Researchers from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Pharmacy conducted a series of tests running an ionic footbath with and without feet and analyzed the water for differences in the level of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The water was first measured after running the machine without feet using both distilled and tap water. Weekly measurements were then conducted on six healthy participants who used the machine with tap water once a week for four weeks. No differences were found in toxic metals that were leached into the water whether or not feet were in the water, including lead, cadmium, and arsenic. On the other hand, a significant increase in some of the same elements present in the metal array used in the footbath to generate an electric current in the water was found. Over time, the array corroded and elements from this corrosion caused the water to become dirty and cloudy and change color. The study also failed to find any evidence to suggest that the machine increased the body’s ability to excrete the heavy metals. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:258968. PMID: 22174728
