As India battles intense summer temperatures, a recent statement by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has gone viral - suggesting that carrying an onion in your pocket can help protect against extreme heat. The remark, rooted in traditional practices and Ayurveda, has sparked widespread curiosity - and skepticism - about whether such remedies actually work during a heatwave.
“I don't use air conditioning in my car, nor do I sit in an air-conditioned environment. And when people ask me, even in the 51-degree heat of May and June, I say, 'This is Chambal skin.' And let me tell you something else: I look a little young, but my soul is very old. Keep an onion in your pocket. Nothing will happen to you,” he told a public gathering in Shivpuri.
“And in today's times, everyone is carrying boxes. The communication minister is carrying onions. These are old things. And as Ayurveda progresses, we shouldn't forget these things,” said Scindia.
Speaking about enduring temperatures as high as 51°C, Scindia emphasized natural resilience, avoiding air conditioning, and relying on age-old methods like keeping an onion close. The idea isn’t entirely new. In parts of India, onions have historically been believed to “absorb heat” or protect the body from sunstroke.
But as heatwaves grow more severe due to climate change, relying solely on traditional beliefs - without scientific backing- can be risky.
There is no scientific evidence that carrying an onion in your pocket can prevent Heatstroke or protect against heatwave health risks.
While onions do have nutritional benefits when consumed, like antioxidants and hydration support, these effects occur only when eaten, not when carried externally. Onions are packed with quercetin - an antioxidant that helps reduce heat-related illnesses and stimulate perspiration to promote evaporative cooling. Also, compounds in raw onions – which include sulfur- stimulate perspiration, allowing heat to escape through evaporation. Doctors caution that such myths may give a false sense of security, delaying essential preventive measures like hydration and cooling.
"It is a rich source of prebiotics, which is good for our gut health which improves digestion and gives a good digestive health. So the prebiotic present are immunon and the fructo-oligosacchride - the prebiotics. When it is mixed with curd, which is a probiotic, this gives rise to the good cooling effect," said Dr. Reshma Aleem, Department of Clinical Nutrition
Intestine Rehabilitation Unit, Rela Hospital.
"Onion is an antioxidant which is good to reduce the risk of heart health. It has an anti-inflammatory flavonoid which helps heart as well as bone health. Eating onions also help regulate blood sugar and has anti-bacterial properties," she added.
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