Kinoki Detox Foot Pads: Safe & Natural Toxin Removal

[Moonbear]

Can anyone debunk their claim that trees discard toxins from the sun down through the trees roots?

What toxins from the sun? I'm not a plant biologist, but I only know of plants taking up nutrients from the soil into their roots, and other exchanges of gases occurring through the stomata in the stems and leaves.

But, it hardly matters, does it? Afterall, humans aren't plants. We don't remove wastes from our body through our feet, we do so through our renal and digestive systems. If you're unable to properly filter toxins out of your body, you don't need foot pads, you need dialysis.

 

[Rocketmandb]

If I’m not mistaken, the colors of those chemicals are nothing but clear or white. If you disagree, please show which of the toxic chemicals purported to reside in the body have a dark brown color. Unless you can explain how the darkening discoloration would in any way support kinoki’s claim (detoxification / the presence of toxic chemicals in the pads), their initial premise is false.

There may be a whole host of reasons why they don't work, but this argument can't be among them. I am a 30+ year aquarist and I routinely use "detox pads" in my reef aquariums to remove heavy metals and other impurities that my other natural filtration does not remove. These pads are 12"x12" white porous filter material with the consistency close to those cut-to-fit A/C filters. I just float these in my sump and within a couple weeks they are jet black with impurities. The color is not due to particulate being caught as there is a particulate filter prior to this area of the sump. I once used one of these in a friend's tank who's house had copper piping. Within a couple days it was sky blue due to the copper it pulled from the water. The reason mine (and most people's) turn black is because there are so many chemicals that manifest themselves in different colors and when all are combined you get black.

 

[kmarinas86]

There may be a whole host of reasons why they don't work, but this argument can't be among them. I am a 30+ year aquarist and I routinely use "detox pads" in my reef aquariums to remove heavy metals and other impurities that my other natural filtration does not remove. These pads are 12"x12" white porous filter material with the consistency close to those cut-to-fit A/C filters. I just float these in my sump and within a couple weeks they are jet black with impurities. The color is not due to particulate being caught as there is a particulate filter prior to this area of the sump. I once used one of these in a friend's tank who's house had copper piping. Within a couple days it was sky blue due to the copper it pulled from the water. The reason mine (and most people's) turn black is because there are so many chemicals that manifest themselves in different colors and when all are combined you get black.

So maybe the Kinoki foot pads are like "Ionic Breeze" for your feet.

 

[Rocketmandb]

So maybe the Kinoki foot pads are like "Ionic Breeze" for your feet.

Your link just took me to the home page for Sharper Image. I was too lazy to look up the latest on their Ionic Breeze product, but I did like this http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/product/sku__HW569BLK" :)

 

[TheMetalChick]

:) Hello!

I know this isn't exactly a new thread, but I felt like I had to comment. I literally joined this forum because of this thread (after finding it in a search)
I think every response here has been absolutely hysterical! :) Nice job lol.

 

[CEL]

From http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4101

The active ingredient in Kinoki footpads is powdered wood vinegar. When it's dried, it forms a colorless powder. In its normal liquid state, it's dark brown or black. Contact with perspiration from your foot reconstitutes the acetic acid in the wood vinegar, and the dark liquid stains the pad. Presto, science in action, and no magical transport of mysterious "toxins" through non-permeable skin is needed to explain the effect.

 

[TheMetalChick]

I just saw a new, different commercial for these things- and I of course thought of this thread. :)

It seems that they have taken the "Asian" aspect out of it now and are calling them "Power Purify Foot Patches." They attribute the way they work not to being "like a tree", but solely to gravity. So now its gravity that supposedly moves toxins away from your body’s vital organs and into your feet. However, the animated illustration in the commercial shows stuff (toxins?) moving from your fingertips up your arms and back toward the body trunk (which to the best of my knowledge is not only going against gravity but also is moving toxins TOWARD your vital organs... unless your fingers are more vital than your lungs, heart, etc) then down your legs and to, of course, your feet. I also note that you are supposed to use these things laying down, so why gravity would still draw everything to your feet of all places when you are sprawled out on a bed is also beyond me.

Incidentally, I believe these things are even claiming to rectify problems attributed to radiation exposure. I wish I had recorded the commercial, but they seemed to mention similar things as the old commercial. I think they say that tourmaline is an ingredient that uses infrared rays to heat and open pores- that this stimulates reflexology points. They also include wood vinegar from oak, beech, and sakura trees. OK, then.

 

[Evo]

That's hysterical! Thanks for the post!

 

[rouenpucelle]

I hear of much skepticism, but of no debunking. Sounds like group thinking taking over to me.

Even if its effectiveness is not empirically supported, it could still be effective but be manifesting a Type II error. Maybe it's effective for only a very tiny segment of the population whose body chemistry is somehow different from that of most people. All that can really be "proven" is its statistical significance in a controlled study.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

(P.S. It could still be B.S.)

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The fact is that it can't do what they claim. It is that simple.

 

[Moonbear]

From http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4101

It seems a simple test of that would be to spritz them with sterile, purified water. If it's just a moisture-induced color change type indicator, they should turn brown with a little spritzing.

 

[turbo]

You want to make similar foot pads? Load them with fibers from tea leaves, oak wood, etc. They can look nice and white, and as soon as you sweat into those pads, the tannic acid will create nice dark brown stains.

