Detox therapies that claim to remove toxins from your body are all the rage. Companies offer a mind-boggling variety of pills, potions, flushes, wraps, diets and devices to remove these toxins. Detox foot spas, also called ionic foot baths, are just one of many products based on the concept that your body is filled with toxins that medical doctors either can't detect, or deliberately hide from patients to gain more business.
Significance
The word detoxify, or detox, has no medical meaning outside a clinical setting, where it's used to describe the process of people withdrawing from dangerous levels of addictive drugs, according to Sense About Science. Distributors of detox devices and pills leave specifics about the types of toxins supposedly removed through these methods vague, with no backup by scientific testing, Skeptoid.com notes. For example, if detox foot baths claimed to remove a specific toxin, the water could be tested after completing the process for the presence of that toxin.
Proponent Claims
Proponents of detox or ionic foot baths make a variety of claims about the healing powers of the baths. The Aqua Chi foot bath website includes testimonials claiming that the foot bath effectively treated conditions from autism to back pain to arthritis. A DeviceWatch.org investigation of the Aqua Detox device included claims by the company that the device improved kidney and liver function, and also treated fatigue, headaches, food allergies, digestive problems and mercury poisoning.
Misconceptions
Claims that detox foot spas work are based on the fact that the foot bath water turns brown, supposedly because of all the toxins leached from the skin of your feet. However, laboratory analysis of this brown water debunks the claims that the color is caused by toxins. The brown color is probably from the water's high levels of iron from the rust created by running the mild electrical current, present in all detox foot spas, through metal electrodes, says DeviceWatch.org. In addition, the used water does not contain any of the substances found in urine, the primary byproduct of the body's natural system for removing toxins.
Expense
Detox foot spas can be quite expensive. For example, the Aqua Chi foot detox system costs over $1,500. While you can purchase detox foot baths for less, it is important to remember that these devices are "medically worthless," notes DeviceWatch.org. In other words, any money spent above the amount you would pay for an ordinary foot bath for relaxation purposes is money wasted.
Dangers
While soaking your feet in rusty water isn't inherently dangerous, the medical claims made by detox foot spa companies may endanger consumers. Many serious medical conditions, including cancer, diabetes and thyroid conditions, become far more dangerous if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. It is essential that you quickly seek medical advice if you are experiencing unexplained symptoms, rather than waiting to see if a detox foot spa will cure you.
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