People have been using activated charcoal for thousands of
years. In World War I, activated charcoal was used in gas masks to prevent
soldiers from being poisoned by chemical exposure, and it has been used to
treat water (making it tasteless and odorless) since 1930.
Activated charcoal and regular charcoal are almost identical
– the only difference is that activated charcoal has been created solely for
medicinal use. To create activated charcoal, regular charcoal is heated with a
gas that causes the charcoal to expand, creating a porous surface that traps
toxins.
Activated charcoal works because it chemically binds other
substances to its surface and can absorb thousands of times its own weight. It
also has an incredibly large surface area due to all of its pores – one cubic
inch of charcoal has the surface area equivalent to a 150,000 square-foot
field. This is why just a bit of charcoal can absorb so many toxins, atoms, and
ions.\
Benefits of
Activated Charcoal
1. Rid Your Body of Toxins in Emergency Situations
According
to a study published in the journal Medical Toxicology and Adverse Drug
Experience, activated charcoal prevents the gastrointestinal absorption of a
wide variety of drugs and toxins in emergency situations, and also increases
their elimination even after they’ve been absorbed by the body. This includes
an overdose of:
Pharmaceutical
drugs such as acetaminophen or aspirin, opium, cocaine, and morphine
Toxins from
pesticides (including DDT)
Mercury,
lead, and other chemicals
Activated
charcoal is most effective if it’s administered within the first hour of
ingestion of the toxin. However, there are some substances that activated
charcoal does not work on:
Alcohol
Cyanide
Metals such
as iron and lithium
Certain
acids that quickly damage internal tissues
Simply put,
if you or someone you know has ingested a toxic substance, administering
activated charcoal may inactivate the toxicity of the substance and help them
pass it far more quickly than their body could on its own. If they’ve ingested
a highly toxic substance, a quick administration of activated charcoal could
save their life.
Call 911
What Not to Do
You
shouldn’t take activated charcoal if you’re taking prescription medication, as
it could render your medication useless. It also shouldn’t be taken regularly,
like a supplement, because it will reduce your body’s absorption of important
nutrients from food.
2. Relieve
Bites and Bee Stings
Mixing a
poultice of activated charcoal with a bit of water and cornstarch or flaxseed
powder can help cure bee stings, poison ivy rashes, snake bites, spider bites
(including highly poisoning bites from the Brown Recluse or Black Widow), and
other poisoning bites.
3. Reduce
Acne and Improve Skin Health
Because
activated charcoal removes toxins, it can help reduce the instances of acne and
other skin impurities you might suffer from. It also works wonders for
completely removing makeup.
To use
activated charcoal on your skin, mix one (or one-half) capsule of the powder
into a teaspoon of aloe vera gel, one teaspoon of water or rosewater, five
drops of tea tree oil, and a pinch of sea salt. Mix these ingredients together
until you have an even consistency. But be aware that this face mask is going
to be black, and while it can stain your clothing and counter tops, it won’t
stain your skin. Apply to your skin, let it dry, and then rinse off. Your skin
will feel amazing.
4. Whiten
Teeth
While you
might not think that a black powder could actually whiten teeth, you’d be
surprised – all you have to do is sprinkle charcoal onto a toothpaste-ladened
toothbrush, and brush away.
Your mouth
may look really bizarre when you brush with charcoal, but if you do this daily,
you’ll notice a difference within a couple of weeks. Activated charcoal is
odorless and tasteless, so aside from having temporarily black teeth, you won’t
be able to tell you’ve got charcoal in your mouth.
If you notice your teeth becoming more
sensitive after using activated charcoal, cut down on brushing with it to just
once or twice per week, or stop using it altogether.
5. Reduce
or Eliminate Gas
Activated
charcoal can be effective for reducing gas, especially after eating foods, such
as beans, that commonly create excess gas. It can also relieve an upset stomach
or nausea. However, it is worth repeating that activated charcoal should only
be taken occasionally to relieve these symptoms, and should not be used every
day.
6. Body
Detox
Since
charcoal does such an amazing job ridding your body of toxins, some people also
use it to rid their body of built-up toxins. The length of these cleanses can
vary, but they often last a week or two.
There are
many different recipes for using activated charcoal as a cleansing/detox agent,
and it’s important that you find a recipe that works for your lifestyle and
body weight. If you take too much charcoal, you could become constipated and
sluggish. If you take too little, it won’t be effective.
Keep in
mind that if you do use charcoal several times weekly as part of a cleanse, you
must increase your water consumption,
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient: Activated charcoal
Main indications: enterosorbent detoxicant, for poisoning of different origin, when exposed to adverse environmental conditions, disorders and infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
Method of application:
Depending from level of poisoning use one capsules for 1-1,5 hour after reception of food 2-3 timer per day. Duration of application can make from 3 to 15 days.
Remember:
Never use activated charcoal for any treatment in lieu of a qualified medical
professional.