Detox foot pads

[vbloke]

an excellent debunking of the new "detox foot pads" that claim to draw out "toxins" from your feet whilst you sleep.

http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/1...ce-experiment/

The pads:
http://www.champneys.com/Collection/...es_Multi_Pack#

The ingredients:
http://www.champneys.com/Collection/...fm?stockID=109

As you can see from the ingredients list, they contain Wood Vinegar, which turns brown when wet. Surely this can be complained about to Trading Standards.

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

So really just a potentially more profitable and mass market version of the old electrolysis con.

http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/12282...g_Machine.html

[vbloke]

http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2008/0...ad-dissection/

part 2 of the analysis of these foot pads

Guess what, nothing but a powder designed to turn brown in the presence of water...

[vbloke]

And now, at last a decent scientific test of detox foot-pads
http://genesismetabolic.com/?p=20

A small study of commercially available Detoxification Foot Patches was undertaken to determine if there is evidence of heavy metal detoxification after using the foot patches as instructed by the manufacturer. Three foot patches were used in the experiment: an unused “virgin” foot patch as a control, one that was used by Patient A who’s mineral status showed no heavy metal poisoning, and another used by Patient B, who’s mineral status showed contamination with several heavy metals. Patient A’s and B’s mineral status was determined by Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis [HTMA] testing at Anamol Laboratories in Concorde, Ontario. Anamol Laboratories also did the mineral analysis of the foot patches. Mineral analysis of these foot patches ascertained there was no evidence of any detoxification of heavy metals. More importantly, the experiment revealed the control foot patch contained toxic levels of six heavy metals. For this reason, employing them as a therapeutic method of detoxification may contribute to toxic exposures of heavy metals they are purposed to be detoxifying.

So far so good...

Summary of Foot Patch Experiment
Measurements are in ppm

• The virgin – “control” – foot patch contained toxic levels of heavy metals.
• In this “control” F.P. Aluminum was 9th highest ppm out of 38 minerals with a level of 324 ppm! Any exposure of Aluminum over 10 ppm is considered toxic and over acceptable limits. The level of 324 ppm is 32.4 times over the acceptable limit!
• Barium measured in at 33.9 ppm – anything over1.5 ppm is toxic. The barium in the control F.P. measured 22.6 times over the acceptable limit!
• Four other heavy metals had levels over the acceptable limits in the control F.P.; Lead, Arsenic, Tungsten and Zirconium. Cadmium was also found, but within acceptable limits.
• Out of 7 toxic elements present in the control patch, 6 were over acceptable limits, with Aluminum and Barium being very toxic!
• Patient A’s Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis showed no heavy metal contamination, yet this patient’s F.P. showed the exact same heavy metals as the control F.P., and all measuring in toxic ranges except for Cadmium.
• Patient B’s Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis showed elevated levels of these toxic elements: Antimony, Bismuth, Mercury, and Thallium, yet this patient’s F.P. did not list these elements upon analysis.
• The same elements detected in the control F.P. mineral analysis were found in Patient A and B foot patches, with no deviations and no statistically significant differences.
• A good example to use is Tin. The control F.P. had 6.53 ppm, Patient A’s F.P. recorded 1.9 ppm, and Patient B’s F.P. had 8.33 ppm. There was more than 3 times the amount of tin in the control F.P. than Patient A’s. Molybdenum was over twice as high in the control F.P. than Patient A.

Oh dear...

Conclusion
This experiment involved only a small sample of foot patches, yet mineral analysis of these foot patches determined there was no evidence of any detoxification of heavy metals. I surmise from this experiment that the claims made by the manufacturer of these foot patches are dubious at best. In fact these foot patches contain significant toxic levels of heavy metals, and it seems implausible that such patches are going to benefit patients with already elevated levels of such toxins. Accordingly, detoxification foot patches should never be applied to feet or any other body part because of the great possibility of contamination with the heavy metals that are present in them.

So, in other words, detox foot pads could actually poison you.

[Sweetche]

God, I can't believe in this day and age people really believe in something like those detox patches. It reminds me of some special i saw on TV where some voodoo evangelist or something just cupped some red liquid and a strand of cloth or something in his hand, and then pretended to pull the 'evil' out of some poor sap's stomach, right through his skin.

______________
Sweetche

[Blue Wode]

Hello, Sweetche, and welcome to the UK Skeptics forum.

God, I can't believe in this day and age people really believe in something like those detox patches. It reminds me of some special i saw on TV where some voodoo evangelist or something just cupped some red liquid and a strand of cloth or something in his hand, and then pretended to pull the 'evil' out of some poor sap's stomach, right through his skin.

It sounds like psychic surgery. Here's James Randi debunking it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxMGxz6-oTs


(1 min 19 secs)

[shadow0000]

God, I can't believe in this day and age people really believe in something like those detox patches. It reminds me of some special i saw on TV where some voodoo evangelist or something just cupped some red liquid and a strand of cloth or something in his hand, and then pretended to pull the 'evil' out of some poor sap's stomach, right through his skin.

______________
Sweetche

Really?., How can you say that my dear Sweetche, maybe they are saying the truth, in that Detox foot pads... Why you don't believe in that!!!

[Matt]

Really?., How can you say that my dear Sweetche, maybe they are saying the truth, in that Detox foot pads... Why you don't believe in that!!!

Stick one to a use teabag. See what happens.

Try comparing the results from a number of users. See if you can identify which was worn by wholefood organic vegans and whihc was worn by larger swilling smokers after a their curry night.

[Mongrel]

Stick one to a use teabag. See what happens.

Try comparing the results from a number of users. See if you can identify which was worn by wholefood organic vegans and whihc was worn by larger swilling smokers after a their curry night.

Best typo of the week