Can a slice of potato in socks combat cold and flu?

Social media users are claiming that placing a slice of potato inside the socks overnight can help children combat flu and cold.

In the viral video, you can see a woman trying this hack on her sick children who felt better the next day after trying this hack.

The woman in the video says that the slice of potato removed the toxins from her child's body as it turned brown.

The caption of the video reads: "WHAT IS THIS WITCHCRAFT?!? Seriously, have you tried this before??? I'd love to hear your outcome and if it matched ours or was a total bust! According to the super reliable source that is social media, they say this works best for the flu or any virus/cough! Worth a try?!? "

Can just a slice of potato help your children fight cold and flu?

Fact check

According to an article in Healthline, "Potatoes have many health benefits and are packed with nutrients. Even drinking raw potato juice can help boost your immune system."

"However, potatoes in your socks can't cure cold or other ailments, like coughs, runny noses, or sinus infections', it added.

"The reason why potatoes (and onions) are put against the feet may come from therapy in traditional Chinese medicine called reflexology. In this healing science, the soles of the feet are thought to have access points to different parts of the body. According to reflexology, treating the feet helps to treat the body", Healthline said.

Moreover, the results of trying this hack seem anecdotal as there are plenty of people who've tried the potato remedy and say it got rid of their cold or flu symptoms. However, there's no clinical evidence to show that this folk remedy works.

Although, eating potatoes may help with immunity to combat cold and flu but keeping a slice inside socks is impossible.

Lastly, blindly trying out viral hacks may cause skin allergies. "Putting raw potato on the skin can also irritate the skin. Some people may get a skin irritation called eczema by touching a potato. Potato peels can also cause a reaction," Healthline warned.

Hence, it is evident that a slice of potato won't help your child fight a cold and the flu.

The claim stands false.