Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners believe there are 12 meridians in the body. These meridians transport energy from the internal organs to the feet. When these energy pathways are blocked by toxins or poisons, illness and disease can result. Detoxifying the body can pull these toxins or blocks from the meridians and return the body to health. Liver-detoxifying foot gels are once such method.
Liver Foot Gels
Liver-detoxifying foot gels are the same as the detox pads foot pads that are currently on the market. Different foot pads are made of different ingredients; however, the basics include wood or bamboo vinegar, chitosan and agaricus blazei murril. They can also contain semi-precious stones such as tourmaline. The pads are supposed to use the meridians to draw the toxins out of the body through the feet, and the evidence is supposed to show up on the pads after use.
Detoxifying
We are exposed to all sorts of things in our daily lives, polluted air, medicines, chemicals and these things have an effect on the body. The liver is one of the most important organs in the body. Every thing that comes into our bodies goes through our liver. Every thing that comes into our bodies goes through our liver to be sorted, eliminated, or stored. The liver and kidneys naturally detoxify our bodies. Detoxify means to remove a poison or toxin, make something harmless, or to remove something like an addiction.
Ingredients
Wood vinegar is a byproduct of the creation of charcoal. It is a dark, reddish-brown liquid that contains methanol, tars, acetone and acetic acid. It is supposed to improve blood circulation. Bamboo vinegar is believed to increase the effect of the wood vinegar. Chitosan is from shellfish and is believed to lower cholesterol and is marketed as a weight loss aid. Agaricus Blazei Murril is a mushroom. It is thought to have anticancer properties, and relieve diabetes and allergies. Tourmaline is believed to cleanse and stabilize the body. Several other ingredients can be included as well.
Considerations
Wood vinegar has many uses. It is used as for pain relief and decrease swelling in the body. It has also been used as an insect repellant, a deodorizer, an antibacterial agent, a sterilizer, as a food preservative during the Civil War, which wasn't very effective. It has been used as a wash for gangrene and ulcers; however, carbolic acid works much better. Wood vinegar may improve soil quality, but is toxic to fish and plants. Chitosan has been found to not have weight loss properties by the "European Journal of Clinician Nutrition" and the American Obesity Association.
Effectiveness
No scientific studies have been done on foot pads and very limited or no studies have been done on the ingredients used in the foot pads. Some distributors, like Kinoki, have been charged by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising. In some of the ingredient lists, chitosan was identified as a mushroom, and not as shellfish. Agaricus blazei murril is a mushroom from Brazil, and yourmaline is also found in Brazil. In a small study by ABC News, no health benefits were observed and the darkness on the pad that is supposed to indicate toxins can be created by pouring water on the pads. ABC News determined they don't work and recommended that people not waste their money.
