A Short Guide to Activated Charcoal
You may be more familiar with the charcoal you use in your grill to cook food, or in the development of certain metals. However, using activated charcoal as a medicinal remedy has gained more attention. The use of activated charcoal dates back to 1500 B.C. Egyptian doctors would use activated charcoal to cleanse a patient’s bowel or sanitize a wound.
WHAT IS ACTIVATED CHARCOAL REALLY?
Activated charcoal is slowly burnt wood, peat, or coconut shells that are treated with oxygen through quenching. This process results in charcoal that is highly porous and Non-Polar. That allows it to bind to toxins and odors.
8 ACTIVATED CHARCOAL USES
- Whitens Teeth
Brushing your teeth with activated charcoal will draw toxins out of the mouth. However, dentists recommend that it be used once every other week for a short amount of time, because if its abrasiveness to tooth enamel.
- Alleviates Gas and Bloating
Activated charcoal has been known to absorb toxins in the body and neutralize odors because of its nonpolar nature.
- Mold Cleansing
Mold can grow in the body when put in the appropriate environment, this can cause a plethora of symptoms. Ingesting Activated charcoal can clean the body of the mold after the body has been removed from the moldy environment.
- Water Filtration
We have all seen the water filter commercials, where the water passes through some charcoal. These filters are best at removing chlorine, sediment, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as taste and odor from water. They are not effective at removing minerals, salts, and dissolved inorganic compounds.
- Emergency Toxin Removal
Activated charcoal is often used in hospitals to treat victims of poisoning because it works quickly to strip the body of the toxin.
- Skin and Body Health
Activated charcoal can be used topically to cleanse the skin of impurities and minimize pores. Historically activated charcoal has been used as a preservative for embalming mummies because of its absorption of chemicals that break down the flesh.
- Reduce High Cholesterol
In the blood system activated charcoal absorbs excess cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, which is helpful to heart attack patients but does not replace a healthy and balanced diet.
- Digestive Cleanser
Activated charcoal acts as a sponge in the digestive system, picking up any harmful materials that may be present in your system
