About Top 7 Uses and Benefits for Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is a natural treatment that helps to trap toxins and chemicals in our bodies.
It helps our bodies to be able to flush them out instead of allowing our bodies to reabsorb them.
In certain situations, activated charcoal is a better alternative to stomach pumping. It is also used in the ER as an alternative to stomach pumping when it comes to drug overdoses and poisonings.
It can also be used to prevent gas and bloating, help to alleviate gas and bloating once they have started, and can even be used to help lower cholesterol.
Even though activated charcoal is made from a variety of sources, if you want to use the activated charcoal in your body, you will want to make sure that it is made from all natural sources.
You will also want to make sure that you are choosing an activated charcoal that has a casing made from natural substances, such as coconut shells.
The reason for the natural shell casing is to make sure that your body will be able to break down the casing and get to the activated charcoal inside.
Unnatural casings can also cause problems in your body and could be treated by your body as a foreign object.
Activated charcoal is made up of millions of tiny pores and it draws the toxins and chemicals in our bodies into those tiny pores so they can be disposed of.
Some research studies have concluded that it cannot be used in instances when alcohol, acids, or certain poisons are ingested, but there are cases where it is still used to treat alcohol poisoning successfully.
Activated charcoal is activated through a heating process which pulls the toxins and chemicals in your body into its pores.
This is not the same charcoal that is used to light charcoal grills. It is very important to mention that you should never use the charcoal that is meant for your grill in the same way that you would use activated charcoal.
You can do a large amount of damage to your body by ingesting the wrong kind of charcoal.
If you are in doubt of the charcoal you are using, talk with your medical doctor to make sure that you have purchased the correct kind.
This is also not the same charcoal that is used in charcoal face masks and other charcoal products that go on the face or body. Activated charcoal is meant to be ingested and not put onto your body.
There are around ten known uses for activated charcoal, but there are seven that are considered to be the best of those top ten.
These are the ones that are used most often and have the best results from the activated charcoal.
Let’s take a look at these uses and all of the important information that you need to know before you begin using it.
Teeth Whitening
Activated charcoal can be used to help whiten your teeth, and is an all natural solution if other whitening agents are not working for you.
For the best results, it is recommended to use activated charcoal two to three times a week. There are powdered forms of activated charcoal and these are the ones that you want to use to whiten your teeth.
You simply wet your toothbrush and dab the brush into the powder and brush like you normally would.
Once you have finished brushing, take a sip of water and swish it in your mouth. Be careful not to swallow the water and continue swishing water in your mouth until your spit is clear again.
The powdered form of activated charcoal can stain your counters, so be careful not to put your brush down or knock any powder out of the container.
You should not use the powder activated charcoal on crowns or caps, as it will stain them. You should also discontinue use if your teeth become sensitive. Activated charcoal is not a substitute for your regular toothpaste and should not be treated as such.
Gas and Bloating
Research studies have found that activated charcoal can help to alleviate gas and bloating if it is taken before eating a meal that would normally cause gas.
The charcoal binds to the byproducts of the gas causing foods and allows those products to be absorbed into the pores of the charcoal pill.
It is recommended that you consume about 500 milligrams of activated charcoal at least one hour before your meal along with a full glass of water.
You should also have another full glass of water once the charcoal is in your system, which will allow it to move further into your system.
Research shows that as long as it is taken about an hour before you have a meal that would normally cause gas, the activated charcoal should have enough time to take effect and prevent gas from building up in your system.
Alcohol Poisoning
While activated charcoal cannot prevent a hangover and it cannot reduce the amount of alcohol in your system, it can help with alcohol poisoning.
According to research studies, when activated charcoal is taken once alcohol is introduced to the body, it can remove the unnatural toxins that are in the alcohol.
Almost all alcohol is mixed with sweeteners or other types of chemicals, and these are the things that the activated charcoal is removing from the body.
By removing these toxins from the body, the activated charcoal can help to relieve some of the effects that alcohol poisoning can cause on the body.
It is mainly used on people who are unconscious or suffering from large amounts of alcohol poisoning.
It is sometimes used in the ER to help treat patients that come in with signs of alcohol poisoning.
Mold Cleansing
You may not think about it, but you can have toxic mold inside your body. This can happen if you were working in a construction zone that spread mold throughout the house or if a house was flooded and mold began to grow.
Activated charcoal can help to remove the mold from your body because it will remove any toxins that are in your body.
