Foot Detox Pads

There are numerous brands of foot detox pads out there, that claim to remove harmful toxins from the body, simply by using an adhesive pad on the soles of the feet and leaving it on overnight. These they claim to do by means of infrared radiation, along with plant extracts that have been used to make the pads, in order to extract all the harmful toxins from the body. Based on an ancient Japanese therapy known as reflexology, these pads have been developed to cure several health conditions that are the result of the presence of such toxins, from the feet. Detox pads have been heavily advertised, and used by a few. However, how effective they are and whether or not they live up to the claims they make, are big questions to which answers are yet to be found. Here, we will try and determine how exactly they work, and make an attempt to answer the aforementioned questions.

How Foot Detox Pads Work

As has been mentioned earlier, foot detox pads use infrared radiation along with minute acupuncture meridians on the pads, that are known to connect with the various body organs via the feet. Other ingredients that make up these detox pads include:

• Tourmaline, a mineral that is known to emit negative ions
• Bamboo Vinegar, that enables the body to release toxins, and
• Wood Vinegar, that enables the extraction of toxins from the body.

According to the basics of reflexology, each body part corresponds to a section in the feet, and the waste from these organs accumulate there. As such, these detox pads can effectively remove all the wastes from your feet.

These pads are to be applied on the feet before sleeping at night, and allowed to remain for about 8 hours. You will notice that when you remove these detox pads, they will appear discolored (mostly dark brown in color), which signifies that they have successfully removed some amount of harmful toxins from your body through the feet. Detox pads, when used regularly, will slowly become lighter and eventually will come out white. Not only do these detox pads remove toxins from the body, they are also known to enhance the quality of sleep in people and strengthen their immune system.

Another version of foot detox pads is the foot detox machine, that uses ionic frequencies by means of electro-therapy in an attempt to fight viruses and ailments as big as cancer. While some people have claimed to feel better after an ionic foot bath, its benefits and effects are yet to be tested on a larger scale.

Do Foot Detox Pads Really Work?

Some people who have used these detox foot pads believe that it has helped them, and that they have felt different overall, after using these. However, skeptics have a lot of theories about why and how detox pads may not be able to live up to their claims. All these have been explained below:

• First of all, it is not possible for the toxins in the body to permeate the skin and get collected in these detox pads. This is because detoxification is a complex process that occurs in the liver, after which the harmful toxins are eliminated from the body.
• Secondly, the discoloration that you may have noticed on the pads is not due to the discharge of toxins, but because of the reaction of the ingredients (mainly wood vinegar) in the pad with sweat on the feet. Since wood vinegar is dried before it is used in the making of the foot pads, when it comes in contact with the moisture in the feet, the reaction of the two causes the discoloration along with the bad odor that the foot pads seem to emit.
• Finally, there is no scientific backing for this project, in that no specific scientific research has been conducted to check for the effectiveness of these products.

It has been suggested by experts that it is only because of the heavy claims and elaborate advertisements of these feet detox pads that they have gained so much popularity. Furthermore, it is said that people tend to feel good psychologically after using these because their minds have been made to believe that this is the function of foot detox pads.

Finally, health experts believe that simply by using these detox pads one cannot detoxify their bodies. Since detoxification involves a lot more than merely sticking adhesive pads to the soles of the feet, it is essential to follow a complete detox diet, drink lots of water, get plenty of exercise, and quality sleep to make this entire process work. If you wish to use foot detox pads, you must follow all the aforementioned rules of the book to avail of a good and effective detoxification process. There is no potential harm in using these detox pads, but don't be disappointed if you don't notice the changes that they claim.