Detoxifying foot pads are a hot topic on the health scene. While product manufacturers like Kinoki claim that you can place pads on your feet and wake up in the morning with a cleaner, healthier body, reliable medical sources disagree. As much as there's a lack of evidence to support Kinoki foot pads doing what they claim, there's even less information on their effect on pregnant women.
Foot Pads
Kinoki detox foot pads claim to draw out toxins lodged in the body via the feet. A user is supposed to put the pads on before bed and when she wakes up she should find a dark pad filled with the toxins her body has eliminated. Kinoki claims the pads can remove heavy metals like lead and mercury, as well as solvents like benzene.
Neither Kinoki or any of its competitors have any clinical evidence that the product works.
Kinoki Debunked
John Stossel of ABC News' 20/20 program did a piece in 2008 entitled, "Ridding Yourself of Toxins, or Money?". Stossel's research on Kinoki pads involved laboratory tests on used pads. According to the labs, the pads did not remove toxins. Not only that, but pads changed to the dark color from simply being wetted. His conclusion is that people's sweat changes the color of the foot pads--not the toxins.
Similarly, the Mayo Clinic advises that there is no clinical evidence that any of the detoxifying foot pad products work, and in fact, drawing toxins out via the feet doesn't seem very likely.
Pregnancy
Again, there's no evidence that Kinoki pads either help or harm pregnancy. However, Stossel's report indicates that pad users all reported a strong unpleasant odor coming from the used pads. As a general rule of common sense, it's not wise to expose a pregnant woman to pungent chemical odors. Caution is also advised because the chemicals used in the foot pads are unknown.
Any woman wanting to play it safe during pregnancy should probably avoid using Kinoki foot pads. However, if you are pregnant and considering using the pads, be sure to consult your physician or obstetrician for further advice and insight based on your own medical history and factors involved in your pregnancy.
Tags: foot pads, evidence that, clinical evidence, clinical evidence that, Kinoki foot