Onions absorbing flu virus and bacteria

[JohnWStiner]

From a shared e-mail:

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 onions!!!!!!

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmers story.. but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia and needless to say I was very ill.. I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put one end on a fork and then place the forked end into an empty jar...placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs.. sure enough it happened just like that.. the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago.. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.

This is the other note. Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu's and is the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of mayonnaise.. Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters in the Mullins family. My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO.

Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed. He's one of the brothers Ed is a chemistry expert and is involved in developing most of the sauce formula. He's even developed sauce formula for McDonald's.

Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially- made Mayo is completely safe.

"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the quaint essential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the onions, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

He explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!)

Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy youl probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

So, how's that for news? Take it for what you will. I (the author) am going to be very careful about my onions from now on. For some reason, I see a lot of credibility coming from a chemist and a company that produces millions of pounds of mayonnaise every year.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions. Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning. Please pass this on to all you love and care.

[rugster]

and the moral of the story here....

The flue is a virus NOT a bacteria and onions are not a huge magnet for bacteria.

"Firstly, bacteria have minimal mobility. They usually travel in water droplets, if at all. Sneezes, for example. Moulds can release spores which get blown around but bacteria usually grows in moist environments and are slimy, making getting airborne difficult. "


"High risk foods are usually high in protein and available moisture. Onions are low protein, verging on nil, and what moisture they have is contained in their cellular structure. The surface, as well as being acidic, dries soon after cutting and will not support bacterial growth"


http://chemistkitchen.blogspot.com/2...a-magnets.html


http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/cutonions.asp

[INresponse]

Not sure about all that, but I am not a chemist. ha ha

This a copied from Wikipedia, but there are many articles on the benefits of onions:
"Medicinal properties and health effects of onions:

Wide-ranging claims have been made for the effectiveness of onions against conditions ranging from the common cold to heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and other diseases.[9] They contain chemical compounds believed to have anti-inflammatory, anticholesterol, anticancer, and antioxidant properties such as quercetin. However, it has not been conclusively demonstrated that increased consumption of onions is directly linked to health benefits. Some studies have shown that increased consumption of onions reduces the risk of head and neck cancers.[10] In India some sects do not eat onion due to its alleged aphrodisiac properties.[11] Many also believe that eating onions can lead to weight loss; this claim, however, has never been substantiated.
In many parts of the world, onions are used to heal blisters and boils. A traditional Maltese remedy for sea urchin wounds is to tie half a baked onion to the afflicted area overnight. An application of raw onion is also said to be helpful in reducing swelling from bee stings. In the United States, products that contain onion extract are used in the treatment of topical scars; some studies have found their action to be ineffective,[12][13][14] while others found that they may act as an anti-inflammatory or bacteriostatic[15] and can improve collagen organization in rabbits.[16]
Onions may be especially beneficial for women,[17] who are at increased risk for osteoporosis as they go through menopause, by destroying osteoclasts so that they do not break down bone.
An American chemist has stated[18] that the pleiomeric chemicals in onions have the potential to alleviate or prevent sore throat. Onion in combination with jaggery has been widely used as a traditional household remedy for sore throat in India.
Shallots have the most phenols, six times the amount found in Vidalia onion, the variety with the lowest phenolic content. Shallots also have the most antioxidant activity, followed by Western Yellow, pungent yellow (New York Bold[19]), Northern Red, Mexico, Empire Sweet, Western White, Peruvian Sweet, Texas 1015, Imperial Valley Sweet, and Vidalia. Western Yellow onions have the most flavonoids, eleven times the amount found in Western White, the variety with the lowest flavonoid content.
For all varieties of onions, the more phenols and flavonoids they contain, the more reputed antioxidant and anticancer activity they provide. When tested against liver and colon cancer cells, 'Western Yellow' pungent yellow (New York Bold[19]) and shallots were most effective in inhibiting their growth. The milder-tasting cultivars (i.e., 'Western White,' 'Peruvian Sweet,' 'Empire Sweet,' 'Mexico,' 'Texas 1015,' 'Imperial Valley Sweet,' and 'Vidalia') showed little cancer-fighting ability.[19]
Shallots and ten other onion (Allium cepa L.) varieties commonly available in the United States were evaluated: Western Yellow, Northern Red, pungent yellow (New York Bold), Western White, Peruvian Sweet, Empire Sweet, Mexico, Texas 1015, Imperial Valley Sweet, and Vidalia. In general, the most pungent onions delivered many times the benefits of their milder cousins.[19]
3-mercapto-2-methylpentan-1-ol in onion was found to have an antioxidant potent that inhibits peroxynitrite-induced diseases.[20]
[edit]"

