When I see a bunch of posts on social media about 'foot bath detoxes' pulling 'toxins' from the body using a small device in salt water? 2 apparitions appear on each shoulder. One says:

"Huh that's interesting. I've never heard of that before...they got relief? They felt better? I mean maybe it's a new modality-"

And then sharply gets interrupted by the other one:

"HOLD UP...you're telling me metals like iron and copper are being pulled through the skin as 'detoxifying'? We need those metals for biological processes...are they even small enough to be pulled through the skin? What about someone who's low in iron...would they get this? Is there any evidence for such a thing? What's the unit made of? Are they standardized..." Et cetera et cetera.

And the first apparition gets trampled.

What are foot bath detoxes

Foot detoxes using ionizing tools typically involve placing your feet in a basin of water with an electrical device that supposedly creates positive and negative ions. People claim this process draws toxins out of your body through your feet, often pointing to a change in the water's color as evidence.
Here’s what a kit can look like. They can range from 45$ to 100$.

After submerging your feet in the bath with salt, add the ionizing tool, and after a while, it will come out looking like this. Look at all them’ toxins!

What is ionization: the reason these things work

Okay so do these things ACTUALLY pull out toxins?

Funny enough, I have a memory from high school where someone's older brother did this EXACT example for us using tap water. And lo and behold, the water turned black, gooey, and cloudy. Was this the exact situation? I can't say- but it further bolstered my skepticism to this method.

The answer- No. Nope. Nada. The footbath detox can be explained using science, with or without someone's stinky feet!

Here’s how it works:

What Does the Salt Do?

The salt plays a key role in this process:

1. Conducts Electricity: Salt water conducts electricity much better than plain water. It helps the electric current flow through the water more easily.

2. Speeds Up Reactions: Salt makes the chemical reactions happen faster. This means you'll see color changes and bubbles forming more quickly.

3. Adds to the Show: As the salt interacts with the metal particles from the electrodes, it can create more dramatic color changes and sometimes even little floating bits in the water.

What Happens Next

1. The Water Breaks Down: The electricity causes the water to split into hydrogen and oxygen. This creates tiny bubbles.

2. The Metal Reacts: The metal parts start to rust or corrode because of the electricity. This releases tiny metal particles into the water.

3. Colorful Changes: As the metal particles mix with the salt water, the water changes color. It might turn brown, orange, or even greenish, depending on what the electrodes are made of.

4. Foamy Fun: All those tiny bubbles from the split water rise to the top, creating foam.

But Wait, What About the Toxins?

Here's the kicker: those color changes and the foam? They happen whether your feet are in the water or not. It's just a chemical reaction in the tub, not toxins coming out of your body.

You can witness it here! (Thanks bigclivedotcom)

Not so fast…is there a silver- or, brown, gooey- lining here?

I’m not convinced that these things actually work. But is there anything about this that may have a benefit?

Well, if the entire ‘treatment’ takes 30 odd minutes, simply sitting and enjoying 30 minutes to yourself might be…nice. Especially submerging your feet in warm water. There is limited evidence supporting salt baths for those with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and people report their muscular fatigue improves from Epsom salt baths. But again, who doesn't like a nice warm bath?

To sum this up - the foamy, frothy truth is that these foot bath detoxes don't work by pulling toxins out of your body. They work with or without your feet, using science. But hey, rather than detoxifying your body, maybe all you need is a bowl of warm water to soak in, 30 minutes to yourself, and a good book.

References

The dubious practice of detox - Harvard Health

Ionic foot detox electrode scam. How it works. (youtube.com)

BigCliveDotCom (youtube)

Claude 3.5 Sonnet