Activated Charcoal

What Is Activated Charcoal?

Our activated charcoal is a fine black powder made from coconut shells. The charcoal is activated by processing it at extremely high temperatures. The high temperatures change its internal structure, reducing the size of its pores and increasing its surface area. This results in a charcoal that is more porous than regular charcoal. Activated charcoal works by trapping toxins and chemicals in the gut, preventing their absorption. The charcoal’s porous texture has a negative electrical charge, which causes it to attract positively charged molecules, such as toxins and gases. This helps it trap toxins and chemicals in the gut. Because activated charcoal is not absorbed by your body, it can carry the toxins bound to its surface out of your body in feces.

Activated Charcoal as an Emergency Poison Treatment

Thanks to its toxin-binding properties, activated charcoal has a variety of medical uses.

For instance, activated charcoal is often used in cases of poisoning. That is because it can bind a wide variety of drugs, reducing their effects. In humans, activated charcoal has been used as a poison antidote since the early 1800s. It may be used to treat prescription drugs overdoses, as well as overdoses of over-the-counter medications like aspirin, acetaminophen, and sedatives, depending on when activated charcoal is administered after consumption of toxins, the absorption can range from 74% (within five minutes), 50% (within 30 minutes) to 20% (within 3 hours).

It is important to note that activated charcoal is not effective in all cases of poisoning. For instance, it appears to have little effect on alcohol, heavy metal, iron, lithium, potassium, acid, or alkali poisonings.

Other Uses

Reduce cholesterol levels: Activated charcoal can bind cholesterol and cholesterol-containing bile acids in the gut, preventing the body from absorbing them.

Gas reduction: Some studies report that activated charcoal may help reduce gas production following a gas-producing meal. It may also help improve the odor of gas. However, not all studies observed this benefit.

Water filtration: Activated charcoal is a popular way to reduce heavy metal and fluoride content in water.

Tooth whitening: Using activated charcoal to brush your teeth is anecdotally said to whiten them. It is said to do so by absorbing plaque and other teeth-staining compounds.

Skin treatment: Applying this charcoal to the skin is touted as an effective treatment for acne and insect or snake bites.

We recommend taking one capsule a day for maintenance. More may be necessary for specific issues.