I also read a similar email/post/blog a while back about how some illness (I don't know if it was flu or something else) was ravaging world populations but a traveling doctor came across a small town in Europe where everyone was healthy. It was learned the town had a large Onion crop and they all ate lots of onions at every meal. The guess was that the onions kept them healthy. Onions have an antibiotic property to them. So does Garlic. Both are thought to be good to eat on a regular basis.

Good topic though. I am interested in seeing what others have to say. I am going to keep eating onions though. I have never seen one turn black when left out, but I guess it can happen.

[Precise_Disarray]

Provocative read, but the content has several questionable assertions. Primarily that the flu is a virus, not a bacteria. How great would it be to be able to get rid of the flu with a bowl of cut onions!
The dissemination of misinformation on the internet is rampant! Some much more harmful than others. I've received countless emails (forwarded several times over) where a simple search highlighted the inaccuracies. Snopes is particularly helpful to get the quick story, but a lot of skeptic sites offer up information too.

The health benefits of consuming onions and garlic seems to have merit, though. Tasty, too.

[Cinbad]

We always have onions sitting in a bowl in the kitchen, along with garlic. Good thing we love both. I cook with onions and garlic all the time and have all my life. Except for a slight cold this past fall I can't remember when the last time was I was sick. We have stocked up on jars on crushed garlic and also dried onions. And don't forget honey. You want some awesome onion rings? Dip in egg and milk mixture then coat with crushed saltines and deep fry. Yum. Today we're making a pot roast in the crock pot with whole onions and crushed garlic. Those will be gone tonight. And don't forget garlic keeps vampires away. LOL

[WeAreEverywhere]

Onions and garlic are spectacularly powerful immune system boosters. Eat them raw for the most benefits. If you can't afford cod liver oil, or Vitamin D3, or sodium ascorbate (a buffered, highly absorbable form of Vitamin C that should be in everyone's prep stash) to help fight off illness, eat raw garlic and onion. You'll smell awful but it really does work.

I suspect that the farmers stayed well because they ate a lot of their own homegrown onions, not because they put some cut onions in a bowl. That's about as logical as putting a knife under the bed of a laboring woman to "cut the pain in half".

[ozarkeagle]

How in the world have I survived for over 50 years eating leftover onion from the fridge?
I should have poisoned myself long ago.

[12vman]

blasphemy!!!!!!!!!!!! I say!!!!!!!

Dont you know that only vaccines can save us from viruses and antibiotics are the only thing that can stop bacteria??

Get w/ the times folks!!!!!!!

sarcasm intended...

[ColoradoGal]

there are unsubstantiated claims that the reason many people stayed healthy had to do with the high sulfur content of what they ingested or absorbed through their skin. This isn't due to a particular food perse. It is interesting to note that most 'helpful' foods for illnesses, have high levels of sulfur.

*helpful is one of those words that mean many things to different people, thus the '*' designation.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by rugster

"Firstly, bacteria have minimal mobility. They usually travel in water droplets, if at all. Sneezes, for example. Moulds can release spores which get blown around but bacteria usually grows in moist environments and are slimy, making getting airborne difficult. "

I was just thinking that myself. How can it be a magnet for something that has no way of propelling itself towards it? That alone is enough to set off the BS detector.

[cranky1950]

Originally Posted by MikeK

I was just thinking that myself. How can it be a magnet for something that has no way of propelling itself towards it? That alone is enough to set off the BS detector.

It all goes back to when cavemen were hunting dinosaurs.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by WeAreEverywhere

Onions and garlic are spectacularly powerful immune system boosters. Eat them raw for the most benefits. If you can't afford cod liver oil, or Vitamin D3, or sodium ascorbate (a buffered, highly absorbable form of Vitamin C that should be in everyone's prep stash) to help fight off illness, eat raw garlic and onion. You'll smell awful but it really does work.

