Professional foot detox is an alternative treatment offered at spas and salons. During the procedure, toxins are purportedly drawn out of the body through the pores in your feet. The claim is that after treatments, you experience improved health. The federal Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated any of the claims made by makers of professional foot detox treatments.
History
The ionic foot bath treatment is based on research by naturopath Mary Staggs, which in turn is based on findings of the 1920s American inventor Royal Rife. Rife claimed to have created a microscope that could see microbes by the color of auras set off by their vibrations, according to the Device Watch website.
Features
You can get a professional foot detox treatment at spas that offer the service, which might be called Aqua Detox or an ionic foot bath. During the procedure, you put your feet into a tub of salted water, and electrical currents run through the water to make positive and negative ions resonate through the body. After 30 minutes, you remove your feet from the water. The water is likely to appear brown or reddish brown by the end of the treatment.
Benefits
Purported benefits of undergoing a foot detox treatment include improved liver function, improved kidney function, decrease in skin problems, better circulation, less irritability and reduced allergy symptoms. Proponents claim that the benefits arise from drawing out chemicals and heavy metals from the body and into the foot bath.
Misconceptions
According to the Device Watch website, toxins cannot be released from the pores found on the skin. Detoxification takes place in the liver, and toxins are removed through urine and fecal matter. Positive and negative ions do not stimulate the body to release toxins through the feet.
Considerations
A 2004 investigation by reporter Ben Goldacre printed in the British newspaper "Guardian" found that the Aqua Detox treatment did not remove toxins. Testing showed that the change in color in the water used during treatment came not from toxins, but from an increase in iron.
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