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Chippewa
SFN Regular

USA
1496 Posts

Posted - 03/28/2008 :  09:41:48  Show Profile  Visit Chippewa's Homepage Send Chippewa a Private Message  Reply with Quote
OK - I saw this one on late night cable TV. The commercial runs automatically on this website:
https://www.buykinoki.com/?cid=409617

There are several key phrases in the hype that set off my huckster alarm; "based on ancient Japanese reflexology" and "drawing toxins" from the body out the feet compared to trees drawing toxins out their roots. (Even though the people are laying flat so gravity isn't the factor.)

Anyway - assuming the footpads get dirty with "toxins" - I wonder what's really happening with these footpads?

If true, what would happen if you wrapped a Shamwow around your feet?

recurve boy
Skeptic Friend

Australia
53 Posts

Posted - 03/28/2008 :  10:14:33   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send recurve boy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_Kinoki_detox_foot_pads_work - they say it's the iron in the pads

Try to find the ingredients. No luck on the kinoki page. But: http://www.kinoki.com/ingredients.htm

Tourmaline sounds familiar ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourmaline

I'm believe the iron explanation. Also, some people are just dirty.
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard

3192 Posts

Posted - 03/28/2008 :  10:41:27   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send BigPapaSmurf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Nice answer, wikianswer man. Sheesh the guys conclusion sounds just like one of their Kinoki commercials. He admits that they are probably a placebo, but then goes on to convince himself that they work.

"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History

"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard

3192 Posts

Posted - 03/28/2008 :  10:47:45   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send BigPapaSmurf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
A good test would be to apply a pad to a porous plastic fabric like nylon and wet it with a few drops each night, if the pad is leaving a residue on the surface which prevents water from passing through, it should be quite detectable after a few days.

"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History

"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini
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Chippewa
SFN Regular

USA
1496 Posts

Posted - 03/28/2008 :  10:57:08   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Chippewa's Homepage Send Chippewa a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Good stuff guys. Wiki answer is informative though yes, a bit on the "let's be fair" side. I'll have to check what they say about those hucksters who "name a star after someone" - i.e. buy a piece of paper for $40.00.

P.S. - Those Jack Handey quotes are great.
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 03/28/2008 :  16:40:08   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Here is my favorite page of theirs.

https://www.buykinoki.com/?page=clinicals

Whoa!!! Forget about the above link, that worked only hours ago. They got rid of the page to clinical trials, which happened to be absent of any clinical trials...

Could they have seen us snooping around I wonder?


Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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ZeeKrey
New Member

United Arab Emirates
20 Posts

Posted - 04/20/2008 :  11:35:14   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send ZeeKrey an AOL message Send ZeeKrey a Private Message  Reply with Quote
If anyone didn't see my other posts, I work in a life science lab where I have the opportunity to test a lot of things. The skepticism these foot pads have brought up recently has surpassed all others.

I got a bag of these foot pads for free from a friend of mine. Upon testing them I learned that the colored reactions that occur on the foot pads mean absolutely nothing. The color change occurs depending on how much fluid contacts the contents of the bag and how those contents settle at the given moment or period of time the pouch of herbs and minerals is exposed.

There were a few trials from different angles but long story short:

Wet pads of material turn color. This just proves wrong their claim that the footpad coloring has anything to do with mineral or toxin absorption.

I did not check the contents of the footpad that were on my feet. I found lab reports from Arizona however that stated the pads worked very slightly but that mineral foot baths work better <-I would need to prove that for myself to belive it at all.

Take a tea bag and wet it, leave it out to dry. you'll get a rainbow of colors depending on the contents. This goes the same for the foot pads.

Color changing indication - False
Toxin extraction through the feet - TBD

Zee'Krey
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 04/20/2008 :  11:57:37   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by ZeeKrey

If anyone didn't see my other posts, I work in a life science lab where I have the opportunity to test a lot of things. The skepticism these foot pads have brought up recently has surpassed all others.

I got a bag of these foot pads for free from a friend of mine. Upon testing them I learned that the colored reactions that occur on the foot pads mean absolutely nothing. The color change occurs depending on how much fluid contacts the contents of the bag and how those contents settle at the given moment or period of time the pouch of herbs and minerals is exposed.

There were a few trials from different angles but long story short:

Wet pads of material turn color. This just proves wrong their claim that the footpad coloring has anything to do with mineral or toxin absorption.

I did not check the contents of the footpad that were on my feet. I found lab reports from Arizona however that stated the pads worked very slightly but that mineral foot baths work better <-I would need to prove that for myself to belive it at all.

Take a tea bag and wet it, leave it out to dry. you'll get a rainbow of colors depending on the contents. This goes the same for the foot pads.

Color changing indication - False
Toxin extraction through the feet - TBD
Thanks for the information. Also, welcome to SFN!!!

Is there a way to access the results of some of the trials? Just wondering if anything was written up.

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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filthy
SFN Die Hard

USA
14408 Posts

Posted - 04/20/2008 :  13:21:07   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send filthy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Welcome ZeeKrey!

Thanks! that was quite informative and went a good ways toward confirming my own thoughts on the matter: "wash yer damn' feet once in a while and you need not worry about such nonsense."

I've seen these commercials on a channel (network) that shows classic movies now & then. I never paid them much attention. Oddly though, I don't recall seeing them for a while. It's showing Gulliver's Travels tonight and I'll keep an eye peeled for them.




"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)

"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres


"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude

Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,

and Crypto-Communist!

