You might have seen ads on television for detox foot pads that are promoted to remove heavy metals, parasites, cellulite and toxins from your body. The pad attaches to the bottom of your foot much like a bandage and worn overnight. In the morning, the discolored foot pad is said to show the dangerous substances it removed. But whether they work as intended is debatable.
Do not begin any treatment without consulting your health care provider.
Significance
There is disagreement regarding the efficacy of detox foot pads. According to Casewatch, the Federal Trade Commission charged a popular manufacturer of the foot pads with deceptive advertising, saying the manufacturer falsely claimed that not only would the foot pad remove toxins from your body, but also that it was useful in treating fatigue, depression, arthritis, diabetes and hypertension, and that it could improve your immune system. A court decision is pending.
Function
On the other side of the debate are those who believe the foot pads are useful. According to manufacturers, they work by stimulating reflexology and acupressure points on the bottom of your feet. Once these points are stimulated, the foot pads are supposed to draw toxins into the pad. The foot pad resembles a large, neutral or white Band-Aid. After sleeping with it on the soles of your feet, you remove it in the morning and expect to see a discoloration anywhere from gray to brown.
Ingredients
One manufacturer lists the following as active, organic ingredients in its product: wood vinegar, bamboo vinegar, agaricus blazei murril (a mushroom), tourmaline, amethyst, dextrin, loquat leaf and dokudami-houttuynia cordata (a plant). This mix is said to move toxins through the skin, possibly help treat allergies and high cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, relieve stress, improve circulation, strengthen the immune system, cleanse, detoxify and calm.
Considerations
In an ABC News article about foot pads, Dr George Friedman-Jimenez, the director of the Bellevue/New York University Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic in New York City, said that he did not believe the foot pads removed toxins from the body. He suggested users might experience improvement based on the placebo effect, which happens when you convince yourself that a product will work. Your conviction acts to improve your symptoms even though the product does not have a scientifically measurable effect. He also said that the foot pads can not draw toxins through the bottom of your feet in any meaningful amount.
Expert Insight
According to the ABC article, staff from the television show 20/20 submitted foot pads used by volunteers for analysis to NMS Labs, a national company that performs toxicology or detection studies for drugs and all types of poisons. The lab tested for heavy metals and 23 other toxins, including common solvents, and found nothing. The article went on to relate that if distilled water was dropped on a foot pad, it discolored. The assumption is that natural moisture from the skin of your feet is released and absorbed by the pad, which then turns colors.
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