If you take an activated charcoal pill when you begin to see symptoms or signs of mold in your body, it will help to remove it.
You should also consult with a medical doctor to make sure that you have completely gotten rid of the mold inside your body.
If you find that your home has mold in it, you will need to make sure that you have a cleaning company come in and remove the mold before you occupy the home again to make sure that you will not inhale the mold again.
Walter Filtration
Tap water can contain large amounts of impurities, toxins, and chemicals. Water filtration systems are used in millions of homes all over the world because of these impurities.
However, some of these filtration systems do not get rid of all of the impurities that are found in tap water.
There are some filtration systems that contain activated charcoal, and these systems can remove more containments than others. According to a published dental study, filtration systems with activated charcoal in them can help reduce the amount of fluoride in the water.
Reducing and steering clear of fluoride can help you to maintain good oral health, as well as keep your immune system working properly.
You can find activated charcoal systems available for all the water sources in your home, and also in countertop systems and ones you attach directly to your faucet.
It is important for your health to drink 8 to 10 glasses of purified water every day and an activated charcoal filtration system can help you achieve that.
Toxin Removal
Activated charcoal can also be used for the treatment or removal of toxins in pill form. It can be used to help people who have had a drug overdose, whether intentional or not, by removing certain chemicals from over the counter medications and some prescription drugs.
Most of the prescription drugs that it will remove are items like morphine, cocaine, aspirin, or acetaminophen.
This is an emergency treatment and should be given to the patient no more than one hour after the overdose.
It is also vital that the patient receives the correct dosage, 50-100 grams is the recommended dosage for an adult, and it is slightly less for a child.
It is also important to remember that the patient should have plenty of water when taking the activated charcoal so that it can be absorbed into their system and begin working.
Bad Cholesterol
Activated charcoal has been shown to have success in lowering bad cholesterol and raising good cholesterol.
In numerous studies done throughout the world, in four weeks, someone with bad cholesterol can see a decrease of 25%, while good cholesterol increases around 8%.
This is the average decrease that most people will see in regular prescription cholesterol medications.
And while you should not stop taking your cholesterol medications without your doctor’s approval, it is worth talking to your doctor about to see if it is a good alternative for you.
Activated Charcoal Review Summary
If you are considering activated charcoal for one of its many uses, there are some things that you need to know before you begin taking it.
Make sure that you are taking activated charcoal with a natural casing on it, as this will make it easier for your body to digest it.
Activated charcoal can also cause dehydration, this is why it is important to make sure that you not only drink two glasses of water right when you take it, but you should also be drinking plenty of water to make sure that you stay hydrated.
Drinking large amounts of water during the day will also make sure that the activated charcoal can be absorbed into your body faster and allow it to immediately begin working.
It is also a good idea to have activated charcoal in your first aid kit at home or in your office.
In the event of an overdose of medications, you can administer the charcoal and make sure it is in the system of the person who overdosed before you even reach the hospital for formal medical treatment.
Activated charcoal is relatively safe for use by all people, though women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should speak with their doctor to make sure that it is okay for them to take it.
If your doctor is unsure if it is safe for you to consume while pregnant, it is best to steer clear of the activated charcoal until after the baby is born.
If you are on other medications or supplements, you should talk with your doctor about taking activated charcoal, there are some medications that it can interfere with. Your doctor will be able to give you a better example of which medications and how it would affect them.
Even though activated charcoal has been shown to reduce high cholesterol, you should not begin taking it in place of your regular cholesterol medication unless your doctor approves it.
You do not know how it will interfere with your other medications or if it could do more harm than your regular cholesterol medications.
If your doctor approves you to begin taking activated charcoal, you should know that it is not recommended to take it with your other medications or close to them.
You should take the activated charcoal at least 90 minutes in advance of any other medications that you are on.
It should be consumed at least an hour before you eat your meals and taken with two glasses of water each time.
If you are considering taking activated charcoal, you can purchase it at stores like GNC or other pharmacies.
Make sure you are looking for charcoal products that are completely natural and are approved for consumption.
You can choose from the pill form or the powdered form. If you choose the powdered form, it can take a little getting used to, but you should avoid adding any sweeteners to it, as it will seek out those sweeteners and remove them from your body.
If you find that you need a sweetener to make it easier to take, you can use a natural sweetener or something like lemon juice, but make sure to steer clear of the artificial sweeteners.
