Activated Charcoal touches everyone’s life in many ways, every day. It is an organic and safe compound, with a history rich in beneficial qualities.
How Activated Charcoal Was Used
Throughout millenniums of time, people have utilized activated charcoal in so many ways. Here are just a few:
- Smelt ore
- Scrub soil
- Alleviate pain
- Cleanse the body
- Treat snake bites
- Prevent infection
- Purify drinking water
- Eliminate unpleasant odors
- Preserve things, e.g. wood from rotting
This fine black powder was not just a reliable and cost-efficient remedy for people but was useful as an antidote for animals as well.
Pets and animals continue to benefit from activated charcoal. Fish, for example, can be extremely susceptible to toxins and poisonous chemicals. Most off-the-shelf water purification devices use activated charcoal as the key component. It is known for its ability to remove an array of poisons and toxins from the water, and for fish, it keeps them alive.
Activated Charcoal is a natural and safe way to adsorb contaminants, volatile organic compounds, toxins, heavy metals, and harmful chemicals away from the body, air, and water. The act of adsorption is not absorption. Adsorption in an electrical attraction, like a magnet, the toxic particles attach to the surface of the activated charcoal.
Modern Day Use
Today, the largest market for activated charcoal is in the purification of municipal water supplies. The second largest market is in activated carbon injections for removing heavy metals like mercury from coal-fired power stations.
Throughout the Healthcare Industry, activated charcoal is the most commonly used mode of treatment for poisoning or overdosing on specific medications. It is also used to “cleanse” the blood of patients whose kidneys or livers are not able to remove toxins or ingested poisons from the body. Blood is drawn from the patient, passed through a charcoal filtering machine and transfused back to the donor. Activated charcoal is recognized as a universal antidote and rated by the FDA as safe and effective.
Activated charcoal has undoubtedly saved many lives down through the eons of time. However, please, do not confuse activated charcoal with charcoal briquettes. That kind of charcoal contains carcinogens and toxic chemicals.
Carbon Quality
Raw Materials used to produce activated charcoal include coconut shells, peat, wood, and lignite. High-quality active carbon has a high density with low ash content. Coconut shells produce lots of foam in production and increase the carbons capacity to adsorb and are the best carbon source for health and beauty.
Activated charcoal also referred to as “triggered” or “active” carbon, and is 100% alkaline. Depending upon the ash content, water filtered with activated charcoal becomes more alkalized and can raise pH levels. Alkalized water allows antioxidants to be more readily accepted by human cells, keeping them happier and healthier.
Effective Universal Detoxifier
Activated charcoal has an electrostatic negative ionic charge that attracts positively charged molecules, ions or atoms. Under an electron microscope (at 50,000 magnification) allows one to view the intricate and magnificent Nano-porous design.
Activated charcoal is non-digestible which allows it to bind to a wide range of noxious substances, toxins, bacteria, fungus, viruses, and heavy metals and escort them directly out of the body.
The late Dr. Agatha Thrash, a world-renowned expert on natural health and a board-certified Pathologist and Medical Examiner for the State of Georgia had this to say:
“Charcoal has amazing healing properties. In fact, if I were stranded on
a desert island and could take only one thing along to protect me from
disease, infection, and injury, I would choose charcoal.”
-Rx Charcoal Startling New Facts About The world's Most powerful Clinical Adsorbent by Dr. Calvin and Dr. Thrash
Protective and Preventive Precautions
With all its wonders, Activated charcoal is not a cure-all. While it is a nontoxic product, there are a number of precautions that need to be acknowledged and understood before detoxing with activated charcoal.
- Activated carbon does not discriminate when it comes to poisons, which include drugs. Some drugs are pharmacologically classed as poisons. This could cause the medication to be less effective which potentially could have serious health consequences for some people. DO NOT take activated charcoal internally if it would interfere with prescribed medications.
- Charcoal should NEVER be used on an open wound or you may just end up with a tattoo.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women should always consult their physician before using the product in any ingested form.
- Before administering activated charcoal to a child, please consult your pediatrician for advice and counsel.
- As with any product, the appearance of rashes, hives or redness could be an indication of an allergic reaction. In this case, discontinue its use. However, not all activated carbon is created equal. Pure activated charcoal is organic and non-toxic and the irritation could be a reaction specific to a particular brand or manufacturer.
- With all its numerous uses, activated charcoal does have a few possible side effects. The most common side effects are black stools, dark urine, nausea, vomiting and a decrease in urine volume. More serious side effects can include diarrhea, allergic reaction, abdominal pain, and constipation.
- Charcoal can stain. Wear only clothing that can be discarded if they are ruined. With a bit of forethought, you can minimize the messiness.
Get Dirty to Get Clean
If you desire to use activated charcoal as a detoxifier but are not able to take it internally, try bathing in it—as recommended by The Lancet: A Journal of British and Foreign Medicine. They report activated carbon is able to draw toxicants from deep tissue and organs. Skin is the body’s largest organ. By adding ½ cup of activated charcoal to a nice warm bath, the carbon in the water can help to detox the colon, liver, kidneys, and is good for the body overall.
Detoxing with Activated Charcoal
An activated charcoal slurry is quick to prepare, easy to take, and inexpensive. Keep in mind: you need to drink adequate amounts of water when ingesting charcoal to assist in flushing out toxins. A little mixed with water goes a long way. It is said that a dose of around ½ teaspoon can adsorb enough toxins that would fill in the square footage of two basketball courts.
Friendly Forewarning: Activated carbon will turn everything in your mouth black until you rinse it out thoroughly. Activated Charcoal can be also taken in capsule or tablet or powder form.