Overview
Detox food pads often make compelling, but impossible, claims. One of this product’s more well-known marketers, Kinoki, asserts that its detox foot pads, when applied to the soles of the feet at night, could draw out heavy metals, parasites, chemicals, cellulite and other toxins. The Federal Trade Commission charged Kinoki with deceptive advertising, putting the heavy hitter of detox food pads out of business. But food pads are still around, sold in abundance on the Internet under other names. Mayo Clinic experts and the National Council Against Health Fraud concur: detox food pads have no effect on your health.
What Are Detox Food Pads?
Detox food pads are listed under two quack devices–the other being detox foot baths–by the National Council Against Health Fraud, which maintains the Quackwatch.Org consumer website. Co-founder Dr. Stephen Barrett explains that detox foot pads are adhesive patches that are attached to the feet at night and left on while users sleep. When removed in the morning, the pads are brown or black, which purportedly is proof that they’ve absorbed toxins. However, Barrett states that detox food pad contain ingredients which, when exposed to the foot’s moisture, turn darker in color. Detox foot pads, after use, have been described as having a strong, unpleasant, smoky odor.
The Kinoki Debacle
The FTC took action against Kinoki Detox Food Pads in January 2009. In addition to claims that the pads removed various unhealthful elements through the feet, the company’s advertisements asserted that the pads could cure diabetes, depression, arthritis, high blood pressure and weak immune systems, as well as help users lose weight. The FTC’s complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, sought to bar Kinoki from deceptively marketing its wares forever, as well as to reimburse customers who purchased the product.
Media Reports
Before the FTC’s action, national media had already sniffed out a scam. In an April 2008 “20/20” show, John Stossel’s report “Ridding Yourself of Toxins, or Money?” included a group of people who’d heard of detox foot pads and wore them for a few days. Some wore those made by Kinoki while others wore detox foot pads made by Avon. The food pads were then sent by “20/20” to NMS Labs in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, for analysis. When tested for substances such as heavy metals (arsenic and mercury) and 23 other solvents, none were found on the used pads. National Public Radio’s Sarah Varney also reported on detox foot pads in April 2008. When the pads Varney used were sent to a California laboratory, no difference was noted between a used and unused foot pad.
What Doctors Say
Dr. Lawrence E. Gibson of the Mayo Clinic agrees that most people want toxins out of their bodies, but there are no published scientific findings that indicate that detox foot pads work as they claim. Gibson stresses the importance of looking past trendy words such as “toxins.” He said, “Many doctors and scientists believe that these products aren’t cleaning out anything but your wallet.” The detoxification process takes place in your liver, Barrett said, which modifies them so they can be passed through the kidneys, which also act as a filtering mechanism. The sweat glands in your feet secrete mostly water, he said, and have a “minor role” in ridding your body of any other substance.
If You’ve Been Defrauded
Detox food pad Internet marketers are shrewd sellers, with each website touting its product as better than the rest. Many, if not all, detox foot pad sellers encourage users to keep purchasing the pads as long as the pads continue to turn dark after a good night’s sleep. Because the foot pads turn dark because of moisture, not the release of toxins, this could cause you to rely on them forever. Detox food pads likely won’t hurt you, but they can put a dent in your finances over time. If you fell prey to the detox foot pad scam, file your complaint with the FTC.
