Have you seen a few years back that people started using charcoal and including it on the things they use? You might think they are weird for using charcoal as you know it just for lighting fire out of your barbecue pit, but you’re wrong. The type of charcoal they use is called activated charcoal.
Activated charcoal can be found in many products like face masks, detox drinks, and even can be used as teeth whiteners. Some food can be sprinkled with the powder but won’t make any changes on the taste just for aesthetics and Instagram worthy pictures.
Here’s everything you need to know about activated charcoal, its benefits and effects, and how it can help you with any health ailments.
What Is Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal is made from the burning of wood or coconut shells, not much different from ordinary charcoal. What makes it activated charcoal is when they heat common charcoal, and the presence of gas causes it to develop pores and become ultra-fine charcoal. Substances such as chemicals, heavy metals, and intestinal gases have now been removed.
Activated charcoal is different from the charcoal briquettes that we used for barbecues. Even though they are made from the same materials, they are not activated to high temperatures and are toxic to humans.
Why Use Activated Charcoal?
We may think that activated charcoal is just a new trend; little did we know that it has been used for centuries as a remedy, usually in healing wounds. It is commonly used now in modern medicine in treating toxic poisoning to patients as an emergency remedy.
Activated charcoal evolved as a supplement that helps eliminate toxins from the unhealthy food we eat and could help with bloating and gas. It can also help in detoxifying, bile flow problems, tummy problems and can be used in detoxifying.
Now we define what is activated charcoal. Let me tell you the benefits of using it.
Benefits Of Activated Charcoal
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It helps in removing toxins
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It helps in the remedy of gas and bloating
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It helps in treating kidney disease
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It supports heart health
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It prevents hangover
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It helps in wound healing
When To Use Activated Charcoal
So, you might wonder when do you need to take activated charcoal? Most of the time, we haven’t noticed that we’ve been consuming contaminants. It could be in food or our environment, especially when you are traveling. This is why activated charcoal is an excellent travel buddy and can be kept in your bag. If you are the type, who overindulges in food, drinks, eats processed food, travels a lot, and gets jet-lagged. It would be good to take activated charcoal. It can also be taken every day as part of your supplements to help you more daily.
Activated Charcoal Warnings
In taking activated charcoal, you should take note that there are some warnings before considering taking one.
Activated charcoal interacts with alcohol, it will decrease its effectiveness and won’t work well when it comes to prevention of poison absorption. Also, activated charcoal can reduce the effectiveness of any medication that you will take. To prevent this, you should take the activated charcoal one hour before taking your medication so it won’t affect one another.
Is Activated Charcoal Harmful?
Activated charcoal is relatively safe to take as a supplement, and it safe to apply to wounds. However, its side effect is that one can experience constipation and have black stools, especially if you are taking it every day. There is a more severe side effect, but it rarely occurs. It can block one’s intestinal tract, can cause to block the esophagus and bring it to your lungs instead, and lastly, dehydration.
If you are pregnant and breastfeeding, you can use activated charcoal with caution and for a short term. It is better to consult your doctor before taking activated charcoal. If you have some problems with the slow movement of food intake through your intestine, it isn’t advised to take activated charcoal. Always check with your physician.
What Are The Products That Has Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal can easily be purchased online. It has been trendy that many companies take advantage of it to include it in their products. Here are products that use activated charcoal.
Water filtration
Activated charcoal can be used as a natural filter as it can absorb a lot of toxins, bacteria, viruses, drugs, and chemicals that can be found in the water. People rely on their filtration to ensure that the water they are taking is clean and healthy to drink. The filtration system is being used by many industries and can be used at home too.
Teeth whitening and oral health
Activated charcoal claims to have a lot of benefits when it comes to oral health. It could help whiten the teeth and serves as an antibacterial and overall oral health. However, studies need to support these claims.
Skincare
There are a lot of skincare products that have activated charcoal as their main ingredient. Researchers said that it helps maintain a healthy skin because it can help remove dirt, toxins, chemicals, and dust.
Deodorant
Activated charcoal is also known to absorb smells and gases. It is used as an underarm deodorant and can be used as a smell absorber in refrigerators and shoes and absorb moisture and humidity.
Final Thoughts
Activated charcoal has a lot of uses and entails a lot of benefits if being used safely. It may still need studies to back up some of its claims, but otherwise, most of it is already scientifically proven.
I would recommend the use of activated charcoal if you think you need it. I have been using activated charcoal when it comes to my skincare, oral health, and even uses it to make my refrigerator smelling clean and fresh.
I hope this article has been very informative regarding the uses and benefits of activated charcoal.
