The Black Beauty- Activated Charcoal
This trendy food supplement claims to cleanse us of toxins, beat bloating and even cure a hangover, but what is it and is it worthy of all the hype?
What is activated charcoal?
Although it sounds like something you’d use to fire up the barbecue, activated charcoal is the latest ‘detox’ trend. It’s typically made from carbon-containing material, like wood, that is heated at high temperatures to create charcoal, then oxidised – a process known as “activation”.
Activated charcoal has lots of small holes in its surface, increasing its surface area and making it more porous. It’s this sponge-like property that allows activated charcoal to soak up a variety of chemicalsand it’s why you may see it used in filtration products, including water filters.
What is activated charcoal used for?
Activated charcoal has a long history of use in emergency medicine for the treatment of drug overdose or accidental poisoning. Administering the charcoal promptly and at sufficient doses allows it to bind with certain drugs or poisons, reducing their absorption in the gut and minimising the detrimental effects on the patient.
Recently, we’ve seen an increase in ‘detox’ health products containing activated charcoal, claiming impressive benefits like the ability to reduce bloating and flatulence, cleanse your system and even whiten your teeth. There’s no scientific evidence to support these or other claims.
`Moreover, the amount of charcoal added to something like a ‘detox juice’ is likely to be at best aesthetic (making for an eye-catching Instagram post) to enhance its marketing value.
It claims to be good for whitening your teeth and purifying your skin, but does activated charcoal really work—and is it safe? And what is activated charcoal, exactly?
Unlike regular charcoal, which is a known carcinogen, activated charcoal is medicinal. It’s the byproduct of slowly burnt wood, peat or coconut shells that is treated with oxygen, a process which renders it highly porous and nonpolar, allowing it to adsorb(that is, bind to, as opposed to absorb) hydrophobic toxins and odors from gases or liquids up to 1,000 times its weight.
Activated charcoal comes in many forms:
powder and pills for ingesting,
granules and cubes for purifying the environment,
and sponges and fabrics for cleansing and wearing.
This "it" ingredient – used for millennia in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine has recently even shot to superfood status thanks to activated charcoal’s potent alkalizing detoxification properties and purported health benefits.
But the jury is still out on many of the supposed health benefits of activated charcoal—very few studies have been done, particularly when it comes to its effect on your skin, teeth, and stomach.
Activated charcoal is a potent natural treatment used to trap toxins and chemicals in the body, allowing them to be flushed out so the body doesn’t reabsorb them. It’s made from a variety of sources, but when used for natural healing, it’s important to select activated charcoal made from coconut shells or other natural sources.
One of the most popular activated charcoal uses is for the safe and effective treatment of poisoning and drug overdoses. It’s used in emergency trauma centers across the world. In addition, it’s used to reduce bloating and gas, lower cholesterol, treat bile flow problems safely during pregnancy (intrahepatic cholestasis) and even prevent hangovers.
Research shows that activated charcoal works better than stomach pumping (gastric lavage) in some situations.
So, how does activated charcoal work?
Activated charcoal works by trapping toxins and chemicals in its millions of tiny pores. Typically, however, it’s not used when petroleum, alcohol, lye, acids or other corrosive poisons are ingested.
It doesn’t absorb the toxins, however. Instead it works through the chemical process of adsorption. In the body, absorption is the reaction of elements, including nutrients, chemicals and toxins, soaked up and assimilated into the blood stream. Adsorption is the chemical reaction where elements bind to a surface.
The porous surface of activated charcoal has a negative electric charge that causes positive-charged toxins and gas to bond with it. The nooks and crannies in activated charcoal are created through a heating process.
It’s also important to note that activated charcoal is not charcoal used in your barbecue grill! Barbecue charcoal is loaded with toxins and chemicals and should never be consumed.
Top 10 Activated Charcoal Uses & Activated Charcoal
Benefits
Whenever you take activated charcoal, it’s imperative to drink 12–16 glasses of water per day. Activated charcoal can cause dehydration if adequate amounts of water aren’t consumed in tandem. In addition, this helps to flush out the toxins quickly and prevents constipation experienced by some individuals.
In addition to being a safe and effective treatment for poisonings and the removal of toxins from the system, additional activated charcoal uses include deodorizing and disinfecting, and it’s an important step to treat Lyme disease.
Here are the top 10 activated charcoal uses:
Activated Charcoal and Good Bacteria
If activated charcoal is so great at getting rid of toxins and bad bacteria, then you may be wondering does activated charcoal absorb beneficial bacteria as well? Well, first, remember that charcoal is adsorbent rather than absorbent. At least one study published in The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science demonstrates that activated charcoal may be able to somewhat differentiate between what it should and should not adsorb.
The researchers conducting this study found that “activated charcoal showed lower binding capacity to the normal bacterial flora tested than that to E. coli strains.” So it appears as though toxin-producing strains of E. coli were more likely to be adsorbed by the activated charcoal while normal bacterial flora in the intestine including Enterococcus faecium, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, and Lactobacillus acidophilus were more likely to be left alone.
This is a very interesting finding, but it doesn’t mean you should take your activated charcoal and probiotics at the same time! So, does activated charcoal counteract probiotics? Due to charcoal’s adsorbent nature, it’s recommended that all supplements including probiotics are not taken together. Waiting a minimum of 90 minutes between taking probiotics and taking charcoal is best to maximize the benefits of both.
Activated Charcoal Side Effects
For the activated charcoal uses mentioned here, it’s generally deemed safe for most individuals. However, it’s always good to be aware of any medical conditions such as
intestinal bleeding or blockages,
holes in the intestines,
chronic dehydration,
slow digestion, or a recent abdominal surgery, as they may affect how activated charcoal reacts in your body.
Additionally, activated charcoal can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, supplements and interfere with prescription medications. Take activated charcoal 90 minutes to two hours prior to meals, supplements and prescription medications. Potential adverse interactions with the following drugs can occur:
Naltrexone (used for alcohol and opioid dependence)
Acrivastine
Bupropion
Carbinoxamine
Fentanyl
Hydrocodone
Meclizine
Methadone
Morphine
Morphine Sulfate Liposome
Mycophenolate Mofetil
Mycophenolic Acid
Oxycodone
Oxymorphone
Suvorexant
Tapentadol
Umeclidinium
Acetaminophin
Tricyclic antidepressants
Theophylline
Disclaimer:Please take a doctor's opinion before starting your dose!
For any queries or questions please leave your comments below or you can also email me on insiya1793@gmail.com.
Please do leave your suggestions on any topic that you would like me to write on.
Your Well-wisher,
Dr.Insiya
Follow me on Instagram for further updates:
@yourwellwisher_drinsiya