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Do onions have any sedative effect?

Dr Lawrence Youlten
Consultant,
Department of Allergy,
Addenbrookes, Cambridge

Q: Iam 31 years old male I have got an experience that after I used to take diets with onion added to it I always feel drousy and always feel sleepy than other days. My question is that whether there is any sedative effect of onion in humans?

A:Onion certainly has some effects on the circulation, causing flushing or migraines in susceptible individuals. This is more apparent with raw than cooked onion. I dont know of any specifically sedating properties in onion, but lettuce is famously soporific.