Onions

Is garlic a "fake food"? No, that's not true: A nutrition expert confirmed to Lead Stories that "Garlic is a real food." The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also recognizes garlic as a food that is safe for human consumption. The claim appeared in a video post on Facebook (archived here) on September 13, 2023. The caption under the video…

Is eating soursop, beans, tomatoes and onions a cure for cancer? No, that's not true: An oncologist and a dietitian told Lead Stories this combination of foods is no cure. Instead, the two experts advocated for a healthy, balanced diet to stave off a cancer diagnosis. A previous Lead Stories fact check also debunked the claim that soursop was more…

Does a viral clip show protesters attacking what is described as "one of the HAARP platforms in Brazil"? No, that's not true: The footage in question portrays an unrelated local protest in Brazil. The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) is based in Alaska, and no credible sources reported an attack on HAARP in April 2023. HAARP doesn't have any…

Does wearing socks that contain cut pieces of potato help children combat flu and cold symptoms by absorbing toxins from their bodies? No, that's not true: The American Academy of Pediatrics has rejected this claim as groundless. It's not on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's list of "authorized health claims" -- claims about the health benefits of food or…

Does cutting an onion in two, placing the onion halves in your socks and sleeping through the night with them sticking to your feet help combat the flu and cold symptoms by drawing out toxins? No, that's not true: While the National Onion Association website states that onions support your health in various ways, such as defending against cancers and…

Do cut onions placed around a house purify the air by pulling viruses, toxins, bacteria and fungus out of the air, and will this process keep people from getting sick? No, that's not true: This folk remedy goes back hundreds of years, but there is no scientific evidence that cut onions have the ability to act as an air purifier,…

Does "eating 2 onions daily" treat depression? No, that's not true: While the National Onion Association website states that onions support your health in various ways, such as defending against a variety of cancers and providing anti-inflammatory properties, they do not treat depression. A registered psychologist told Lead Stories, "there is no compelling research identifying onions as a treatment for…

Will eating cabbage stew or soup cause a person to lose "20 pounds in one week"? No, that's not entirely true: A medical doctor specializing in weight loss told Lead Stories that a person would mostly lose water weight, but cannot lose fat that rapidly using this method. A Ph.D. clinical dietician told Lead Stories it is not a well-balanced…

Does placing a wet towel near the cutting surface when slicing onions prevent crying by absorbing the irritating enzymes released? No, there is no evidence that this cooking hack works better than any other methods. The reason why slicing onions makes cooks cry is a complicated reaction between various enzymes released from the onion's sliced cells that form to produce…

Will this tonic routine treat COVID-19 in the way that is claimed, and can it prevent anyone who adheres to this regimen from dying of COVID? No, that's not true: This COVID remedy, which is intended to be used as both an inhaled steam treatment and as a drink, contains several aromatic and natural ingredients as a tonic, and those…