Type of metal bracelet jewelry
An
Ionized bracelet
, or
ionic bracelet
, is a type of metal
bracelet
jewelry
purported to affect the
chi
of the wearer. No claims of effectiveness made by manufacturers have ever been substantiated by independent sources, and the US
Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) has found the bracelets are "part of a scheme devised to defraud".
[1]
[2]
Q-Ray, Balance, Bio-Ray, iRenew, Rayma, and Rico's Bio-Energy brand bracelets are considered to be of the "ionized" family.
[3]
Other
alternative health
bracelets, such as
magnetic
or
copper
therapy bracelets, are considered a different type of product.
History
[
edit
]
In October 1973, corporate websites claim,
[
clarification needed
]
Manuel L. Polo began investigating the effects of different metals on humans, believing that some metals offered a benefit when worn. This led directly to his creation of the Bio-Ray (Biomagnetic Regulator), the first ionized bracelet.
[4]
[
failed verification
?
see discussion
]
In 1994, Andrew Park bought a Bio-Ray bracelet while visiting
Barcelona, Spain
. Believing that it had reduced his lower back pain, he was inspired to found
QT Inc.
, which began manufacturing and selling Q-Ray bracelets in the
United States
by 1996.
[5]
Marketing claims
[
edit
]
Western interest in the Q-Ray Ionized Bracelet rose as a result of an
infomercial
campaign by QT Inc. which ran from August 2000 through June 11, 2003.
[5]
During this time many
marketing claims
were made regarding the product's alleged effectiveness, most notably regarding relief from pain and arthritis due to manipulation of a body's
chi
.
In a
Marketplace
interview, Charles Park, president of Q-Ray Canada, explains that the term "ionized" does not mean the bracelets themselves are
ionized
, but rather that the term comes from their secret "ionization process" which, he asserts, affects the bracelets in undisclosed ways.
[6]
FTC action
[
edit
]
These claims were the topic of a 2003 injunction by the
Federal Trade Commission
[7]
and later a high-profile court ruling in 2006.
[1]
The court was unable to find any basis for QT Inc.'s claims related to
traditional Chinese medicine
, concluding that it was "part of a scheme devised by QT Inc to defraud its consumers".
[1]
Criticism
[
edit
]
Ionized jewelry such as Q-Ray has been heavily criticized based on multiple factors.
Pseudoscientific theory
[
edit
]
Alternative health bracelets such as ionized jewelry are currently characterized as
pseudoscience
. Q-Ray's theory is grounded in
traditional Chinese medicine
(TCM) and pose similar benefits to
acupuncture
, another practice designed to balance the flow of
qi
and controversial in scientific communities in regard to its efficacy. Their website claims to optimize your natural positive energy and restore balance.
[8]
No scientific research supporting these claims are referenced anywhere on their website or store. Instead, they advertise and rely heavily on testimonials as anecdotal evidence. No currently available research from third parties have verified their claims.
Radioactivity
[
edit
]
A number of wearable products marketed as "negative ion generators" have actually been found to contain radioactive
thorium
or
uranium
, apparently to generate negative ions as a result of radioactive decay.
[9]
[10]
While the activity is typically low, adverse affects from cumulative exposure to the radioactivity in these products cannot be ruled out.
Research
[
edit
]
A
placebo controlled
randomized trial
study published in the journal
Mayo Clinic Proceedings
compared the effect of ionized bracelet produced by Q-ray to an identically appearing placebo bracelet. The study found no difference between the ionized bracelet and control with respect to musculoskeletal pain, suggesting the effects of Q-ray bracelet was due to the
placebo effect
.
[11]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
Court rules in FTC's favor in Q-Ray bracelet case
Archived
August 25, 2009, at the
Wayback Machine
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
(2006)
- ^
"Quackwear: Big Pseudoscience Wants to Sell You Wearable Metal to Improve Your Health"
.
www.alternet.org
.
Archived
from the original on November 26, 2022
. Retrieved
February 28,
2023
.
- ^
"QRay Ionized Bracelets"
. Archived from
the original
on May 9, 2008.
- ^
"Bio Ray"
.
Archived
from the original on November 10, 2007
. Retrieved
November 23,
2007
.
- ^
a
b
A Q-Ray timeline
Archived
November 16, 2007, at the
Wayback Machine
CBC Marketplace
14 November 2007
- ^
Meet the little bracelet that raises big questions
Archived
November 17, 2007, at the
Wayback Machine
CBC Marketplace
14 November 2007
- ^
FTC halts deceptive pain relief claims
Archived
August 14, 2006, at the
Wayback Machine
.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
(2003)
- ^
"Home"
.
Home | QRay Qray
.
Archived
from the original on February 5, 2019
. Retrieved
March 10,
2019
.
- ^
Holahan, Vince (July 28, 2014).
"
'Negative Ion' Technology ? What You Should Know"
.
U.S. NRC Blog
.
Archived
from the original on March 14, 2021
. Retrieved
January 3,
2021
.
- ^
"Negative Ion Products Are Actually Radioactive"
.
YouTube
.
Archived
from the original on December 21, 2021.
- ^
Bratton, RL; Montero, DP; Adams, KS; Novas, MA; McKay, TC; Hall, LJ; Foust, JG; Mueller, MB; O'Brien, PC; Atkinson, EJ; Maurer, MS (November 2002). "Effect of 'ionized' wrist bracelets on musculoskeletal pain: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial".
Mayo Clinic Proceedings
.
77
(11): 1164?1168.
doi
:
10.4065/77.11.1164
.
PMID
12440551
.