CLAIM:
The viral reel claims that Inuspheresis therapy can 'filter' the blood and remove harmful substances like microplastics, heavy metals, oxidised cholesterol, and even spike proteins. It further suggests that this leads to reduced inflammation and noticeable health benefits such as improved mental clarity, reduced pain, and better overall well-being.
FACT:
Inuspheresis (a form of apheresis) can remove certain substances from the blood temporarily in clinical settings, but there is no strong evidence that it clears the body of 'toxins' like microplastics, heavy metals, or spike proteins in a lasting or comprehensive way. Current research is limited, and experts say its benefits are condition-specific - not a proven detox or general wellness therapy.
In a viral reel posted by Jonathan Fogelberg, a wellness procedure called 'Inuspheresis therapy' has sparked attention online, with claims about detoxifying the blood from substances like microplastics, heavy metals, and oxidised cholesterol.
What is Inuspheresis therapy?
According to Cromwell Hospital, apheresis is “a medical term that refers to the process of blood being filtered through medical apparatus to remove, or filter out, a specific part – such as plasma or red blood cells.” INUSpheresis is described as a specialised form of therapeutic apheresis that uses a filtration system to remove selected disease-related substances from the blood.
The hospital explains that INUSpheresis is “a form of therapeutic apheresis that removes disease-promoting substances and toxins using a state-of-the-art filtration system,” and is used in conditions such as high cholesterol, chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmune conditions, and sometimes long COVID-related fatigue. It is also described as being “similar in process to dialysis” and carried out in an outpatient setting by trained health care professionals.
As per the description, blood is drawn through “two infusion lines, one in each arm,” processed through a filtration device, and then returned to the body. The system is designed to remove specific inflammatory and harmful substances such as cholesterol, certain proteins, toxins, and inflammatory markers like CRP and TNF-α, while leaving beneficial components intact.
Does Inuspheresis therapy really clear your blood of ‘toxins’?
Current research shows that Inuspheresis/DFPP can remove certain substances from the bloodstream temporarily, but evidence for long-term removal of 'toxins' from the body is limited and inconsistent. Most studies are small or exploratory, and clinical benefits beyond specific medical conditions remain unproven.
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A 2017 study investigated whether plasma exchange (PE) or DFPP could reduce the body burden of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in individuals with high occupational exposure. The researchers found that while PCB levels in blood temporarily decreased after each treatment, the effect was not sustained over time.
The study reported that “the PCB levels before and after each DFPP treatment showed a significant reduction,” but importantly concluded that “the results of this pilot trial do not encourage further investigations in using therapeutic apheresis to reduce the PCB body burden.” This suggests that even when temporary reductions occur in blood, there is no evidence of meaningful long-term removal from the body.
A broader 2022 review of therapeutic plasmapheresis techniques provides context for how these procedures are used in medicine. The authors note that different modalities, including plasma exchange, DFPP, and immunoadsorption, have been applied across multiple conditions and report that “overall patients receiving TP showed an improvement in clinical and laboratory parameters.”
They also describe TP as “a versatile and potentially effective extracorporeal plasma purification technique.” However, the same review emphasises limitations, stating that “not all the clinical indications have yet been fully explored” and that more research is needed. This indicates that while therapeutic plasmapheresis has clinical utility in specific diseases, its broader “detoxification” role remains unproven.
Moving to more recent exploratory research, a 2022 case study on INUSpheresis examined the filtered output (eluate) using electron microscopy and found micro- and nanoparticles of various compositions, including calcium, iron, silicon, aluminium, and titanium-based particles. The authors reported, “we have shown that the eluate obtained by DFPP (INUSpheresis with a TKM58 filter) contains organic and inorganic particulate matter.”
However, they also acknowledged significant limitations, including the fact that the analysis was based on a single individual and that the origin and clinical relevance of these particles remain uncertain. As such, the study is preliminary and does not demonstrate that removing these particles leads to health benefits.
A 2025 study further explored the potential of extracorporeal apheresis in removing microplastics and nanoplastics from the human body. The authors state, “here, we provide the first evidence that extracorporeal apheresis… may have the potential to achieve this goal,” and report detection of “MNP-like particles” in treatment eluates.
At the same time, they stress methodological constraints, including contamination risks and the need for stricter analytical standards. The study concludes that while removal may be technically possible, clinical implications and health benefits remain unproven and require further research.
