Kimora Detox Foot Pads

If you feel sluggish and under the weather you may be tempted to try a "detox" product or system. "Detox" food pads, with exotic sounding brand names such as Kimora and Kinoki, allegedly help draw harmful material from the body based on "secret" and ancient techniques of Japanese medicine. However, in reality they may do nothing but draw your money out of your pocketbook.

Methods

"Detox" pads such as the Kimora and Kinoki products generally contain ingredients such as plants, herbs, wood vinegar and a mineral called tourmaline. Supposedly, these ingredients react with the body, emit energy and lead the cells to release toxins which eventually appear on the pad. In most cases, the instructions included with "detox" foot pads say to apply an adhesive pad on the bottom of one foot while you sleep at night for 30 consecutive days; this is the initial "cleansing" session, according to MayoClinic.com. The recommended use after that is once every few weeks to maintain the alleged effects of the foot pads.

Claims

According to proponents of the "detox" pads such as the Kimora pads, the darkened color you see on the pad the next morning reflects all the toxins that your body has released. When your body is free of these toxins, marketers claim, your body has boosted vitality and fewer health problems. Marketers of the foot pads claim that "detoxification" can lead to perks such as weight loss, reduced blood pressure and alleviated depression. Some marketers make more extreme claims, such as that their products will help cure the body of AIDS and cancer.

Evidence

No scientific evidence backs the "detox" foot pad promoters' extreme claims, according to Harvard HEALTHbeat newsletter. The wood vinegar in the foot pads reacts with perspiration in the foot to cause the dark color; merely spraying tap water on the Kimora foot pad would cause the same color change.

Charges

The Federal Trade Commission has cracked down on "detox" foot pad distributors' misleading advertisements. For example, it charged the Kinoki foot pad promoters with deceptive advertising after promoters falsely claimed that their foot pads could help treat health problems such as arthritis, diabetes, parasites, insomnia and weakened immunity. In 2010, a judge banned the marketers from selling, promoting or helping others sell or promote any dietary supplements, drugs, foods or medical devices.

Tip

If you are generally in good health, your body should already be equipped with a built-in "detox" system: your liver, kidneys and colon work together to filter out and expel potentially threatening substances from your body. Rather than spending money on unproven "detox" products and systems such as the Kimora food pads, buy healthy foods, drink water throughout your day, sleep until you feel well-rested in the morning, and see your doctor when you start to feel ill.