Foot detox patches are a cleansing and detoxifying form of alternative medicine. Patch manufacturers claim their products will, as you sleep, pull toxins, heavy metals, parasites and more out of your body through the soles of your feet, leaving you feeling healthier and more rejuvenated when you wake up in the morning. However, there is little scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of foot detox pads; in fact, most independent studies show that foot detox pads do not accomplish what they claim to do. If you are serious about utilizing foot detox patches, consult your doctor for more information.
Use
Using foot detox patches is easy. You apply one patch to each of your soles before you go to sleep. When you wake up in the morning, the patches will be dark brown or black, supposedly because of the toxins the pad has trapped during the night. As you continue using fresh patches each night, they will get lighter and lighter in the morning, representing how few toxins are left in your body.
Claims
The most universal and widely advertised claim of foot detox patch manufacturers is that the pads will pull heavy metals, cellulite, parasites and other toxins out of your body. Select manufacturers also claim their pads will strengthen your immune system, clean your lymphatic system, improve your sleep quality and ease arthritis pain. Other manufacturers say their foot detox pads will treat depression, reduce your blood pressure and help you lose weight.
Ingredients
Wood vinegar, bamboo vinegar and tourmaline make up the main ingredients in foot detox patches. Bamboo vinegar is supposed to remove the waste that is stuck in your body, and the wood vinegar absorbs and sterilizes other toxins while fighting any welling or minor pains you may have. Tourmaline is a mineral, and its properties are supposed to cleanse and invigorate your body while stabilizing your central nervous system.
Skepticism
Medical experts maintain a very skeptical opinion of foot detox pads. Doctors will remind you that your lymphatic and immune systems do not push toxins out through your any part of your skin, and that your skin is not physiologically designed to release heavy metals. And while there are no major, decisive studies about foot detox patches, the few independent studies that exist all point toward minimal, if any, effect on your body. The Federal Trade Commission has even filed charges against patch manufacturers for deceptive advertising.
Side Effects
With minimal scientific research regarding foot detox patches, there is even less research regarding the patches' side effects. The most likely side effect you will experience is an allergic reaction to any ingredients in the pads. If you are going to use foot detox patches, check the ingredient list for any items that may cause an allergic reaction.
Reviews
Very few professional reviews exist regarding foot detox patches; most reviews are personal experiences posted in product forums or advertisements on the Internet. These experiences may be a good starting point for research regarding whether or not you should try the patches, but keep in mind that, on the Internet, anybody can say anything, regardless of whether or not it is true.
References
- ABC: Ridding Yourself of Toxins, or Money?
- FTC Charges Marketers of Kinoki Foot Pads with Deceptive Advertising, Seeks Funds for Consumer Redress
- Mayo Clinic: Detox Foot Pads: Do They Really Work?
- Everyday Health: Kinoki Detox Foot Pads - A Scambuster Report
- Vanderbilt University: Detox with a Foot Pad
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