Detox foot patches and pads
While watching a program on the Science Channel I noticed an odd commercial for something called PowerPurify Foot Patches. The commercial claims the patches remove “toxins” from your body, improve sleep, and increase metabolism. It was obvious these claims were dubious and the product was basically a scam. I just couldn’t get over that the Science Channel would take money from these frauds to broadcast a commercial that was obviously completely non-scientific. I intend on contacting Science Channel to let them know my displeasure about this.
Here are some links about PowerPurify and similar products:
- The Power Purify website – The main product where you can see the same commercial being shown on the Science Channel
- The Wired Blog Network – Kinoki foot pads are mentioned as being a huge scam. These foot pads appear to be the same thing as the Power Purify foot patches. Their commercial contains even more bogus claims and they even cite research in a bogus scientific journal.
- Detoxifying foot bath quackery – The foot pad scam isn’t that much different that the foot bath quackery.
- ABC News 20/20: Can Foot Pads ‘Absorb Toxic Materials’ – 20/20 investigated these foot pads and reported what they found. (No surprise that they found they didn’t do what they claimed, but had an awful smell to them.)
The broadcast version of the 20/20 segment can be seen here.
Stephen Barrett over at Device Watch (and affiliate of Quackwatch) sums up the detox foot pad scam nicely:
Various adhesive pads and patches are claimed to detoxify the body when applied to the feet. The best known is the Kinoki Detox Foot Pad, which is claimed to remove toxins, restore “balance” within the body, and boost energy. Various other products are claimed to strengthen the immune system, reduce stress, improve circulation, improve sleep, enhance mental focus, relieve headaches and arthritis pain. The alleged explanation for their working include reflexology, unblocking of lymphatic passages, and negative ions that release far infrared rays. All such products should be regarded as fakes, and the proposed mechanisms should be regarded as nonsensical.
Users are instructed to apply the products to the soles of the feet and leave them on overnight. In the morning, they claim, the pads will absorb toxins and turn muddy brown or black.
“Detox” product marketers have done no studies that identify what they claim to remove, measure its level in the body, and see whether such substances accumulate in the pads and have their level reduced in the body. It is unlikely they will ever try, because the basic idea that toxins will be excreted through the skin clashes with what is known about human anatomy and physiology. Real detoxification of foreign substances takes place in the liver, which modifies their chemical structure so they can be excreted by the kidneys which filter them from the blood into the urine. Sweat glands in the feet can excrete water and some dissolved substances. However, its minor role in ridding the body of unwanted substances is not changed by applying foot pads.
In April 2008. ABC’s “20/20″ investigated Kinoki ad Avon pads and reported:
* When used overnight, the pads darkened, but dropping distilled water on the pads produced the same dark color.
* Laboratory analysis of pads used by eight volunteers showed no significant evidence of heavy metals or commonly used solvents.
* When asked for tests that would show that their products really work the companies offered no valid scientific studies.
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe talked about the detox foot pads on their show back on 1/2/2008:
You can listen to their whole show along with numerous other wonderful shows here.
UPDATE: NPR on detox foot pads (8/18/08)
On May 22nd, 2008 at 11:49 am
Are you using the right detox foot patch?
You may be using a cheap and possibly dangerous knockoff made in CHINA or KOREA.
For more info on the ORIGINAL Patch tested and made in JAPAN please visit:
http://www.4kawase.com
On May 22nd, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Am I using the “right” detox foot patch? That is like asking if I am sacrificing the right kind of animal, doing the right kind of rain dance, or drinking the right kind of snake oil.
You see your premise that *any* foot patch can extract harmful toxins from the body via the feet is flawed (not to mention the other claims made regarding these products). Perhaps you should take a basic course on human physiology and you would know that.
Take your pads and shove them up somewhere where toxins really are excreted.
On August 13th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I have no idea if these foot patches work or not, but I felt compelled to comment about a statement written above:
“…the basic idea that toxins will be excreted through the skin clashes with what is known about human anatomy and physiology.”
In actuality, if you know anything about basic human anatomy and physiology, the skin is the largest organ of the body and is largely responsible for ridding the body of excess toxins along with the liver. Every time you sweat you are getting rid of toxins (that’s why people with heavy metal or major chemical toxicity are often placed on intense sauna regimens where they can spend upwards of eight hours a day off and on in the sauna to sweat out the excess toxins). Of course your liver is the primary organ responsible for the elimination of toxins from your body, but our livers were not designed to handle the amount of chemicals we come into contact with every day, and in some circumstances the liver needs a little help. I’m not saying that foot patches are the answer, but I am saying that the skin can play a big role in the detoxification process. It is great to be critical about something affecting your health, especially when it can cost a lot of money, but please be sure to do some basic research about human physiology before you begin to criticize and before you begin stating things as fact that are not exactly true.
On August 13th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
First of all you are taking that sentence out of context. Read the whole paragraph:
Second, that was written by Stephen Barrett, so take up your argument with him at http://www.quackwatch.org/
Third. You are an idiot. It is scientifically impossible to excrete measurable amounts of heavy metals, or any other so called “poisons” through the skin.