I suspect that the farmers stayed well because they ate a lot of their own homegrown onions, not because they put some cut onions in a bowl. That's about as logical as putting a knife under the bed of a laboring woman to "cut the pain in half".

They're pretty amazing. It's been said that garlic is king and onion is queen. I tend to agree with that. Not only for culinary uses but for health. I don't notice much improvement from onions, but I know garlic boost my immune system quite a bit. I eat a lot of raw garlic when I start to catch a cold. If I start it soon enough, the cold generally just goes away before I get sick. Combined with echinacea and zinc it works very well.

[cranky1950]

Originally Posted by MikeK

They're pretty amazing. It's been said that garlic is king and onion is queen. I tend to agree with that. Not only for culinary uses but for health. I don't notice much improvement from onions, but I know garlic boost my immune system quite a bit. I eat a lot of raw garlic when I start to catch a cold. If I start it soon enough, the cold generally just goes away before I get sick. Combined with echinacea and zinc it works very well.

Actually if you include garlic, onions and broccoli in your diet a lot of microbial problems just go away.

The downside when you do get sick it's usually really nasty.

[WeAreEverywhere]

Probiotics are also very important. Drinking a cup of kefir every day is one of the best things you can do for your health. Unlike yogurt, which only boosts gut health while you eat it, kefir actually colonizes your gut on a long-term basis. It's a powerful health food and very easy to make at home--and quite delicious!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir
http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

Note: You need to buy kefir GRAINS, not kefir STARTER. Grains will reproduce (and are edible). Starter will stop fermenting after a few batches and has to be re-bought.

[Zarr]

I am skeptical of the original story, when we are told the country doctor used a 1919 era microscope and observed virus on the onion. And we are expected to believe that, so as to validate the story.

The first animal viruses (viruses that affect animals, as opposed to plant or bacterial viruses, which are some what larger) were first observed almost forty to forty five years later, and they are so small, that the scientists needed the use of an electron microscope to do it.

Garlic has been shown to decrease the chances of getting a sore throat due to the chemical alicin, which is released when the clove of garlic is crushed. It is a known antimicrobial, which is very different from it being antiviral, which it is not.

[bighanded]

I'm more inclined to the theory that they stunk so bad that no one else wanted to get near them and so they didn't get germs passed to them.

[Cinbad]

I forgot. I read about people putting onion poultices on people's chests when they had chest ailments and it worked. Also mustard. I am looking for someone to teach me how to look for medicinal plants in the wild. I have some great books but would rather have an expert show me. My grandmother was great at finding food and medicines because she lived through the depression. OMG I can remember Father John's medicine and other nasty stuff she made me drink. I'm still alive. This website is just one of many about onions and other natural things that work. http://howtoremedies.com/2010/07/onion-poultice.html Big pharma knows what works and take over the growing of it and put out disinformation so we won't believe it works. They make synthetic copies and put who knows what in the mix. Not for me. If you care to take the time to look up medicinal properties you might be amazed at what is actually growing around you. I read a few years ago that the govt stopped companies from saying cherries are good for coughs and other things. They want it all for themselves. Evil! If the shtf doesn't happen this year I'm going out picking berries and anything I can to either can or dehydrate. And here is a great site on medicinal properties of onions. http://www.suite101.com/content/medi...-onion-a134453

[square1]

Originally Posted by ozarkeagle

How in the world have I survived for over 50 years eating leftover onion from the fridge?
I should have poisoned myself long ago.

We've been doing the same with red, yellow, and white onions. No problems here!

[Cinbad]

Originally Posted by square1

We've been doing the same with red, yellow, and white onions. No problems here!

Me too. It's all govt disinformation so we won't be healthy and have to depend on big money pharma for all our health needs. Not! They have also taken over the vitamin and mineral and herbal market. The price of what I buy has more than tripled since I started. I am definately getting into foraging and preserving.

[kajunman1]

Onions keep people away. You don't get sick. tada

Great Post!!!!
Thanks. I need to look in to it more.