Fact Check: Can Onion cure insomnia?

Claim: A social media post claiming that Onion can cure insomnia.

Claim: A post on the social media site Pinterest claims various benefits of onions, such as avoiding infections, preventing cancer, improving digestion, lowering cholesterol, curing eye problems, treating hair problems, anti-ageing properties, and treating acne and bone health. Among the claims one such claim was consuming onion can cure insomnia. The link to the post is here.

Fact Check:

The Claim is Mostly False.

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or obtaining restful sleep. This occurs despite having adequate time and a suitable environment for sleep. Insomnia can disrupt daily activities and cause daytime sleepiness. Short-term insomnia often results from stress or changes in routine or environment and may persist for several days to weeks. Chronic insomnia, on the other hand, happens at least three nights a week, lasts for more than three months, and is not directly caused by another health condition. (1)

Causes of Insomnia:

Speaking to the medical dialogues team, Dr Meenakshi Jain, consultant Psychiatrist, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, explained the various possible causes that lead to Insomnia. She said, "Insomnia is caused due to disrupted circadian rhythm in brain, primarily due to three reasons like poor lifestyle is one of the most common causes that include excess stress, changing shifts at work, excess social media /digital media usage in the night, eating at night, taking caffeine-laden products like coke, coffee etc in the night etc. Physical illnesses such as obstructive sleep apnea, dyspepsia, heart diseases, asthma, and conditions related to chronic pain, such as arthritis and cancer, also contribute to insomnia. Mental illnesses like depression, anxiety disorder, mania, schizophrenia, etc and Some other natural phases of life such as pregnancy, menopause, etc are also associated with insomnia."

Onion and its health benefits:

Onion also known as scientific name, Allium cepa (A. cepa) is one of the most important condiment plants grown and consumed worldwide. This plant has various therapeutic effects attributed to its constituents, such as quercetin, thiosulphates and phenolic acids. Onion has been suggested to be effective in treating a broad range of disorders, including asthma, inflammatory disorders, dysentery, wounds, scars, keloids and pain. In addition, different studies have demonstrated that onion may possess numerous pharmacological properties, including anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-platelet properties, as well as the effect on bone, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nervous, respiratory, and urogenital systems effects such as anti-osteoporosis, anti-hypertensive, antispasmodic, anti-diarrheal, neuro-protective, anti-asthmatic and diuretic effects. (2)

Can Onion Cure Insomnia?

Although onion may positively impact sleeping patterns, no definitive scientific evidence claims it can cure insomnia.

A study by. Tewani et al. reported, "Raw onion juice therapy is safe and effective in managing insomnia, improving sleep-related parameters, reducing fatigue, and enhancing quality of life(QoL)."

"However, Future studies with longer follow-up periods and a larger sample size are needed to substantiate the present findings," the reserachers in this paper noted. (3)

Another study by Singh et al. noted that , "Drinking raw or boiled juice of red onions may improve sleep and reduce insomnia."(4)

Research conducted by  Nakayama et al. highlighted that onion extract, rich in concentrated cysteine sulfoxides, may alleviate stress, enhance sleep quality, and facilitate an easier transition into sleep. (5)

Responding to the claim, Dr Neatu Narang, Professor and senior consultant, Psychiatry, Amrita Hospital, clarified," Insomnia implies lack of refreshed sleep. Poor sleep quality can be due to stressful life situations, anxiety & depression. Sleep deprivation over a long period impairs cognitive performance & predisposes individuals to physical diseases such as diabetes. Onions are known to have concentrated cysteine sulfoxides, which promote a smooth transition into sleep and also deepen sleep. Daily consumption of onions helps reduce stress, mediated through its impact on main sleep inducing neurochemical gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)."

Dr Meenakshi Jain, consultant psychiatrist at Amrita Hospital, added, " Some folk remedies suggest using onion as a primary cure for insomnia. This claim primarily arises due to l-tryptophan in onions, an Amino acid associated with sedative properties. But before trying this, one should understand that the primary treatment of insomnia involves managing the underlying condition causing insomnia. For example, a person with hyperactive thyroid or RLS will not be relieved with onions. Another consideration should also be given to the health-related effects of onion, such as heartburn and bloating, that can increase insomnia rather than treat it. There is no research-based evidence to prove this claim.

Medical Dialogues Final Take: 

Insomnia is complex disorder that can be having various causes. While, in some studies, onions have shown to have benefits in alleviating stress and improving sleep, there is no definite clinical evidence to suggest they directly impact sleep patterns or cure sleep disorders like insomnia. There is also no medical consensus that supports onions as a cure for Insomnia. Hence, the claim that Onion can cure insomnia is "Mostly False."

References

1.https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/insomnia.

2.Kianian F, Marefati N, Boskabady M, Ghasemi SZ, Boskabady MH. Pharmacological Properties of Allium cepa, Preclinical and Clinical Evidences; A Review. Iran J Pharm Res. 2021 Spring;20(2):107-134. doi: 10.22037/ijpr.2020.112781.13946. PMID: 34567150; PMCID: PMC8457748.

3.Tewani, G. R., Silwal, K., Kriplani, S., Kodali, P. B., Sharma, H., & Nair, P. M. K. (2023). Role of raw onion juice therapy in improving sleep, quality of life and alleviating fatigue among older adults: A triple blinded randomized placebo controlled trial. *Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative*, 4, 100026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbii.2023.100026

4. Singh, H., & Khar, A. (2022). Potential of onion (Allium cepa) as traditional therapeutic and functional food: An update. The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 92(11), 1291-1297.

5.Nakayama, Y., Makita, M., Nozaki, S., & Kikuchi, Y. (2020). Effects of onion extract containing concentrated cysteine sulfoxides on sleep quality: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Food Science and Biotechnology, 29(12), 1755-1762.