evidence: You may have heard of putting onion in your socks as a remedy for colds and other illnesses. Another folk remedy that’s currently popular is putting a raw potato in your socks. [...] The claim is that putting sliced raw potatoes against the bottom of your feet — and wearing socks to hold them in place — can help cure cold and flu symptoms likes coughs, runny nose, congestion, and fever. [...] Nutrition expert Dr. Ruth MacDonald at Iowa State University confirms that the potatoes in your socks cannot cure a cold or any kind of illness. Similarly, an onion cannot get rid of viruses in your body through the bottom of your feet.