TikTok users are going crazy over a trend that’s been around since the 14th century, raising the question: Can potatoes cure a cold?
According to an old wives’ tale, sleeping with slices of some veggies in your socks can help heal a cold and other ailments. Along with the potato, some have claimed to use onions to cure a common cold. TikToker and beauty influencer @isabelle.lux is one of many whose “potato sock” claim, with more than a billion views, has going viral.
She demonstrated how she sliced the potato and put it in her sock overnight. The next morning, Lux said, the potato in her sock was black in most areas and she felt better, while the slices left on the counter weren’t blackened.
The trend claims the potato draws toxins from the foot, essentially pulling the cold out of your body and transferring it to the potato. With the experiment coming back to light, many are questioning if it really works.
Users on the popular social media platform were divided, with some swearing the remedy “worked for my kid,” and others saying, “It’s disgusting.”
While potatoes have many health benefits, putting one in your sock to cure a cold isn’t one of them. So what is the reason for the sock potatoes to become black versus those on the countertop?
Nutritionist Tok-Hui Yeap, RD, CSP with Kinder Nutrition, said it’s because of enzymatic browning, an enzymatic oxidation reaction, adding that this “remedy” is a myth.
While TikTok trends can be fun, health care professionals fight a constant battle to make sure they’re accurate. Many warn against trends such as the potato sock, cooking chicken in Nyquil and others.
At the end of the day, the best way to beat the flu and other cold symptoms is to seek professional help and consult your doctor, experts say.
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