Ionic foot baths are a staple of Eastern medicine that operate under the assumption you can detoxify your body through sweat glands, specifically through your feet. Many spas and salons around the world offer foot baths and at-home kits are also available. Although the effectiveness of ionic foot baths is still debated, they offer a way to destress. As with starting any new treatments, consult your doctor first.
Significance
Aundrea Adams of the International Institute of Holistic Healing says soaking your feet in a detoxifying foot bath rebalances the energy in the body, which eliminates toxins and chemicals through the soles of your feet. Believers of the ionic foot bath detox method feel they increase the amount of energy available to cells, enhance oxygen levels and promote stamina once balance is restored.
Process
The detox foot bath process lasts approximately 30 minutes. It includes bath salts and a low-voltage electrical current passing through electrode assemblies in the bath. Foot bath proponents cite the color change of the water during the process as evidence that bodily toxins have been expunged; there is little research to back up this claim. Adams recommends this process be repeated every two days for 14 sessions. Take one week off, then repeat the cycle.
Benefits
Detox foot baths are touted to remove toxins and chemicals trapped underneath skin pores due to exposure to pollutants. The foot baths remove parasites from the liver, increase circulation, alleviate arthritis pain, decrease fatigue and strengthen your immune system, according to Adams' website. No scientific research has been conducted to prove these claims, but many detox foot bath users say they feel better after using one.
Considerations
According to Stephen Lower of Simon Fraser University, the electrodes produce the same color regardless of whether feet have been immersed in the bath. The water color change is a result of corrosion and rust from the electrodes, not body toxins released through the feet, he said. Furthermore, the conditions believed to be treated by detox foot baths are not toxic in nature. The skin has no mechanism for eliminating toxins, and the liver and kidneys detoxify themselves naturally, according to Lower.
Warning
According to Adams, the foot bath process is painless and has no side effects. Lower says the electrolysis process can create dangerous byproducts, such as hydrogen and chlorine gases that are unsafe in enclosed spaces. The residual lye promotes skin to flake away from feet, creating smooth skin -- another supposed benefit of ionic foot bath detoxification.
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