What is an ionic foot bath?

An ionic footbath is a holistic detoxifying treatment that is popular in alternative health spas and clinics. The treatment claims to eliminate toxins and rebalance the body's pH level.

The treatment uses typical footbath equipment with a saline solution and small electrodes attached to the basin. It claims to draw out the toxins from the body through the electrodes that produce small charges of current to the water. As the process ensues, the water inside the basin slowly turns brown, orange and sometimes black. There is no scientific evidence to support the treatment, however, and several sources have disputed the efficacy of the ionic footbath.