What Is Activated Charcoal Good For? Benefits And Uses
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Activated charcoal face wash, activated charcoal cream, activated charcoal toothpaste — seems like most beauty products these days have one thing in common. Activated charcoal! This erstwhile antidote has created a lot of buzz, all thanks to its many benefits.
Activated charcoal is a black powder of fine consistency that is made of either one of these –- coal, coconut shells, peat, bone char, sawdust, petroleum coke or olive pits. It gets the prefix ‘activated’ as it is processed at very high temperatures. Since activated charcoal has a porous texture, it’s able to absorb all impurities, which helps in the elimination of toxins from your body (1).
As we said, activated charcoal is a substance with many uses and benefits. At least, potential ones if not definitive ones! Let’s explore them below-
1. Treats Poisoning Immediately
Activated charcoal’s most important uses are its medical ones. In case of poisoning, activated charcoal can act as an antidote when administered immediately (2). This black powder can bind itself to drugs that cause poisoning and reduce their effects (3). That’s why, activated charcoal is used to treat poisoning caused by an overdose of prescription drugs and over-the-counter or OTC medicines such as sedatives, aspirin, and acetaminophen (4), (5). For activated charcoal to work as a treatment for poisoning, it should be given immediately.
2. Can Increase Kidney Function
The core property of activated charcoal is that it absorbs toxins and eliminates them. This property of activated charcoal may help in improving kidney function by decreasing the amount of waste material that kidneys need to filter. This function of activated charcoal can greatly help those who suffer from chronic kidney disease. Activated charcoal can also bind toxins such as urea so they can be eliminated from your body (6).
3. Decreases Fish Odor Syndrome’s Symptoms
Fish Odor Syndrome (also known as trimethylaminuria) is a genetic condition in which a specific compound gathers in your body that smells like rotting fish (7). People who are healthy are able to make the fishy smell odorless before passing it on in urine. However, those affected by this condition are unable to carry out this conversion of smells. This is where activated charcoal comes to rescue. Studies show that 1.5 g of activated charcoal, when administered daily to affected individuals, helped in controlling the symptoms of Fish Odor Syndrome (8).
4. Lowers Cholesterol Levels
As usual, due to its nature, activated charcoal is able to bind bad cholesterol as well as the bile that contains cholesterol in your gut. This prevents your body from absorbing bad cholesterol, which consequently lowers your overall cholesterol level (9), (10). According to a study, participants who took 24 g of activated charcoal every day for 4 weeks had significantly lower cholesterol levels (11). In fact, several studies have come to the same conclusion, which makes activated charcoal a good remedy for cholesterol.
While these are the major benefits of activated charcoal, this black powder has plenty of other uses too. Take a look at the following:
- Cure For Gas: Although, further research is required into this but certain studies show that activated charcoal is an effective way of reducing gas after a meal that induces gas (12). The same studies also show that activated may help reduce gas odor.
- Whitening Teeth: A lot of tubes of toothpaste contain activated charcoal these days and with good reason. Anecdotally, activated charcoal can help whiten teeth by absorbing plaque buildup and other substances that stain your teeth. That being said, no scientific studies have been able to prove this so far.
- Hangover Cure: Not as commonly used as coffee, activated charcoal is often recommended as a cure or even a method of prevention for hangovers. If you have activated charcoal along with your alcoholic drink, you can reduce the effect alcohol has on your body (13).
- Uses For Skin: A lot of face masks and washes contain activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is considered to be an effective treatment for acne and even snake bites. However, further research needs to be conducted in this regard.
Despite its recently acquired fame, one thing people still wonder about is the safety of activated charcoal. With that being said, activated charcoal is mostly safe for both internal and external use with its side effects being very few and far between. However, if you suffer from a condition or illness or have allergies, you should consult a professional medical expert before using activated charcoal on yourself.
Activated charcoal, as you can see, has many benefits. However, its beauty benefits haven’t yet been scientifically proven. So, you might want to purchase your cosmetic products with caution. But for medical reasons mentioned above, activated charcoal is an excellent remedy!
