In recent years, a number of ionic foot detox spas have come to market, with manufacturers claiming that their products cleanse the lymphatic system by pulling negative ions, body fat and toxic heavy metals through the soles of the feet. Manufacturers claim foot baths work via the kidney meridian of the Chinese acupuncture system to drain lymphatic toxins from the body into a basin of water
About Ionic Foot Baths
Ionic foot baths, which retail for up to $3,000, transmit low-voltage electrical current through a basin of saline solution by way of a specialized electrode box known as an array. DeviceWatch.com reports claims made by Aqua Detox International that their detox systems produce a bath of positive and negative ions, which stimulate cell healing through toxin release and "resonate through the body." As the user soaks his feet, the water in an ionic foot bath turns a rusty reddish brown. Manufacturers claim this is proof that heavy metals and other toxins are being pulled out of the body through the soles.
Health Claims
According to the website for the IonCleanse Detox Footbath, ionic foot baths draw heavy metals from the body to purify the lymphatic system. AMajorDifference.com claims that a laboratory called Doctors Data proved that the baths rid the body of heavy metals such as copper, arsenic, antimony, uranium and lead. Ionic foot bath manufacturers claim their products produce a variety of health benefits, from weight loss to enhanced nutrient absorption, cellulite removal and increased physical flexibility. Blisstree.com reports parents of autistic children giving their children foot baths to treat the disorder.
Mechanism of Action
According to AMajorDifference.com, the array of a foot detox bath goes into the saline solution with your feet and sends a small direct current through the water, which causes the metals in the array to generate positively and negatively charged ions. These ions supposedly neutralize charged particles in your body and pull them out through your feet via diffusion and osmosis, generating movement of particles through cell membranes and moving them to an area of higher concentration. This higher concentration is the ion field in the saline, generated by the array.
Popular Brands and Pricing
IonCleanse, the first manufacturer of foot detox baths, sells prepaid "cleansing minutes" on its website, AMajorDifference.com, as part of its "pay per cleanse" program. It is possible to buy an IonCleanse system on a payment plan. Optimum Focus Detox Baths also offers monthly payment plans for its solo models, which begin at $1,280, and two-person machines, which cost $2,127. NewCellDetox.com offers a model for $895. The Sea Breeze Ion Cleanse machine is among the least expensive, retailing for $399. All systems can be purchased through the manufacturer's websites and from multiple online retailers.
Expert Insight
Critics of the efficacy of ionic foot baths are vocal, with DeviceWatch.com referring to aqua detox manufacturers' claims as "nonsensical." University of British Columbia chemistry professor Dr. Stephen Lower writes that electric current passing through your body is unable to distinguish between "good" molecules and "bad" ones, i.e. toxins, and that most of the toxins the products claim to remove are electrically neutral. Lower also notes that electric current does not have the capacity to pull chemical substances out of the skin, and that the substances foot detox manufacturers claim can be extracted in this manner are colorless as opposed to rust-brown.
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