Detox Foot Pads: Effective Or Deceptive?
Detox Foot Pads and similar products are seen everywhere. They are depicted in television and Internet advertisements. They are in drug stores of all varieties. They are also on the bottom of lots of feet. Successful marketing, however, does not mean they actually do anything beneficial for you. Detox Foot Pads claim they remove “toxins” from your body. The ingredients in the pad placed on the bottom of the foot allegedly remove heavy metals, metabolic wastes and other health-threatening substances by drawing them through the pores of the skin on the sole of your foot where they are absorbed by the pad for disposal the next morning. Their effectiveness is proven by how the white pad attached to the foot turns dark overnight.
The Official Foot Detox Home of The Official Detox Foot Pad claims its pads (as opposed to the cheap imitations found elsewhere) can treat “sleep disturbances, muscle tension, headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances, fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, changes in eating habits including overeating, loss of enthusiasm or energy and mood changes” for only $17.99 for a box of 14 pads. The Detox Foot Pad contains tourmaline, “a mineral found in Brazil,” that emits “far infrared rays” that generate “negative ions.” These negative ions stimulate acupressure points to promote wellness. The website even contains an acupressure diagram of the foot showing where to apply the pad to treat various organs of the body.
The Detox Foot Pad also contains “a vinegar essence from Bamboo trees,” a healing substance known to Chinese villagers for “thousands of years.” Combined with other substances, it forms a “powerful synergistic detoxification product.” To certify the integrity of this product, the website even has an Anti-Fraud Policy and proclaims that they “Actively Pursue and Prosecute Fraud Offenders.” The website also contains a disclaimer that advises that the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") had not certified the effectiveness of the product and that you should consult with your physician.
The Detox Foot Pad and similar products are not supported by scientific evidence. The vinegar in the pad will clean your skin during prolonged contact and turn the pad brown. Beyond that there is very little to suggest the products work. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, “no scientific studies have been published that demonstrate that these products actually remove toxins from the body.” Moreover, tourmaline is mined primarily as a gemstone. While some tourmaline has colors vivid enough to appear to glow (perhaps the source of the claim to emit far infrared rays), other stones are irradiated to improve their color. There is no scientific evidence to indicate that tourmaline, a crystal silicate mineral, once ground up in a form that can be combined with the other substances in the Detox Foot Pad would emit anything, let alone far infrared rays. Notably, the product’s website does not indicate how much tourmaline is in each pad.
If you have purchased Detox Foot Pads or any similar product, please contact us to discuss your legal options.
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