Activated charcoal is required by law in many states to be part of the standard equipment on ambulances for use in poisonings. Mushroom poisoning, brown recluse spider bites, and snakebites can all be treated with activated charcoal. Doctors also use activated charcoal to prevent and treat intestinal infections, and as cleansing and healing agents.
Jaundice of the newborn, bee stings, poison ivy
reactions, and many other illnesses can be helped with activated charcoal. Many
pediatricians and pediatric handbooks recommend that activated charcoal be kept
on hand as an antidote in the family medicine chest, especially in households
that include small children.
Scientific experiments over many years attest to the
effectiveness of charcoal as an antidote. In one experiment, 100 times the
lethal dose of Cobra venom was mixed with charcoal and injected into a
laboratory animal. The animal was not harmed. In other experiments, arsenic and
strychnine were mixed with charcoal and ingested by humans under laboratory
conditions. The subjects survived even though the poison dosages were five to
ten times the lethal dose.
Activated charcoal can be used internally and externally
for humans and pets for the following:
•Antidote for food
poisoning or accidental ingestion of poisons, poisonous spider, snake, or bug
bites, or poison ivy
•Eliminate toxins that can contribute to anemia in cancer
patients
•Filter toxins from blood, in cases of liver or kidney
disease
•Deodorize colostomies and disinfect wounds (shouldn’t be
used on open wounds or you may end up with a tattoo)
•Remove tartar and plaque buildup when used as toothpaste
•Alleviate allergy headaches, minor arthritic symptoms,
menstrual pains, diarrhea, painful urination, flatulence, sore throat
irritation, flu-like symptoms, drug overdose, cold sores, tooth abscesses, and
toxin from foods.
Activated charcoal has no side effects or known cases of
any allergic reactions. It has an infinite shelf life if the container is kept
closed to prevent adsorption of caustic fumes.
Activated charcoal powder will not cause someone to have
constipation, but if a person has a problem with constipation and then drinks
charcoal slurry, the activated charcoal will back up the colon due to blockages
already present in the colon. Research has shown that if a person has a problem
with constipation and does a colon cleanse and addressed the cause of
constipation, then that person can drink charcoal slurry without having the
activated charcoal build up in the colon.
Activated charcoal can be purchased in tablets, capsules,
or powder form. Tablets have one-half the potency of the powdered charcoal and
the capsules are expensive but are easy to use. About 14 capsules equal a
tablespoon of powder. It is most easily mixed in a small portion of water and
is most effective if one tablespoon is used with one to two glasses of water.
While some drugstores sell activated charcoal tablets, but the most economical
way to purchase activated charcoal is in powder form. It should be taken only
as needed to reduce dependency although it is definitely not addictive.
Activated Charcoal is 100% alkaline and is spinning with electrons
making the substance highly electrical. Activated Charcoal negative ionic charge attracts
positive ionic charges (of toxins and poisons) causing them to bind and then
escorts them out of the body via the eliminative channel of the intestines.
Benefits
of Activated Charcoal:
Rid Your Body of Toxins in Emergency Situations
According to a study published in the journal Medical
Toxicology and Adverse Drug Experience, activated charcoal prevents the gastrointestinal
absorption of a wide variety of drugs and toxins in emergency situations, and
also increases their elimination even after they’ve been absorbed by the body.
This includes an overdose of:
•Pharmaceutical drugs such as acetaminophen or aspirin,
opium, cocaine, and morphine
•Toxins from pesticides (including DDT)
•Mercury, lead, and other chemicals
Activated charcoal is most effective if it’s administered
within the first hour of ingestion of the toxin. However, there are some
substances that activated charcoal does not work on:
•Alcohol
•Cyanide
•Metals such as iron and lithium
•Certain acids that quickly damage internal tissues
Simply put, if you or someone you know has ingested a
toxic substance, administering activated charcoal may inactivate the toxicity
of the substance and help them pass it far more quickly than their body could
on its own. If they’ve ingested a highly toxic substance, a quick
administration of activated charcoal could save their life.
Mixing a poultice of activated charcoal with a bit of
water and cornstarch or flaxseed powder can help cure bee stings, poison ivy
rashes, snake bites, spider bites (including highly poisoning bites from the
Brown Recluse or Black Widow), and other poisoning bites.
A paper published by I. Makalinao and A.D. Woolf of
Harvard Medical School mentions the effectiveness of a charcoal poultice for
drawing out poisons from insect and spider bites. Additionally, there are many
stories online from people who claim that their lives were saved by applying an
activated charcoal poultice to bee stings or spider bites – especially those
who are highly allergic to bee stings and didn’t have epinephrine on hand.
