Ever since I heard about ionic detoxification a couple years ago, I've been curious about the claims that it can remove toxins from your body. I live in Chicago, so I'm well aware that I'm not breathing clean air or drinking pure water. I'm also honest with myself about the fact that the processed food I regularly eat isn't doing me any favors.



I eat pretty healthy, but I'm not willing to eat all healthy all the time (I love Chicago pizza too much). And although it would be nice to move to the mountains near a freshwater spring, that's not in the cards for me anytime soon. So if there's technology that can help me get rid of accumulated junk in my body, I'm interested in learning more. Fortunately, it's easy to research "detox foot bath" online since there are 1000s of websites that talk about it. Unfortunately, there's two extreme viewpoints that make it not so easy to get a balanced opinion about the subject. My goal with this article is to help bring some much needed balance and logic to this issue.

In one corner you have the companies who sell the ionic foot bath equipment or provide it as a service. These people claim that the color of the detox foot bath water indicates the part of the body being detoxified. In the other corner, you have the people who understand some of the science behind this technology, but are too cynical to accept the possibility that there might be something to this whole thing. These two opposing viewpoints aren't addressing the other side's viewpoint, which gives the impression that both sides have an agenda.

I want to make one simple point here in an effort to bring some balance to this issue of foot detox - the water in a detox foot bath will change color whether a person's feet are in the water or not. But please don't rush to a conclusion just yet. The cynics have taken this fact as case-closed proof that foot detox offers no health benefits whatsoever. The people who sell detox foot bath units claim the color of the water indicates what part of the body is being detoxified. Sadly, both viewpoints are wrong.

The cynics who've never tried foot detox, but understand that the water in a ionic foot bath changes color due to electrolysis and oxidation of the metal array think that anyone who claims to have health benefits is only imagining it. I think this is a lazy approach to scientific research because these people assume that just because they understand some of the science behind the technology, they don't have to study the matter any further to come to a conclusion.

I'm not an expert on how a ionic foot bath works, but I've done enough research to know that many people are experiencing health benefits that go beyond what the placebo effect is capable of. Just this week I spoke with a woman who found a hookworm in her detox foot bath water after a treatment! I've spoken with several smokers whose water smells strongly of smoke odor. I'm willing to admit that some of the many claims of pain relief can be attributed to the placebo effect, but I think you'll agree that the placebo effect can't produce parasites or strong smoke odors.

I recently met a woman who has been providing ionic foot baths to hundreds of people. She told me about the many health benefits her clients have received, and the many doctors who have been mystified by the recoveries their patients have experienced after receiving foot detox treatments.

I'm convinced that most people doing a foot detox are getting something more than just the placebo effect, but I still have an issue with the whole color-of-the-water=the-part-of-the-body-being-detoxed claim. If you've done a foot detox then you know that the water starts to turn brown almost immediately. This is due to oxidation of the metal array in the water. I've talked with dozens of people and most of them have the same color water as me - brown, the color of rust. Water analysis done by a laboratory has confirmed a significant increase in iron. But there's more to the story. The water starts out as brown, but for many people, the water eventually turns other colors, such as white, green or black. If it's not rust causing those color changes, then what is it?

The popular color chart used by most ionic foot bath providers says that brown water indicates "liver detoxification, cellular debris and tobacco detoxification", but there's no way I'm going to believe that my liver starts shooting toxic debris out of my feet a few seconds after starting an ionic foot bath. I've never smoked so that's not a factor. Several labs have done water analysis and found high levels of iron in the water, so I'm confident in my conclusion that oxidation of the metallic array is what's causing the water to turn brown.

I've talked with dozens of people who regularly use adetox foot bath and most of them have the same color water as me - brown, the color of rust. Now to be fair, not everyone has the same color water, which is why I'm open to there being some truth to the idea that the color indicates the part of the body being detoxed, but the fact remains that many of the proponents of foot detox are ignoring basic chemistry and undermining their credibility in the process.

However, in 2002, Doctor's Data, Inc., a laboratory in St. Charles, IL, did a before and after water analysis of an ionic foot bath and found significant increases in antimony, arsenic, copper, lead, uranium, barium, cadmium, chromium, nickel, aluminum, iron, manganese and zinc in the detox foot bath that had feet in it compared to the water that had no feet. The increase in heavy metals had to come out of the feet, proof positive that there's more to this story than simple oxidation of metal.

Another matter that debunks the cynic is that the woman I spoke with, the one who had the hookworm come out during her ionic foot bath, told me her water usually turns black, even though her husband who uses the same unit always has brown water. Is this issue cut and dry? Hardly. Both sides of this controversy would benefit from paying closer attention to each other and learning what the other side knows.