What Activated Charcoal Can Do

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:

 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

http://truefitnessbootcamp.com/Nutrition_Challenge.html 

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