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ZeeKrey
New Member

United Arab Emirates
20 Posts

Posted - 04/20/2008 :  15:19:29   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send ZeeKrey an AOL message Send ZeeKrey a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I was thinking of the ionic foot bath.
It is often compared to these pads.
The water changes color. The color indicates a certain system of the body.
Summary of Ionic foot bath with Pictures: http://www.stillpointhealth.com/IonicFootBath.html
Some testimonials: http://www.healthynewage.com/balance.html

I'm sorry I'm still digging around for the contents of the ion bath water. They did a cross examination with clean water and ionic footbath water after a few weeks of treatment.
It was a detailed list of countless minerals and toxins.

BUT again. I dont trust test results unless I make them up myself.

The only reason I would even slightly believe in either of these finds is because our minerals do fall do the lowest point of our body (The feet) Most people believe that is why Gout is so popular to have in the big toe (Painful Uric Acid crystalization)

I will keep looking, It would be nice to have those results on record here.

Zee'Krey
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bngbuck
SFN Addict

USA
2437 Posts

Posted - 04/20/2008 :  15:44:00   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send bngbuck a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Chippewa.....

This really sounds like one for Randi! I'm rounding up as much as I can from the links and sending the package to him - I'll try for next Friday's Swift

One of the more bothersome things about the Kinoki pitch is this:
Offer Details: Kinoki™ is the all-natural way to collect harmful toxins from your body while you sleep. Kinoki™ Foot Detox Pads use all-natural tree extracts and powerful negative ions to rid your body of harmful toxins.
"Powerful negative ions" just starts the drums of woo-woo pounding in my brain!

We'll see what the Amazing Zwinge has to say!
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filthy
SFN Die Hard

USA
14408 Posts

Posted - 04/20/2008 :  16:03:08   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send filthy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
So, I googed up "Ion Bath Water" and found what must be tip of the New Age woo-wooberg. Oi, such claims they make! Of the few I opened, this one stands out like a toad stool in a cowplop.
What is a Ionic foot bath or a Detox Foot bath?

A Ionic foot bath uses a negative ion is an atom that has lost or gained one or more electrons causing it to become negatively charged. This negative ion from the Ionic foot bath is smaller than a molecule which allows it to be easily absorbed by the body through the process of osmosis.
Blah,blah,blah -- yadda,yadda,yadda until we get to here:
All foreign matter such as harmful chemicals, heavy metals, parasites, and others are all positively charged. The negative ion seeks out a positive molecule to attach to. Once attached to these foreign substances the body can readily eliminate them naturally through its own natural processes. This is the reason why a person should only do a Ionic foot bath session 2 or 3 times a week. Some of the impurities are transferred through the feet during the Ionic foot bath session however; once the body has absorbed such a high amount of negative ions it begins to eliminate these toxins over a period of days.
That sounds pretty, damn' good, doesn't it? This guy doesn't have the faintest idea what he's talking about nor do his potential customers (and he's thankful for that!). Nor do I, comes down to it. It has been my experience that when you hear someone talk thus, you should put your wallet in your sock, your watch in your mouth, and your hand on your Smith & Wesson.

There follows some merchandise that includes a $3k foot bath machine.

Y'know, maybe I should get out of skepticisin' and take up chiropractorin'. There's a lot more money to be had and you really don't have to be very good at much of anything beyond blather. It looks like your most important office item would be the phone# of a good lawyer.




"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)

"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres


"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude

Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,

and Crypto-Communist!

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filthy
SFN Die Hard

USA
14408 Posts

Posted - 04/20/2008 :  16:10:32   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send filthy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by bngbuck

Chippewa.....

This really sounds like one for Randi! I'm rounding up as much as I can from the links and sending the package to him - I'll try for next Friday's Swift

One of the more bothersome things about the Kinoki pitch is this:
Offer Details: Kinoki™ is the all-natural way to collect harmful toxins from your body while you sleep. Kinoki™ Foot Detox Pads use all-natural tree extracts and powerful negative ions to rid your body of harmful toxins.
"Powerful negative ions" just starts the drums of woo-woo pounding in my brain!

We'll see what the Amazing Zwinge has to say!
I can't swear to it, but I think Randi's already done something on it, or at least on so-called "ion water." Be worth checking out.




"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)

"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres


"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude

Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,

and Crypto-Communist!

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Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26020 Posts

Posted - 04/20/2008 :  16:47:49   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally quoted by filthy

...a negative ion is an atom that has lost or gained one or more electrons causing it to become negatively charged.
Only atoms which have gained an electron can be negatively charged. Atoms which lose electrons become positively charged.

Those conmen can't even be bothered to do the most-basic of homework.

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too.
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Chippewa
SFN Regular

USA
1496 Posts

Posted - 05/24/2008 :  13:33:32   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Chippewa's Homepage Send Chippewa a Private Message  Reply with Quote
"For $40.00 we'll name a used negative ion footpad after someone."

(Sorry, couldn't resist. Will try harder next time.)

Diversity, independence, innovation and imagination are progressive concepts ultimately alien to the conservative mind.

"TAX AND SPEND" IS GOOD! (TAX: Wealthy corporations who won't go poor even after taxes. SPEND: On public works programs, education, the environment, improvements.)
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bngbuck
SFN Addict

USA
2437 Posts

Posted - 05/24/2008 :  22:14:49   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send bngbuck a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Chippewa.....

I would like you to be the first to receive my offer of genuine used negative ion footpad socks available to the highest bidder - (reserved bid of $100 per pair) - rancidity guaranteed, and double your money back if you don't retch while opening the package!

Every atom of my socks has been negatively charged - a fact you can't appreciate until you try them on!

Following use of my socks, washing is fruitless! Let your feet rot to the ankle and do not go out in public! My last twenty two pairs are now in a leper colony in Malaysia!
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