Foot baths for toxins are available at many salons, and some manufacturer websites even sell smaller versions for home use. These devices claim to detoxify the body, improve health and increase energy levels by drawing toxins out of the body through the soles of the feet. Consult your doctor before using a foot bath or any other device to remove toxins from your body.
Features
During a foot bath for toxins, a client rests in a chair while both feet are submerged in a square or round container. After water is added to cover the client's feet, sea salt is added to the foot bath. Low voltage currents in alternating polarity are transmitted through the water from electrodes located on either side of the foot bath. Most foot baths last 30 minutes, during which time the positive and negative ions allegedly pull toxins through the pores on the bottom of the feet to remove them from the body.
Benefits
According to various foot bath manufacturers, detoxification foot baths can prevent and treat autoimmune disorders, cure allergies and infections, increase energy levels, boost mood, assist with weight loss, treat pain disorders and improve overall health. Most foot bath manufacturers claim that these benefits are achieved when negative ions produced by the device draw accumulated toxins, heavy metals and chemicals from the body.
Considerations
There is no real evidence that foot baths for toxins offer any benefits at all, according to Dr. Robert S. Baratz of the National Council Against Health Fraud. In fact, even if they work as claimed, the body does not require or benefit from detoxification.
Manufacturer "Evidence"
Manufacturers of foot baths for toxins use changes in water color following a session as proof of their product's effectiveness. According to Dr. Steven Barrett of Device Watch, however, any change in water color or appearance of "sludge" on top of the water is caused by an increase in iron content of the water. This increased iron content is not a result of metals being pulled from the body, but instead results from rust corrosion of the electrodes during use.
Warning
While detox foot baths are mostly harmless, a byproduct of the process is the release of chlorine and hydrogen gases, both of which can be dangerous in small, enclosed spaces. While this might not be a problem in a salon, using a foot bath for toxins in a home bathroom might be harmful.
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