What is charcoal?
How is it produced
? Contents
- What is charcoal
How is it produced- How does it work
- Activated vegetable carbon: why use it
- Benefits for health
- Prevents aging
- Reduces bad cholesterol levels
- Improve heart health
- Helps fight irritable bowel syndrome
- For the skin
- Helps fight oily skin and absorbs impurities
- Detoxifying action
- Helps to have whiter teeth
- When not to use activated carbon
- Activated carbon: a super food that really deserves this classification
You have probably eaten your share of charcoal croissants, as well as ice cream, charcoal meats (also called “blacks”) over the years.
These black foods were everywhere when nearly every hipster bar, restaurant, ice cream shop, and even large chain offered a decent selection of a black food or drink.
The use of charcoal as a food coloring has been very popular in recent decades.
Aside from the aesthetics, food manufacturers and bars claim it has some health benefits such as ‘detox’ effects. These claims don’t seem to find much support in research.
The charcoal you find in food, drinks and charcoal pills is not the same charcoal that powers your barbecue, of course.
Charcoal is made from coconut shells, bamboo or plant materials that have been cooked with oxygen to make it porous.
It is this porous nature of activated charcoal that helps treat indigestion, bloating and excessive stomach acid. The porous surface has a negative electrical charge which causes toxins and positively charged gases to bind to it. This action traps chemicals and toxins and prevents them from entering the bloodstream. How does it work
For toxins to be removed, they must be in the stomach and intestines. If the toxins have already been absorbed into the bloodstream or found their way into the body’s tissues, they are unable to bind with charcoal. Hence, charcoal is unlikely to be effective in getting rid of accumulated toxins, which detox remedies often claim to do.
Although charcoal is used in food and beverages, the quantity is insignificant in order to have any benefits. In fact, the quantities that are generally used are very small, and cannot have the desired result. Activated vegetable carbon: why use it Health benefits
Despite its effectiveness in treating digestive problems and other ailments, activated charcoal should not be taken as a supplement on a daily basis. This is because charcoal can do its job too well and interfere with the body’s absorption of nutrients, especially when consumed with food, or near meals. This means that whatever vitamin you are thinking of taking may not be absorbed by your body, so you have to be careful how you use it. Prevents Aging
Activated carbon can trap impurities found in tap water. Therefore, many have started washing their faces with an activated charcoal cleanser or mask to aid cleansing and detoxification.Reduces bad cholesterol levels
According to a study that was conducted on 7 patients with high cholesterol, where they were treated for 4 weeks with activated charcoal at a dose of 8g 3 times a day, total cholesterol decreased by 25% and 41 % Improves Heart Health
This is a wonderful benefit of charcoal and can be used to manage cholesterol. By consuming 1 tablet of charcoal per day, you will help purify your bloodstream and detoxify your body. Low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) levels will drop. Helps Fight Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome understand how uncomfortable and unpredictable this pathology is.
Some researchers claim that charcoal traps toxins in the tiny pores of the charcoal. This allows toxins to be removed from the body and in turn relieves gas and bloating.
Some of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are flatulence, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, etc.
By taking one charcoal pill a day with water, you will help reduce the inflammation of your gut and also reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. One charcoal pill is usually the equivalent of 1 teaspoon of charcoal powder. For the skin Helps fight oily skin and absorbs impurities
If you are prone to acne due to naturally oily skin, taking charcoal pills orally and using it externally on the face can help treat the problem. Make a paste with a little water and spread it all over your face. Then rinse gently with fresh water.
Oral consumption will help the body detoxify and prevent inflammation. Applying it to the face will help cleanse the skin by absorbing excess oil and impurities in the pores. Detoxifying action
There are many herbal teas and lemonade diets on the market that claim to detoxify the body, but none really mentions charcoal as a useful method for the same purpose. Still, it probably does a better job than most commercially sold solutions.
By taking one charcoal pill a day or mixing 1 teaspoon of charcoal powder into a cup of water and drinking it, you will detoxify your body gradually, safely and effectively.
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, there are many other ways that activated charcoal can be used. Helps to have whiter teeth
Charcoal absorbs the buildup of plaque and microscopic particles that cause stains, including coffee stains. Brushing your teeth with black paste can also change the pH balance in the mouth, which helps prevent tooth decay, bad breath, and gum disease. When not to use activated charcoal Activated
charcoal is safe for most adults when used short-term. They can have side effects which include constipation and black stools. More serious, but rare, side effects are a slowing down or blockage of the intestinal tract and dehydration.
Beware of alcohol intake, as activated carbon is sometimes used to prevent poisons from being absorbed by the body. Drinking alcohol together with activated charcoal may decrease the latter’s ability to prevent the absorption of poison.
Also beware of medications taken by mouth, as activated charcoal absorbs substances in the stomach and intestines. Taking activated charcoal along with medications taken by mouth can decrease the amount of medicine your body absorbs, and decrease the effectiveness of the medication. To prevent this interaction, activated charcoal should be taken at least one hour after oral medications. Activated carbon: a super food that really deserves this classification
There are different currents of thought regarding vegetable carbon, which has not yet reached everyone’s agreement.
The term ‘cleansing’, but also ‘detox’ which are often used in association with charcoal and quite vague.
Many scholars do not recommend taking activated charcoal instead of a drug or a healthy diet to improve your health.
Charcoal is designed to bind to substances, including vitamins and minerals, through the adsorption process. It is not so efficient that it only binds to toxins and harmful substances. It binds to anything.
The same binding effect applies to supplements, medicines and oral contraception. To be on the safe side, wait a few hours between taking charcoal tablets and your usual medications.
Also, coal is not without its side effects. These include vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain and intestinal obstruction if not taken correctly.
Depending on the dosage and frequency, prolonged use can cause intestinal obstruction, black stools, dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities because it is interfering with normal body functions.