Way back in January 2019, we wrote a blog about how juice and water cleanses don’t actually detox your body. It’s a topic that comes up every new year. Right now, we are in what we call “New Year’s Phase Two.” January is for making and breaking New Year’s resolutions. Late February and early March are when people often take a second stab at their goals. Many people feel like starting with a detox will get them to ground zero so they can build up a healthier lifestyle. In the years since 2019, the detox fad hasn’t faded. But the methods have become bizarre and more expensive.
We have been bombarded on social media by “miracle” foot detox pads. Podiatrists say there is nothing miraculous about them. The adhesive patches are worn on the soles of the feet at bedtime. They supposedly improve sleep, circulation and the immune system. They supposedly also lower pain and fatigue. They often change color overnight — a sign that they have drawn toxins out of your body, according to marketing. If you put a few teaspoons of warm water on an unused foot pad and wait 15-30 minutes, it will undergo the same change in color.
Independent tests and experts have found no proof that the patches do anything. The color change comes from moisture and heat when ingredients in the pads come in contact with sweat. Your liver and kidneys are already detoxing your body; patches won’t pull toxins out through your feet. Your skin is a barrier designed to keep the outside world out and your insides where they are meant to be. While you can absorb some medications from patches, the process doesn’t work in the opposite direction.
Another big trend this year seems to be activated charcoal pills. Activated charcoal is a wonderful medical tool. It binds to substances and can be immensely helpful in emergent medical situations concerning overdoses and poisonings because it absorbs everything in your system. People have been praising it as a “mold detox.” However, it is “nonselective,” meaning it absorbs everything it can — poisons, vitamins, minerals, prescription medications and more.
We love that people can restart their “new year, new me” quest any time they like. Every day is the first day of the rest of your life. You don’t need it to be January to make a new resolution. But your first step shouldn’t be a detox, even when there is a new trendy version making waves.