 

[pantaz]

Reasonably thorough report from ABC News:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Stossel/story?id=4636224
Ridding Yourself of Toxins, or Money?
April 11, 2008

FTA: The Kinoki ads' claim that we're brimming with things like heavy metals, toxins and parasites scares people. "20/20" asked NMS Labs, a national laboratory in Willow Grove, Pa., that performs toxicology testing, to analyze the used Kinoki and Avon pads from eight of our group to see what we could find on the pads.

The lab tested for a lot of things, including heavy metals like arsenic and mercury and 23 solvents, including benzene, tolulene and styrene and found none of these on the used pads.
---

Related:
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2008/04/your_friday_dose_of_woo_when_two_woos_go_to_war.php

 

[Moonbear]

Reasonably thorough report from ABC News:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Stossel/story?id=4636224
Ridding Yourself of Toxins, or Money?
April 11, 2008

FTA: The Kinoki ads' claim that we're brimming with things like heavy metals, toxins and parasites scares people. "20/20" asked NMS Labs, a national laboratory in Willow Grove, Pa., that performs toxicology testing, to analyze the used Kinoki and Avon pads from eight of our group to see what we could find on the pads.

The lab tested for a lot of things, including heavy metals like arsenic and mercury and 23 solvents, including benzene, tolulene and styrene and found none of these on the used pads.
---

Related:
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2008/04/your_friday_dose_of_woo_when_two_woos_go_to_war.php

Should've quoted the most relevant statement from the ABC story:

"I feel like it's a scam," said Sweeney. "It's just the moisture in your feet that are darkening the pad."

Bingo. There's no evidence that it's toxins. When I dropped distilled water on the pad, it turns dark in seconds.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

A similar product is now selling with the brand name, Power Purify Foot Pads.
http://www.powerpurify.com/?cid=536325

 

[metalweb]

I became a member of this forum while I was searching for the credibility of the Power purify producty. It seems the only way to buy the foot pad is on the web using your credit card. It seems I cannot buy it using check or even cashiers check. Plus, they keep sending you products at every interval and automatically charging your credit card.

All this points that its a scam. If I make a product that's really cool - I'd give prople 100s of options to buy and not this silly way - I try to stay away from all products that sell in this way.

But anyways, the footpad did one good thing to me - it made me find this forum which i instantly became a member of. Thankyou powerpurify :)

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I became a member of this forum while I was searching for the credibility of the Power purify producty. It seems the only way to buy the foot pad is on the web using your credit card. It seems I cannot buy it using check or even cashiers check. Plus, they keep sending you products at every interval and automatically charging your credit card.

All this points that its a scam. If I make a product that's really cool - I'd give prople 100s of options to buy and not this silly way - I try to stay away from all products that sell in this way.

But anyways, the footpad did one good thing to me - it made me find this forum which i instantly became a member of. Thankyou powerpurify :)

Thank you, metalweb, and welcome to PF.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I've seen these in a Walgreens and gas stations! Beyond tv now.

 

[Moonbear]

I've seen these in a Walgreens and gas stations! Beyond tv now.

I saw them in Bed Bath and Beyond too, but then they have lots of useless contraptions in their beauty section. They should've stuck with kitchenwares and linens.

 

[TheMetalChick]

I saw them in Bed Bath and Beyond too, but then they have lots of useless contraptions in their beauty section. They should've stuck with kitchenwares and linens.

Wow, that is so... sad.

 

[AngelsWalk]

I suspect some form of tannic acid in them, which turns dark brown with sweat/salts.

That makes no sense if that were true, why would the new pads progressively be less and less brown, and eventually just be white pad, no brown??

I think they work. My unprofessional opinion, of course. Sometimes you just have to try something, really experience it before you can know the truth about it!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

That makes no sense if that were true, why would the new pads progressively be less and less brown, and eventually just be white pad, no brown??

I think they work. My unprofessional opinion, of course. Sometimes you just have to try something, really experience it before you can know the truth about it!

Beyond the parlor tricks, the trouble is that you have no way to know if it works. On what do you base your opinion, a brown pad; that tells you that it has removed toxins from your body? How do you know that?

Does the company provide any independent analysis to confirm its claims?

My guess would be that progressively cleaner pads are an indication of increasingly clean feet. You probably temporarily remove the oils from your skin.

 

[Evo]

Beyond the parlor tricks, the trouble is that you have no way to know if it works. On what do you base your opinion, a brown pad; that tells you that it has removed toxins from your body? How do you know that?

Does the company provide any independent analysis to confirm its claims?

My guess would be that progressively cleaner pads are an indication of increasingly clean feet. You probably temporarily remove the oils from your skin.

Since eevn distilled water will turn the pads brown, perhaps they block the pores and prevent perspiration with prolonged use? It seems that moisture is what turns them brown.

 

[Moonbear]

Since eevn distilled water will turn the pads brown, perhaps they block the pores and prevent perspiration with prolonged use? It seems that moisture is what turns them brown.

Interesting concept. Maybe they contain an antiperspirant. If so, they might be more useful for preventing stinky feet than anything else they claim.

 

[jadamczyk]

Interesting concept. Maybe they contain an antiperspirant. If so, they might be more useful for preventing stinky feet than anything else they claim.

I've seen a news story related to these, i think they analyzed it and found that there's antiperspirant in the pads that accumulates after a while and blocks the pores.