Activated charcoal is a strong natural remedy that helps you remove toxins and chemicals from the system. It can be of great help when used as a water cleansing product.
Scientists first learned about the power of activated charcoal as an antidote for poisoning in the 18th and 19th centuries. The knowledge has developed, and everyone got to know more about the process of “activation.”
Activated charcoal can be used in cases of poisoning and drug overdose, high cholesterol, bloating and gas, bile flow issues during pregnancy and even hangovers. So, yes, it is more than powerful.
“Activated charcoal is not the same as the toxic briquettes often used for grilling foods. Instead, it is a byproduct of wood, peat or coconut shells, and is made after being heated along with a gas that assists with opening various ‘pores’ in the coal.
The finished product is a tasteless and odorless powder that may have either positive or negative charges, depending on the pH level of the solution used to create the powder. The activated charcoal powder is very porous, and once activated, the porosity rises, allowing it to efficiently absorb more substances,” Dr. Mercola says.
Activated charcoal traps chemicals and toxins in its tiny spores. However, it does not absorb them. The whole process involves absorption, and the electric change on its porous surface is negative, causing positive charged toxins and gas to attach to it.
Keep in mind that it can cause dehydration, so try to drink 12-16 glasses of water when consuming it. active charcoal is an excellent detox remedy for poisoning, it finds great application as a deodorizing and disinfecting product in several other ways.
“That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to nab a barbecue briquette from the shed and sprinkle it on your salad. Activated, food-grade charcoal is a modified form of the stuff, which means its surface area has been maximized to make it more porous. It’s popular in powdered or capsule form in many natural food stores, and is usually made from coconut shells or bamboo,” an article in The Guardian reads.
Other uses of activated charcoal:
- Alcohol poisoning and hangover
Activated charcoal eliminates toxins, and prevents alcohol poisoning and prevents the negative symptoms of hangover.
- Anti-aging
Toxins makes you age faster, and activated charcoal can stop that. It eliminates toxins and chemicals. Take a couple of capsules every day after being exposed to unhealthy foods, heavy metals and other toxins.
- High cholesterol
Activated charcoal lowers bad cholesterol and increased the good one as good as prescription drugs.
- Digestive cleanse
Take 10 grams of activated charcoal 90 minutes before your meals to provide a complete digestive cleanse. Do this for a couple of days. Drink enough water and eat organic fruits and veggies, grass-fed meats and wild fish.
- Emergency removal of toxins
Use activated charcoal in cases of overdose of pharmaceutical drugs and over-the-counter medication such as aspirin, opium, cocaine, morphine and acetaminophen.
Take it an hour of ingestion, and the optimal dose is 50-100 grams for adults and 10-25 grams for children.
Use activated charcoal in cases of food poisoning that causes nausea and diarrhea.
- White teeth
Activated charcoal changes pH values in the oral cavity. It whitens teeth and eliminates bad breath. Activated charcoal also soothes gum disease. It absorbs plaque and microscopic tidbits that damage and stain teeth, giving you a perfect smile. Dip your wet toothbrush in powdered activated charcoal, and brush your teeth. Rinse and repeat three times a week.
- Gas and bloating
It glues to gas-causing byproducts in food and relieves bloating. Take 500 milligrams an hour before your meal and a glass of water. Drink another glass after you take it.
- Mold
Mold causes headache, depression, immunity issues, kidney malfunction, liver failure, poor brain function, heart disease, eye irritation, vomiting, and respiratory issues. Activated charcoal eliminates mold spores and prevents further complication.
- Filter water
Use activated charcoal as a filter for your water. It traps impurities, and you will not get all those solvents, pesticides industrial waste and other chemicals.
- Skin and body health
When applied externally, activated charcoal eliminates bad body odors, treats acne, aids in treating snake bites, insect bites, rashes from poison ivy/poison oak.
If you have acne, combine a capsule of activated charcoal and a couple of teaspoons of Aloe Vera gel. Apply the resulting mixture on your fact, let it dry and rinse.
If you need to soothe a mosquito bite or bee sting, combine a capsule of activated charcoal and half a tablespoon of coconut oil. Apply this on the bite every half an hour. Cover with a bandage.
If you are treating bites from snakes and spiders (Brown Recluse, Black Widow, etc.), use the same combo on a larger surface. Apply the mixture and secure with bandages. Repeat every 2-3 hours.
Always have activated charcoal at home. It deserves a spot in your first aid kit.
Activated charcoal is safe, but avoid it if you are dealing with slow digestion, dehydration, intestinal bleeding and blockages, holes in intestines, abdominal surgery, as it affects the body/
“Sometimes mistakenly characterized as a ‘universal antidote,’ activated charcoal is the most frequently employed method of gastrointestinal decontamination in the developed world. Typically administered as a single dose, its tremendous surface area permits the binding of many drugs and toxins in the gastrointestinal lumen, reducing their systemic absorption.
Like other decontamination procedures, the utility of single-dose activated charcoal (SDAC) attenuates with time, and, although generally safe, it is not free of risk.
A large body of evidence demonstrates SDAC can reduce the absorption of drugs and xenobiotics, but most such studies involve volunteers and have little generalizability to clinical practice. Few rigorous clinical trials of SDAC have been conducted,” read the findings of the 2016 study released in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Take activated charcoal 90 minutes to 2 hours before your meals, supplements, and prescription drugs. It interferes with the effect of:
- Naltrexone
- Hydrocodone
- Morphine Sulfate Liposome
- Mycophenolate Mofetil
- Suvorexant
- Tapentadol
- Mycophenolic Acid
- Oxycodone
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Theophylline
- Umeclidinium
- Acetaminophen
- Oxymorphone
- Acrivastine
- Bupropion
- Meclizine
- Methadone
- Morphine
- Carbinoxamine
- Fentanyl
If you are buying activated charcoal, get a product made from natural sources (i.e. coconut shells) and avoid the powdered form. It is not recommended for long-term use. Use it whenever you ingest toxins.
Drink a lot of water when using activated charcoal. Consume it a couple of hours before your medication and supplements.
Source: Healthy Food House