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Foot Detox for Lymphatic Drainage
In recent years, a number of lymphatic drainage products have hit the market that claim to extract toxic heavy metals and negative ions through the soles of the feet, via the kidney meridian. The primary methods of foot detox are ionic foot baths, which manufacturers claim drain lymphatic toxins into a basin of water, and stick-on gauze pads filled with herbs, worn on the soles of the feet overnight.
Foot Detox Patches
The many manufacturers of foot detox patches claim their products drain the body of toxins such as heavy metals and even cellulite. Foot pad manufacturers claim that these are lymphatic toxins trapped in the pads. Foot detox patches frequently contain oak or bamboo vinegar, shellfish-derived chitosan and the mineral tourmaline. One of the first companies to sell foot pads, Kinoki manufacturer Xacta 3000, has been charged with deceptive advertising by the Federal Trade Commission and the product has since been discontinued. Other brands of detox foot patches remain widely available.
- The many manufacturers of foot detox patches claim their products drain the body of toxins such as heavy metals and even cellulite.
Ionic Foot Baths
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Retailing for up to $3000, ionic foot baths allow clients to soak their feet in salt water through which low-voltage current is transmitted via an electrode assembly called an "array." According to DeviceWatch.com, Aqua Detox International claims its foot baths produce an array of positive and negative ions, which "resonates through the body" and stimulates cells to heal themselves while releasing toxins such as heavy metals. The water in an ionic foot bath changes colors as the user soaks, which manufacturers claim is proof that the lymphatic system is being drained and toxins are being released.
Claims About Lymphatic Drainage
Foot pad creators claim their products can treat a multitude of ailments, from migraine headaches to cellulite to depression. Ionicfootbathproducts.com claims its foot baths, which sell for up to $495 as of 2010, can inactivate viruses, bacteria, yeast and fungus, balance the immune system, purify the lymph nodes, enhance nutrient absorption, increase body flexibility and cause:
- weight loss without the need for diet
- exercise
Experts on Ionic Baths
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Seeking to debunk ionic foot bath manufacturers' claims, “Guardian Unlimited” reporter Ben Goldacre conducted an experiment in which he placed two metal nails in a bowl of salt water and used a car battery to send current through them. As he suspected, the water turned brown and formed sludge on top, just like an ionic bath after a foot detox. Goldacre then sent a colleague for a foot detox and asked him to collect water samples from his ionic bath. Laboratory tests of both water samples proved that the change of water color was the result of increased iron content. These results indicate that the color change of the water is due primarily to rust precipitation from electrode corrosion rather than to toxins drawn from the feet.
- Seeking to debunk ionic foot bath manufacturers' claims, “Guardian Unlimited” reporter Ben Goldacre conducted an experiment in which he placed two metal nails in a bowl of salt water and used a car battery to send current through them.
Experts on Foot Pads
Scientists, doctors and consumer advocates like ABC's “20/20” correspondent John Stossel have overwhelmingly denounced foot detox patches as a scam, stating there is no physiological mechanism by which lymphatic toxins or body fat can be drawn out through the skin of the feet. As for the foot pad manufacturers' claims that the pads turning brown and taking on a foul smell proves they work, “Los Angeles Times” reporter Chris Woolston states in a September 22, 2008, article that applying saline solution to the pads produced the same discoloration and smell as applying them to his feet 2. Dr. George Friedman-Jimenez, the director of the Bellevue/New York University Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic in New York City, states in an interview with ABC's “20/20” that any perceived benefits from detox patches were probably a result of the placebo effect.
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References
- ABC News: Ridding Yourself of Toxins, or Money?
- Los Angeles Times: Kinoki Detox Foot Pads' Detox Claims Don't Stand Up to Science
- Mayo Clinic: Do Detox Foot Pads Really Work?
- Dixon, B. (2005). “Detox”, a mass delusion. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 5(5), 261. doi:10.1016/s1473-3099(05)70094-3
- Klein, A. V., & Kiat, H. (2014). Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 28(6), 675–686. doi:10.1111/jhn.12286
- Hodges RE, Minich DM. Modulation of Metabolic Detoxification Pathways Using Foods and Food-Derived Components: A Scientific Review with Clinical Application. J Nutr Metab. 2015;2015:760689. doi:10.1155/2015/760689
- Obert, J., Pearlman, M., Obert, L., & Chapin, S. (2017). Popular Weight Loss Strategies: a Review of Four Weight Loss Techniques. Current Gastroenterology Reports, 19(12). doi:10.1007/s11894-017-0603-8
- Pankevich DE, Teegarden SL, Hedin AD, Jensen CL, Bale TL. Caloric restriction experience reprograms stress and orexigenic pathways and promotes binge eating. J Neurosci. 2010;30(48):16399–16407. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1955-10.2010
- Detox Diets and Cleanses. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. September 24, 2017
- Detox Diets and Cleanses. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. September 24, 2017
- Dixon, B. (2005). “Detox”, a mass delusion. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 5(5), 261. doi:10.1016/s1473-3099(05)70094-3
- Hodges RE, Minich DM. Modulation of Metabolic Detoxification Pathways Using Foods and Food-Derived Components: A Scientific Review with Clinical Application. J Nutr Metab. 2015;2015:760689. doi:10.1155/2015/760689
- Hodges RE, Minich DM. Modulation of Metabolic Detoxification Pathways Using Foods and Food-Derived Components: A Scientific Review with Clinical Application. J Nutr Metab. 2015;2015:760689. doi:10.1155/2015/760689
- Klein, A. V., & Kiat, H. (2014). Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 28(6), 675–686. doi:10.1111/jhn.12286
- Obert, J., Pearlman, M., Obert, L., & Chapin, S. (2017). Popular Weight Loss Strategies: a Review of Four Weight Loss Techniques. Current Gastroenterology Reports, 19(12). doi:10.1007/s11894-017-0603-8
- Pankevich DE, Teegarden SL, Hedin AD, Jensen CL, Bale TL. Caloric restriction experience reprograms stress and orexigenic pathways and promotes binge eating. J Neurosci. 2010;30(48):16399–16407. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1955-10.2010
- Gardner B, Lally P, Wardle J. Making health habitual: the psychology of “habit-formation” and general practice. The British Journal of General Practice. 2012;62(605):664-666.
- Gardner B, Sheals K, Wardle J, McGowan L. Putting habit into practice, and practice into habit: a process evaluation and exploration of the acceptability of a habit-based dietary behaviour change intervention. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2014 Oct 30;11:135.
- Wood, W, Neal, DT. Healthy through habit: Interventions for initiating and maintaining health behavior change. Behavioral Science and Policy. Volume 2, Issue 1, 2016. pp. 71-83.
Writer Bio
Ann Jones has been writing since 1998. Her short stories have been published in several anthologies. Her journalistic work can be found in major magazines and newspapers. She has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing.