You’ve probably heard of activated charcoal from advertising for face creams and cleansers, but did you know it may help you in a variety of other ways?
Activated charcoal has long been used in medicine to treat toxicity from chemicals, medicines, and snake bites, and it is a popular component of water filters.
Activated charcoal is now widely used at home and is readily accessible in the form of capsules or pills at any pharmacy.
After all, why not? It provides a plethora of health advantages, ranging from bodily detoxification to water filtration.
You should keep in mind; however, that activated charcoal is not the same as conventional charcoal.
Activated charcoal is carbon that has been infused with oxygen and is ready to be consumed or used in skincare products. Activated charcoal has five health and skin advantages.
Contents
What is Activated Charcoal?
You might well be questioning why we’re discussing activated charcoal or whether It’s the same as that of charcoal you use on your grill if you’ve avoided the online buzz or missed the usual TV coverage.
You don’t have to wonder any longer, because it’s truly rather different.
The holes in the activated charcoal can capture chemicals. It’s usually administered by mouth to treat toxins that have been consumed.
There isn’t much evidence for additional applications.
Peat, coal, wood, coconut shell, and petroleum are all used to make charcoal. This Activated-charcoal is produced in the presence of gas while heated to a certain level.
The charcoal creates a huge amount of internal holes or openings as a result of these processes. These pores are used by activated charcoal to collect contaminants.
Activated charcoal is frequently used to treat poison. Though the majority of these claims aren’t supported by scientific study, it’s usually used for excessive cholesterol level, pains, and stomachaches.
Is Activated Charcoal Safe for Human Usages?
Activated charcoal is deemed healthy for most people when used for a short length of time. Diarrhea and black stools are some of the active charcoal’s adverse effects.
Slowing or obstructing the intestinal tract, regurgitation into the airways, and dehydration are all considerably more serious, albeit rare, side effects.
5 Amazing Uses Of Activated Charcoal
We’ll go through some of the most important activated charcoal advantages
Including how it may assist with everything from tooth whitening to flatulence. We also give a lot of additional information about activated carbon.
5 amazing uses of activated charcoal are discussed in detail below.
Medical Benefits of Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal has a variety of uses, including mending wounds, alleviating gas, and brightening the teeth, as well as avoiding diarrhea, and lowering levels of cholesterol.
Assist Kidney Function
Patients with renal problems may benefit from it.
Activated charcoal is one of the best solutions for individuals having renal failure as it can be used as an alternative option for dialysis.
The reason for this is that it binds to urea and other pollutants, limiting the amount of waste that passes through your kidneys. Consult your doctor if you have a renal illness.
Treat Intestinal Gas And Bloating
Is your favorite meal giving you gas or causing you to feel bloated? If that’s the case, activated charcoal can help relieve the discomfort (and odor!) harmlessly.
Activated charcoal, typically taken before eating, can bond with gas-producing food by-products, avoiding intestinal gas and allowing you to consume the foods you like without anxiety.
Take 500 milligrams of activated charcoal with a full glass of water 90 minutes before you intend to consume something that can make you gassy,
Then drink another glass of water to ensure that the charcoal gets into your system and can bond with gas-producing substances.
Activated charcoal absorbs germs in the intestines and helps reduce bloating, pain, and gas when taken as a pill or capsule.
It operates by combining with the by-products that produce the irritation in the intestine, and it’s better taken 2 hours before and one hour after eating.
Activated Charcoal Capsules
- ✔️SUPERIOR POTENCY 1200 MG per serving delivering activated charcoal derived from coconut shells with 100 vegan capsules
- ✔️UNIQUE BLEND Made with pure activated charcoal with a hot gas process to maximize results
- ✔️NATURAL superior quality we take pride in providing you a pure activated charcoal which does NOT CONTAIN fillers magnesium stearate, dioxides, preservatives, gluten, soy, sugar, yeast, starch, non-gmo
Treat Diarrhea
It’s thought that activated charcoal can prevent diarrhea-causing germs and medications from being absorbed by the body because of its capacity to trap toxins in the stomach.
According to research reported in December 2017 in Current Medical Research and,
Opinion, activated charcoal is a good therapeutic choice for diarrhea, especially because it has fewer adverse effects than other anti-diarrheal medications.
Clear Toxins From The Body
Activated charcoal helps to prevent premature aging by absorbing toxins in the skin.
This is one of the factors why activated charcoal skincare is so famous among those who wish to keep their skin looking young.
Natural Water/Air Filter Purify
Though it can retain carbon-based pollutants as well as chlorine, activated charcoal is commonly used to lower heavy metal and fluoride levels in the water.
Activated-charcoal filters stop operating after they’ve fully bonded, so you’d have to replace them.
AF Cut-to-Fit Activated Carbon Filter Charcoal Air Filter Sheet
- Universal Carbon Pre-filter Material measures 15.75 x 47.5 x .25" nominal
- Made of non-woven Polyester impregnated with activated carbon
- Fits directly on many makes and models
Teeth Whitening And Oral Health
Cleaning your teeth with charcoal may seem contradictory, but activated charcoal is one of the most effective ways to naturally whiten your teeth.
Activated charcoal removes plaque and tiny residues of yesterday night’s supper that cause stains.
Brushing your teeth two to three times a week is plenty; you don’t have to do it every day.
Because activated charcoal stains textiles and grout, make sure you’ve covered your countertops, floors, and clothes before we start.
