Do detoxing foot patches actually work? No, that's not true: An internal medicine doctor and a dermatologist explain the claim is impossible and unverified. The internal medicine doctor said there were no scientific studies showing that detoxifying foot pads work. The dermatologist told Lead Stories that the only organs that have detoxifying abilities are the kidneys and the liver.
The claim appeared in an article (archived here) where it was published by trybandoo.com under the title "How An Old Traditional Eastern Remedy Came To The Rescue Of A Middle Aged Western Health Worker." It opened:
44-year old auxiliary nurse, Susan Hallet, was a dedicated healthcare professional, working 12 hour shifts at her local hospital. Over the years, she has certainly seen her fair share of sick patients and has come to recognise many of the most common ailments at a glance. However, she was completely unable to self-diagnose her own medical condition, which for the past 5 months was getting steadily worse.
This is what the article looked like at the time of writing:
(Source: Trybandoo.com screenshot taken on Tue Jan 25 16:47:24 2022 UTC)
The article continued:
After searching all over the Internet, Susan came across a century's old, traditional eastern remedy, which is still used today in Japan ... The remedy consists of Loquat leaf extract, a powerful herb, together with Vitamin C, a known antioxidant and Bamboo vinegar extract, which aids intestinal function and digestion. These ingredients are added to Wood vinegar extract, known for its antibacterial properties and Tourmaline, for liver and kidney function. Finally, the remedy includes Houttunya Cordata, a powerful herb that invigorates the body and combats pathogens plus Dextrin, a supplement that binds all the other ingredients together. These ingredients are embedded into detox foot patches, which you place on the soles of your feet. After a short time the body's toxins are drawn out through the feet and they finish up on the patches...
The Mayo Clinic, a top-ranked hospital and research center employing thousands of physicians and scientists, answered the question, "Do detox foot pads really work?" Dr. Brent A. Bauer, a doctor who is board-certified in internal medicine, explains on the Mayo Clinic's website that there are no scientific studies that show that detox foot pads work or are safe to use. He notes that the Federal Trade Commission has even charged some distributors of these foot pads with deceptive advertising.
Dr. Joshua Zeichner, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in New York City, told Lead Stories in a January 26, 2022, email that the only organs in our body that have detoxifying effects are the kidneys and liver. Zeichner added that while glands on our foot release sweat and oil, there is no true detoxifying effect from them.