It’s also important to consider your teeth’s sensitivity.
Any whitening agent can weaken your tooth enamel over time – this is true with
commercial products, such as Crest Whitening Strips, and it’s true for
activated charcoal. If you notice your teeth becoming more sensitive after
using activated charcoal, cut down on brushing with it to just once or twice
per week, or stop using it altogether.
Activated charcoal can be effective for reducing gas,
especially after eating foods, such as beans, that commonly create excess gas.
It can also relieve an upset stomach or nausea. However, it is worth repeating
that activated charcoal should only be taken occasionally to relieve these
symptoms, and should not be used every day.
Since charcoal does such an amazing job ridding your body of toxins, some people also use it to rid their body of built-up toxins. The
length of these cleanses can vary, but they often last a week or two.
As a paste applied topically, it can draw out poisons
from an insect bite lie spiders, bees or wasps.
It is also good to apply whenever you have an attack of gout. But be
careful when applying activated charcoal to broken skin as it may leave a
tattoo effect on the skin. To play it
safe, apply activated charcoal as a poultice, if in doubt, to the skin. Additionally, it is the BEST thing to use to
whiten your teeth. Simply put your
regular natural toothpaste on your brush and dip it in some powdered activated
charcoal, slightly moisten it and brush as usual. Within a short amount of time,
it will substantially whiten your teeth and even help remove long standing
plaque.
It is great for both teeth and gums and will not harm
either. We personally recommend
activated charcoal for tooth whitening over the counter whitening strips and
even baking soda which can be somewhat hard on teeth and the delicate tissues
of both mouth and gums. Sometimes we use
a Q-tip with activated charcoal on it to scrub the teeth seriously and to avoid
the potential of damaging the gums with the tooth brush bristles. It is also
used as a facial to help oily skin.
Taken internally, it can also remove the uric acid build
up which causes gout and remove some heavy metals like mercury and lead. It will help whenever you overeat or over
drink and adsorb the toxins and aid in controlling acid reflux and other
gastrointestinal distresses. It can
eliminate gas, vomiting and diarrhea. Simply take the charcoal until the
symptoms disappear. Sometimes you have
to experiment to see how much works for you.
There is no danger of overdosing on charcoal.
The only thing we would recommend is the amount of water
intake to be increased to help prevent constipation when taking activated
charcoal. There is no evidence that
activated charcoal interferes with your body's ability to use vitamins and
minerals from food. However, it is best taken away from foods as food in the
stomach will slow down the effectiveness of the charcoal. Also, please check
with your doctor before taking it if you are on prescription drugs. Charcoal
can interfere with your prescription's performance.
What
Not to Do
You shouldn’t take activated charcoal if you’re taking
prescription medication, as it could render your medication useless. It also
shouldn’t be taken regularly, like a supplement, because it will reduce your
body’s absorption of important nutrients from food.
Furthermore, you should never use charcoal briquettes in
place of activated charcoal in the event of a poisoning. Dangerous
petrochemicals have been added to commercial briquettes, and it is not the same
as activated charcoal. This is why you should purchase medical-grade activated
charcoal to use in the event of an emergency. You can find safe activated
charcoal online at Amazon or in many health food stores.
Charcoal is safe and harmless. It will do you no harm,
even if you eat lots of it. It is officially recognized as an antidote. The FDA
gives it their stamp of approval as a safe and effective remedy for acute toxic
poisoning. Charcoal is a cleansing agent that is able to adsorb toxic gases,
liquid toxic wastes, germs, and heavy metals.
How
it Works:
When it passes through your digestive system, it carries
these toxins with it. That prevents you from absorbing them into your blood
stream. Adsorption is different from absorption. With absorption, something is
attached into something else. An example would be some water that is sucked up
by a paper towel. The water goes into the paper towel. With adsorption,
something is attached onto, instead of into. Charcoal attaches or binds things
onto itself. It does not absorb them. Activated charcoal is not the same as
regular charcoal. It is a lot more powerful than regular charcoal. Regular
charcoal is made by burning wood in a controlled environment.
To activate charcoal, steam or air at a high temperature
is used to oxidize it. This process makes the charcoal develop lots and lots of
tiny pores. These tiny holes are what make activated charcoal able to adsorb so
much more than regular charcoal can.
To purchase Activated Charcoal:
To purchase Activated Charcoal:
References
http://www.moneycrashers.com/activated-charcoal-uses-health-benefits/
http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2011/12/13/home-apothecary-charcoal/
http://amazinghealth.com/AH-health-activated-charcoal-drink-poison
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