do with the ancient alternative medicine practice of reflexology, which suggests that parts of the feet are connected to other organs in the body.
According to the Mayo Clinic, studies show that applying pressure to areas of the feet can alleviate stress and even reduce pain, Other reflexology claims are not supported by science, however. So, Vicks on your feet could really work, or it may be psychological.
What happens when you sleep with onions in your socks?
– The onion in sock home remedy has origins in western folklore and is hundreds of years old. It also has links to the Chinese practice of reflexology. Many people claim that the onion in sock remedy is an effective treatment for a cold or the flu. Despite these claims, there is no scientific evidence to support this.
There are no proven health benefits to this remedy, but it is not known to be harmful. Onions offer a range of health benefits when they are eaten as part of a balanced diet. If a person is looking for ways to treat their cold or flu at home, there are a variety of remedies that do have proven benefits.
It is a good idea to try treatments that are known to be effective before trying home remedies that are less evidence-based. When considering new treatments for cold and flu, it is always a good idea to speak to a doctor first.