by TikTok influencers are stuffing raw potato slices into their socks before bed in hopes of warding off seasonal colds and flu.
Some videos on the platform have been viewed up to 4.2 million times, with TikTokers saying they avoided the flu or that their children immediately felt better afterwards.
The posts often feature people holding up plates of unhappy-looking, dark potato slices and noting how the tubers have changed from night to day, or slowly rolling their sock over their potato-soled foot before bed.
That’s not very a-peeling In fact, there’s been a trend on social media for years with users claiming that the potato slices “leach” toxins from the body or help restore energy.
But health experts have firmly dismissed it as an old wives’ tale with origins dating back to the Middle Ages.
“That makes no sense,” explained foot and ankle specialist Dr. Alireza Khosroabadi in his own video, “and I’m sorry to dispel this myth, but it doesn’t do anything for your health.”
The proof is in the potato
Why do people do this? Well, the potatoes are partly to blame.
The windows often turn black overnight because a chemical process occurs when they are exposed to air. According to the Idaho Potato Commission, this is known as oxidation, where the slices turn from pale white to black.
This happens with or without a sock.
“It’s like the potato has sucked all the diseases out of the body,” one user shouted in a video. The clip was created by Dr. Shared by Tommy Martin of Boston Children’s Hospital, who wrote that it is “NOT a substitute for seeing a doctor when your child is sick.”
Thinner and smaller slices, like those used on children’s feet, can turn black more quickly, Khosroabadi noted.
The same goes for onion slices in socks, which some users have tried instead of potatoes for the same reasons. “The idea that an onion has a magical effect on your feet doesn’t stand up to scrutiny,” said pediatrician Dr. Mona Amin.
“There is no evidence that potato peels or other things on the surface of your feet can pull toxins from your body in a significant way that could treat a viral infection.” Good morning, America said Dr. Jen Ashton.
Toxic truths
Several body processes can actually eliminate harmful toxins that contribute to disease. “Breathing, peeing, defecating, your skin and your organs do that all the time,” Ashton added.
But if you really want to keep doing it and believe it will work for you, there won’t actually be any physical harm.
“But that’s just what you call the placebo effect,” remarked pharmacist Dr. Ethan Melillo.
Doctor-approved remedies that may work this cold and flu season include hydration, rest, and honey for adults and children over 12 months old.
Taking vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, can also help strengthen the immune system.
