Just a few centimetres of foil around your wrist: and you’ll know the difference in the morning

We probably all use foil in the kitchen. We wrap hot and cold food in it, we use it to close food bowls that have lost their lids. But have you ever thought that foil also serves as a relief for your body? In alternative medicine it is often used to replenish energy, reduce swelling and detoxify. But what are the experts’ overall opinions on this?

Some people claim that simply wrapping your wrists with aluminum foil at night will provide great relief to your body. The aluminum foil is supposed to deliver energy to the body through the veins in the wrist, prevent swelling and detoxify the human body. But does it really have these miraculous effects?

Dermal absorption of aluminium

Most scientific studies show that the absorption of aluminum through the skin is extremely low. It may somehow enter the body in this way, but the studies usually report very low numbers. A past study on this topic found that absorption was only 0.012% of the applied dose. Some cosmetic products also contain aluminium. However, for these, the estimated absorption rate is about 0,00052 %.

Thus, aluminium is absorbed, among other things, through the skin, but this amount is very low compared to the amount we take in through food or in the environment. Nonetheless, experts say that if the foil creates changes in temperature, humidity, ionic balance or affects the electrochemistry at the point of contact with the skin, it may indeed have health benefits.

Potential effects and risks of foil on the wrist

Researchers agree that overnight wrist wraps certainly won’t work any miracles. However, some people claim otherwise and report that they felt better the day after practicing this healing activity. According to experts, it is more likely that the patients have imagined the relief, but at the same time, they definitely do not deny the healing effects of the foil.

Some sources say that the foil helps to relieve joint pain, pull toxins out of the body, reduce inflammation in the limbs. These claims have little support in scientific studies. On the other hand, unfortunately, there are risks to keep in mind.

Contact of aluminium with the skin over many hours could theoretically cause irritation or micro-trauma, especially if a person sweats at night. In addition, if excessive amounts of aluminium accumulate in the tissues, neurodegenerative diseases or chronic inflammation can occur. However, researchers report that this problem is more likely to occur with internal aluminium overdose.