Skin Care
Because of its capacity to pull out pollutants and excess oils, activated charcoal is great for cleaning up your pores and acting as a natural acne treatment that won’t dry out your face like other medicinal choices.
One of my favorite face masks includes two tablespoons of aloe vera gel with an activated charcoal pill.
Mix all the ingredients and massage to the face, avoiding the eye area. Allow it to dry completely before washing it off to get rid of any bacteria that could cause acne.
To rejuvenate your face and unclog pores, do this once a week, or use the same mixture as a skin treatment for a nasty zit.
You may also give limp, oily locks a boost once you’ve freshened up your skin.
Activated charcoal may eliminate product residue and give volume to your hair if it’s bogged down by it.
Just add a spoonful of activated-charcoal powder form to your normal shampoo and wash your hair as usual. Any extra oils will be absorbed by the charcoal, leaving your hair silky and shiny.
A General Beauty Aid
Used as a treatment for Acne. Acne-producing bacteria can cause pimples and other inflammatory lesions, causing discomfort, inflammation, and edema.
The antibacterial properties of activated charcoal, on the other hand, may help in the elimination of germs from the pores. This may help reduce acne and improve the overall look of the skin.
Used as a face mask for purification. It may be found in anything from face cleansers to shampoos to soaps and scrubs.
Due to its quality of removing germs, pollutants, and bad impressions from the skin, activated charcoal has become one of the famous components of face masks in this contemporary era.
Used as a shampoo that promotes healing. Activated charcoal helps to enhance the general health of the scalp by soothing dryness, inflammation, and redness due to its anti-inflammatory characteristics.
For healthy and lustrous hair, a good oil balance is required. With their powerful components, these shampoos clean the scalp and impact the oil glands.
Used as a toner for the face. Activated charcoal efficiently cleanses, unclogs pores, and eliminates deeper pollutants and dead skin cells from the skin.
The end effect is skin that is smooth, supple, and even-toned. As you get older, your complexion transforms, and you must adjust to it.
Anti-Aging Treatment for the Whole Body. Mineral-rich activated charcoal can thoroughly cleanse your face and tighten your pores.
It can boost collagen and elastin synthesis, minimize wrinkles and skin discoloration, and slow down the aging process. As you get older, your skin changes, and you must adjust to it.
Treat To Skin Infection
Infection of the skin. Activated-charcoal powder manufactured from coconut shells is used by many different traditional medicine practitioners across the world to treat soft tissue diseases including skin infections.
By absorbing dangerous germs from wounds, activated charcoal may have an antibiotic effect.
Ideal Deodorant
You may even be thinking if charcoal deodorant is safe with all this talk about hyper-absorption.
That’s what makes it so appealing. You’re naturally eliminating undesirable chemicals using a natural material.
Antiperspirant deodorant and deodorants have long been used to erase odor and reduce sweating, but conventional versions have relied on chemicals and poisons to do so.
Fortunately, we’ve all become a little smarter, and we can now get the same objective without using dangerous materials.
Not to mention that, like the essential oils and powders we use in ours, charcoal deodorants are often reinforced with additional safe, natural components to help fend off odor.
Other Less Studied Uses Of Activated Charcoal
Some of the uses usually you won’t find on other sites and blogs have been discussed in detail as below.
Lower Your High Cholesterol
Activated charcoal can bind cholesterol and cholesterol-containing bile acids in the stomach, stopping the body’s ability to absorb them, which may help lower cholesterol levels.
One research found that eating 24 grams of activated charcoal per day for four weeks reduced total cholesterol by 25% and harmful LDL cholesterol by 25%.
The amount of good HDL cholesterol in the blood increased by 8%.
Helping With A Hangover
Activated charcoal is occasionally used to help people recover from hangovers.
While using it with alcohol may lower blood alcohol content, its implications on hangovers have yet to be researched.
Reduces Symptoms Of Fish Odor Syndrome
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU), often known as fish odor syndrome, may benefit from activated charcoal to eliminate unpleasant odors.
TMAU is a hereditary disease in which the body accumulates trimethylamine (TMA), a chemical with a rotten fish-like stench.
TMA, which has a fishy odor, is normally converted into a non-smelly molecule before being excreted in urine by healthy people.
People with TMAU, on the other hand, lack the enzyme required for this conversion.
TMA builds up in the body, making its way into urine, perspiration, and breath, resulting in a foul, fishy stench.
According to studies, the porous surface of activated charcoal can assist bind tiny odorous molecules like TMA, increasing their excretion.
Uses With Pets
Activated charcoal is a common treatment for poisoning in dogs.
The purpose of activated charcoal is to absorb the poison that the dog has consumed to reduce the toxin’s negative consequences.
Activated charcoal is a widely utilized medication that is frequently employed as the first line of defense against various intoxications.
Some Side Effects From Taking Activated Charcoal
The adverse effects of using activated charcoal are thought to be minor, especially when used for a short period and in modest doses.
If consumed orally over an extended period of time, it may cause:
- Constipation
- A black tongue
- Gastrointestinal obstructions
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Black stools
Wrapped Up
Activated charcoal is a substance that has a wide range of applications.
It has the potential to cut cholesterol, alleviate intoxication, reduce gas, and improve renal function, among other things.
However, the evidence for these advantages is often limited, and many of the additional claims made about activated charcoal are unsubstantiated by research.
When determining whether or not to use activated charcoal, take that into account.
