Detoxification, or in short detox, is usually used to describe removing harmful substances from the body. This word is rarely used by certified medical professionals because it does not have a scientific basis. However, for some unknown reason, the public is getting obsessed with detoxification.
In reality, there are very few substances that accumulate in the body. The body has an amazing ability to remove harmful material and does not usually need help. Some heavy metal (eg. lead) are among the few harmful substances that have a tendency to accumulate in the human body. Removal of these substances, however, should only be done by medical professionals using pharmaceutical agents. These substances cannot be removed through the skin.
Some blogs claim that putting your feet in certain solutions can detox the body. Those blogs conveniently fail to mention what “toxins” are removed through this process. Some of the solutions these blogs suggest are harmful, irritating or potentially allergic (1). In short, detoxing as used in the public media these days is a non-scientific term used by populist non-professionals. This process has no known medical benefit and I do not recommend it.
Browsing through Pinterest, it is easy to find pins suggesting miraculous natural treatments for cancer. For example, drinking alkaline water kills cancer cells (1,2). Clicking on the pin does not take you to evidence backing this claim, instead it directly opens a website selling water alkaline ionizers (3). Another pin claims pharmaceutical companies keep homemade remedies secret to keep their profits high (4). The truth is, most cancer researches are backed by government funds (e.g. NIH) and not pharmaceutical companies.
Fibroids (correct term: myomas or leiomyomas) are very common benign tumors of the uterus that may cause abnormal bleeding or sometimes grow large enough to cause infertility. A new trend of treating them with diet is commonly seen these days, claiming to offer “miraculous” “quick” and “easy” remedies for fibroids and sometimes the entire body. However, none of these claims are clinically proven.