Does Hyderabad’s onion-in-pocket hack work for heat strokes? 

It is widely believed that onions have natural cooling properties. There are suggestions that onions have a lot of moisture content and volatile oils that can help the body to stay cooler

Hyderabad: Being a Hyderabadi, chances are that you might have come across ‘old-timers’ who advise you to carry a bulb of onion in your pocket to avoid becoming a heat stroke victim. While the jury is still out over the scientific validity of such claims, there are many parts of the country where carrying onion during oppressive heat is grounded in traditional beliefs and folk remedies.

Traditionally, it is thought that onions have the ability to absorb heat from the body, thus preventing overheating. Onions have been a part of the folk remedies and the practice of utilizing them during severe summer has been passed down through generations, especially in rural areas, as a simple solution to heat waves.

It is widely believed that onions have natural cooling properties. There are suggestions that onions have a lot of moisture content and volatile oils that can help the body to stay cooler.

Senior doctors in Hyderabad, including Director of Public Health (DPH), Telangana State, Dr B Ravinder Nayak, however, maintain that it is better to consume seasonal fruits and avoid venturing out in the hot sun during the ongoing heat wave.

In the public health advisory over ongoing heat waves, the DPH, has urged people to eat only seasonal fruits and vegetables with high water content. “Avoid going out in the sun between 12 noon and 3 pm., and taking up strenuous activities in the afternoon. Don’t cook in the kitchen during peak hours. Open the doors and windows to ventilate the cooking area adequately. Avoid consuming alcohol, tea, coffee, carbonated soft drinks or drinks with large amount of sugar as these lead to loss of more body-fluid or may cause stomach cramps. Avoid high-protein, salty, spicy and oily food” he said.