Finally, a 2025 clinical analysis of DFPP using the INUSpheresis system examined its effectiveness in removing environmental toxins such as heavy metals and organic pollutants. The study found that different compounds showed varying levels of clearance, and concluded that “DFPP is effective in removing environmental toxins from the human body.” However, the same research also highlights variability in results due to pharmacokinetic factors such as redistribution from tissues back into blood.
What experts say
Dr Anoop P, Sr. Consultant – Haematology at Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru, said that the claims made in the viral reel are exaggerated and lack strong scientific backing. He explained that Inuspheresis, which is similar to therapeutic apheresis, can remove certain substances from the blood in controlled medical settings.
“It can part with a few components interfering with health, such as lipids, immune complexes, or inflammatory markers,” he said, but added that “the evidence is neither clear nor conclusive” when it comes to removing microplastics, spike proteins, or heavy metals comprehensively.
He further noted that many of the claimed benefits - such as improved mental clarity, reduced pain, and overall well-being - are not supported by robust clinical data. “These claims are chiefly derived from personal testimonies rather than large-scale clinical experiments,” he said, adding that while the therapy may have a role in specific medical conditions under supervision, “it is not a validated detox or general wellness treatment for healthy people.”
Addressing the scientific evidence, Dr Anoop said that research in this area remains limited. “Clinical evidence that microplastics, spike proteins, or environmental toxins can be removed in a way that shows clear health benefit is very scant at the moment,” he explained. While some isolated studies suggest that apheresis may remove “microplastic-like particles” from blood, he noted that “such studies are few and certainly not large randomised controlled trials.” He added that “there is no compelling evidence that getting rid of such substances is linked to improved health outcomes.”
In terms of medical use, he explained that Inuspheresis is primarily applied in specific clinical scenarios. “It is mainly known to remove different types of fats such as LDL cholesterol, lipoprotein(a), and certain inflammatory substances,” he said. It may also reduce immune complexes in certain cases, but he clarified that “this is not a therapy for general detoxification.” Instead, it is used in conditions such as severe hypercholesterolemia, some autoimmune disorders, and rare metabolic diseases under strict medical supervision.
Dr Anoop also cautioned against misinterpreting what is seen in the filtered output. “Changes in the effluent bag do not necessarily mean detoxification of the whole body,” he said. He explained that these changes reflect only what has been removed from circulating blood at that moment. “The body is complex; many substances are stored in tissues and can re-enter the bloodstream after the procedure,” he noted, which is why any effects may be temporary if the underlying condition is not treated.
“No one can scientifically confirm that visible changes in the effluent bag result in complete removal of toxins from the body or long-term health benefits,” he concluded.
Highlighting a similar perspective, Dr A.R. Jaswanthini, Consultant Hematologist, Hemato-Oncologist, and Bone Marrow Transplant Physician at VS Hospitals, Chennai, explained that Inuspheresis is essentially a specialised blood purification procedure, but not a definitive “detox” solution. She noted that “Inuspheresis is one of the detoxifying procedures being done in the US,” adding that its use in India remains limited, partly due to cost and accessibility.
She described the process in detail, explaining that during the procedure, “we take the patient’s blood and separate the plasma from the blood. The plasma goes through several filtration processes to remove the toxic substances and chemicals… and then goes back to the patient.” She also drew a comparison with conventional treatments, noting that in India, “we have a procedure called plasmapheresis, where plasma is removed and replaced with donor plasma,” whereas in Inuspheresis, “we do not remove the plasma; we only filter the toxic substances from the plasma and re-infuse it.”
Dr Jaswanthini further explained that the therapy is typically used in specific medical contexts. She said that it is applied in conditions such as autoimmune disorders, where “the immune cells of the patient attack their own cells,” adding that the procedure aims to remove “immune components, cholesterol, and certain harmful substances from the plasma.”
However, she cautioned against exaggerated expectations around its effects. Emphasising the temporary nature of the process, she said, “it will not detoxify the body permanently. It is only a temporary change.” She explained that the filtration only removes substances circulating in the blood at that moment, and therefore, “the harmful substances that circulate at that time will be removed by the filter… and the plasma is infused again,” rather than leading to any lasting or complete detoxification.
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS