Overview
Kinoki foot pads are produced by the New Jersey-based Kinoki Company. The company marketed these pads heavily throughout the early 21st century, claiming they could be used to help detoxify the body. Despite these claims, there is little evidence supporting any health benefits from Kinoki pads, or from any other detoxifying foot pad.
Function
According to the “LA Times,” the Kinoki foot pad contains bamboo vinegar, lavender oils, tourmaline and a selection of detoxifying herbs. Users place these self-adhesive pads onto the souls of their feet at night, and the pads draw out toxins in the body as the user sleeps. The company claims that the special ingredients in the pads produce magnetic channels to attract toxins to the pads through the feet. While the Kinoki foot pad starts off white, many company advertisements show it developing a dirty brown or gray appearance after use, supposedly to show the materials that have been removed from the body.
Features
Kinoki commercials and other advertisements suggested that people are exposed to toxins daily from food, water and even the air they breathe. These toxins poison the body and reduce overall health and wellness. Kinoki claimed its products could remove heavy metals, toxic waste, parasites and even cellulite simply by drawing these materials out through the feet. Using Kinoki pads, users could improve sleep patterns, build their immune system and reduce the effects of depression, diabetes and arthritis.
Expert Insight
According to Dr. George Friedman-Jimenez, the director of the Bellevue/New York University Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic in New York City, there is no scientific evidence to support the benefits of Kinoki pads. Dr. Friedman-Jimenez states that it is not possible to draw toxins out of the feet in any significant amount, and is not necessary because the liver and kidneys already remove toxins naturally.
The doctor warns that users who experience benefits from these pads are likely experiencing a placebo effect. They may experience an improvement in their symptoms simply by chance. Others may expect to feel better after using these pads, and then find that they do feel better, but this is due to expectations rather than actual detoxification.
Tests
In an April 2008 test by the ABC News program “20/20,” a group of test subjects were invited to try the pads and report their results. Some claimed to experience detoxification and noticeable health benefits, while other participants experienced no effects.
ABC News sent all the used Kinoki foot pads from this experiment to an independent testing laboratory. The lab found no presence of any toxins on any of the pads, with the exception of a negligible amount of lead dust, which may be attributed to lead paint dust on other sources. The lab also found that the pads develop their dark or dirty color when distilled water is poured on the surface, which suggests that the appearance of these pads is not an indication of their effectiveness.
Warning
On January 27, 2009, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a federal lawsuit against Kinoki on behalf of consumers. The suit charged the Kinoki Company with deceptive advertising and sought significant financial damages from Kinoki so that customers could receive refunds. The FTC suit states that all claims Kinoki made about the effectiveness of these pads are false, and that there is no scientific evidence to support the use of Kinoki foot pads.
