Activated Charcoal: Some Things to Consider

Activated charcoal has been used for centuries to treat various ailments. Nowadays, it shows up in toothpaste, ironically, as a tooth-whitening product, in water filtration, and is used in medical professional settings to help treat serious poisonings.

Activate charcoal pills are trending at the moment as a way to help deal with stomach issues from gas to diarrhea, but is there any actual scientific backing for the claims?

What Actually is Activated Charcoal?

Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen at very high temperatures to increase its porousness. What results is a black powder that is put into capsules and sold as supplements or sold loose for folks to turn into homemade toothpaste or cookies!

What you must NOT get it confused with is charcoal that is sold for barbeque pits or even the activated charcoal sold to use with fish tanks. They are not the same thing.

Source: UW Medicine/YouTube

How Activated Charcoal Works

When charcoal is activated, it becomes more porous meaning that it has a larger surface area. When it is swallowed, the body is not able to digest it. It just enters and leaves the body in its same form.

Activated charcoal particles have a negative electrical charge which attracts positive electrically charged particles such as some toxins and gases. Toxic particles bond, or are adsorbed, by the activated charcoal. As a result, these particles are prevented from being absorbed into your body and are passed through the bowels.

How Emergency Rooms Use Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is used by medical professionals in controlled settings to treat very serious overdoses and poisonings from very specific toxins. It is not, for example, used to treat alcohol poisoning.

For this reason, it is important that poisonings are not treated at home using activated charcoal, according to Christy Distasio, PA-C of Hartford Healthcare. Seek medical attention immediately if a poisoning occurs.

Source: SciShow/YouTube

Activated Charcoal and Upset Stomachs- You Need to Know This

Much of the research on activated charcoal’s ability to treat mild stomach issues is very limited and rather dated at this point in time. There is much more research to be done to truly understand the efficacy of this supplement on issues such as gas and diarrhea.

Unfortunately, one of the side effects of taking activated charcoal is vomiting, upset stomach, and constipation. As well, there is little understanding of how the long-term use of activated charcoal may affect the gut’s natural flora.

Lastly, since activated charcoal is known to bind with certain toxins, it may not be able to differentiate between true poisons and other therapeutic, pharmaceutical medicines that are being taken.

Small studies, however, found that activated charcoal may ease symptoms of bloating, and diarrhea, though more research is needed. Speak with a medical professional to determine if it is the right course of action for you.

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Check with a medical professional before treating ailments with activated charcoal especially if you are taking any other medicines. 

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