Onion Cures

Onions are available in most food stores. You can chop them and add them to sauces, pies and gravy. You can also use them as a vegetable in their own right by slicing them and frying. Onions have an additional use, however, as an alternative medicine. The Aztecs of Mexico, for example, used them for hundreds of years as a cure for many ailments.

Coughs and Colds

Extract the juice from onions by grating them and kneading the pulp in a cheesecloth above a bowl. The juice runs through the cloth into the bowl. Mix some of the juice with honey and ginger; taking a teaspoon of this mix acts as an expectorant and can ease a cough. Furthermore, "Natural Health Cure" reports that one way to fight a cold is to dab onion juice on your forehead and eat an onion raw. Both the juice and the raw onion have antibacterial qualities that can control the effects of a cold.

Vomiting

Frequent vomiting and retching is unpleasant and tiring. A contributor to "Earth Clinic" suggests sipping a tablespoon of onion juice. Then swallow a tablespoon of cool peppermint tea. After 10 minutes, take another tablespoon of peppermint tea. This remedy may work because of the combination of the onion's antiseptic properties and the calming effects of the peppermint tea. If the vomiting is the result of over-indulgence with alcohol, "Natural Health Cure" reports that sipping onion juice may ease your hangover the following day.

Acne

Onion paste can be a useful ingredient for remedies that alleviate acne and other skin problems. Place a large onion and a cup of water in a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil and turn down the heat. After 15 minutes, put the cooked onion into a blender and create a paste. Add a little lime to the paste and rub over the affected skin. This helps to remove any surplus skin cells around the acne. To cleanse the actual spots, grind some onion seeds and add milk. Dab cotton wool into this mix and rub across your skin. "Electrocomm" says the Aztecs used a mix of lemon juice and onion juice in equal measure to cleanse spots.

Insect bites

If a scorpion, bee or yellow jacket has bitten you, "Natural Health Cure" recommends smearing onion paste on the wound. The paste's antiseptic properties counteract the effect of the insect poison.

Insomnia

Insomnia can be hard to cure. One remedy you may wish to try, according to "Natural Health Cure," is to sip a mix of honey, milk and onion juice before you go to bed. This mix is both soothing and antiseptic. It creates a feeling of drowsiness. "Bottom Line Secrets" says if you place a sliced onion in a jar and sniff it, you may sleep better. The fumes from the onion encourages rest.

Dental Health

The anti-bacterial qualities of onions can combat dental problems. Eating a raw onion regularly can help eliminate bacteria from the teeth and gums. This in turn can prevent decay and disease. Such treatment is not a substitute, however, for practiicing normal dental hygiene.

Heat stroke

Many people believe that eating raw onions helps to prevent heat stroke during the summer. If you already have heat stroke, however, rubbing onion paste onto the soles of your feet may provide some relief. "Bottom Line Secrets" suggests a similar principle for fevers. It says that putting onion slices on your feet can help ease a fever.