Most of us think of a charcoal grill when we see a picture of charcoal. Activated charcoal looks like the type used for grilling, but it isn’t the same. This type of charcoal is a different form of the carbon substance, and it has many health benefits. Lately, I have found myself mentioning this type of charcoal a lot and I began to wonder if others know how incredible it is. It is helpful for so many things and it is inexpensive as well.
What is This Mysterious Powder?
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Activated charcoal is produced by heating the impure form of carbon to an extremely high temperature in an oxygen-free environment. The food-grade version is frequently made by heating coconut shells to extremely high temperatures until they are carbonized. You may ingest this activated charcoal powder in the capsules at the health food stores. This form of charcoal is also very porous and lends to its many health and medical uses.
It can also be made by superheating other carbon-rich materials such as wood or peat to make a non-edible form that may be utilized for other uses like skin care products. Due to its ability to draw impurities to the surface of the skin, it makes a great cleanser.
Now let’s discuss five amazing health benefits of activated charcoal.
Looking for A Hangover Cure?
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If you’ve had a few cocktails and you feel like you may have a headache coming on, this highly absorbent powdered carbon is a great way to help prevent a hangover. You can take a couple of capsules at bedtime, and it can bind to the congeners in alcohol. By the time you wake up, you should be feeling great! This is far healthier than taking an aspirin or acetaminophen at bedtime as those can damage your liver when combined with alcohol. As an added benefit, it helps offset the disruption of the gut by reducing inflammation and it also helps improve kidney function.
Helps Gastrointestinal Distress
![Activated charcoal for stomach distress](https://totalapexentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-olly-3807733-1-300x200.jpg)
Instead of reaching for Pepto Bismol, you can take activated charcoal. This amazing carbon product can be utilized for GI distress to calm the stomach when there are symptoms like gas, bloating, and nausea. It relieves these symptoms by trapping the gas molecules therefore reducing the gas that causes bloating. While this wonder substance is not a proven treatment for a stomach virus, it may help relieve diarrhea by absorbing fluid from stools, making them more solid. Be sure to drink plenty of water as the activated charcoal may also cause mild dehydration depending on how many doses are taken.
Can Treat Overdoses & Poisonings
When gastrointestinal decontamination is performed, it is typically accomplished with activated charcoal. This is the medical practice of removing an ingested toxin from the GI tract in order to reduce or eliminate the absorption of the potentially life-threatening effect of the toxic substance.
The WHO has approved activated charcoal for use in the ER allowing hospitals use this miraculous powder to treat overdose and other types of poisoning. You can use activated charcoal at home in an emergency when someone has ingested something poisonous until you can get to the ER for professional treatment. Studies show that ingesting 50-100 grams of activated charcoal within the first 5 minutes may reduce a person’s ability to absorb a drug by up to 74%.
Activated Charcoal for Mold and Yeast
It can also be used in cases of mold exposure because it can bind to molds, mycotoxins and even heavy metals. Because of this, activated charcoal can also tame inflammation by keeping damaged cells, or free radicals, out of the bloodstream, where they damage other cells, proteins and your DNA. This wonder powder may also have antibacterial properties and is sometimes used to treat skin infections in other parts of the world.
Yeasts are also a type of fungus, like mold. A type of yeast called Candida normally lives on the mucous membranes of your mouth, throat and intestines with no ill effects. In some cases, usually a lack of healthy bacteria in the body, the yeast can grow out of control and cause an infection known as candidiasis or C. albicans. This incredible carbon powder can disrupt the biofilm that yeast use as a shield from the immune system, thus allowing the body to defeat the infection. This will be most successful if the beneficial gut bacteria have not been destroyed by antibiotics.
Additional Benefits of Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is in the filters for both water filtration and air filtration systems. The porous nature of activated carbon traps odors and volatile organic compounds in the air, like pollution and smoke. In water filtration it binds impurities to the surface of the charcoal in a process called adsorption to purify water.
Conclusion
Obviously, activated charcoal is an amazing product to have in your home for a variety of reasons. It is truly a wonderous creation! A word of caution, however. Because activated charcoal has the ability to bind to metals and certain chemicals, you should speak to your health care provider prior to using if you are taking certain medications. Now run out and get yourself a bottle at your local health food store!
Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is to simply provide information. It does not intend to replace medical advice from a professional.
About the Author
Sherry is an avid reader who loves to learn. As a teen, she discovered a love of poetry and has written many poems. When she’s not writing or researching health topics, she can be found walking Casey the wonder dog and listening to reggae or alt-rock. Having played the clarinet when she was young, Sherry is also very passionate about many types of music. Mishka is currently one of her favorite artists.
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