Activated Charcoal or Activated Carbon is considered as a universal antidote. While many people only use activated charcoal as skincare products and teeth whitening ingredient. But activated carbon is a dynamic component with natural treatment ability. From human to plant, from lowering cholesterol level, curing hangover to removing toxins from plant and soil, it has a vast area of benefits.
This article will provide you with a detailed look of activated charcoal benefits.
Uses and benefits of Activated Charcoal:
Human Health: Activated charcoal has to trap properties which prevent toxins and harsh chemicals absorption or digestion by the stomach. Activated charcoal porous has a negative electrical charge, which attracts positively charged molecules, such as toxins and gases. Activated charcoal does not absorb by your body, so it can carry the toxicants bound to its surface out of your body in feces.
A. Kidney: A healthy kidney purifies a body by removing or filtering internal wasted products and chemicals. People suffering from chronic kidney disease may find activated charcoal beneficial for them. In this stage of ailment, a patient’s kidney stops to work normal and won’t be able to eliminate urea and other toxins from the body.
Activated charcoal helps boost kidney function by reducing the number of scrap products that the kidneys have to filter. In humans, activated charcoal is proven to help enhance kidney function in those suffering from chronic kidney disease.
B. Gas and Bloating: According to some studies, it shows that activated charcoal works on reducing intestinal gas. Though researchers do not understand how it works but consuming activated charcoal gives relief from gas and bloating and also removes the gastric odor.
C. Oral Health: In a 2017 review, researchers presumed that there was not enough medical data of safety or effectiveness of activated charcoal for whitening teeth or oral health. But because of its anti-bacterial and toxin absorbing traits, several toothpaste brands are using this ingredient as a key product for teeth whitening.
Activated charcoal oral benefits are various, such as antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, detoxifying. Activated charcoal naturally blanches out discolorations from teeth and furnishes a natural smile.
D. Skin Care: According to research, activated charcoal can efficiently eliminate microparticles, as in, dirt, dust, bacteria, chemicals, and toxins. Numbers of people use an activated charcoal face mask to purify their skin by removing chemical trash and toxicant from the skin.
Coconut activated charcoal has been used to heal skin infections, soft tissue infirmity by medical practitioners from throughout the world.
For the ability to ingest harmful microbes from scars or cuts, this antibacterial component is on high demand in diverse industrial sectors.
E. Weight Loss: Activated charcoal has a high absorbency nature, which allows it too lowers the amount of poison the body digests by adhering to toxins or chemical in the abdomen. Because of the absorption role, activated charcoal is a perfect solicitor to include in detox diets. Likewise, other detox diets, activated charcoal diet also requires to fast for some days; following a very-low-calorie charcoal liquid beverage. This activated charcoal detox may help in losing weight in away.
F. Other Medical Uses: Study shows, activated charcoal helps reduce cholesterol level, because activated charcoal can restrict bad cholesterol and cholesterol-containing bile hallucinogens in the gut, restricting the body from absorbing them. If activated charcoal (24gms) consume every day for 1 month straight, it can drop bad LDL cholesterol by 25% and increase good HDL cholesterol by up to 8%.
From early times, activated charcoal used for the cases of poisoning. This poison antidote particle can tie an extensive variety of drugs, reducing their effects. The vital information is that activated charcoal is not useful in all cases of poisoning; for example, alcohol, heavy metal, iron, lithium, potassium, acid or alkali poisonings.
Some people also use activated charcoal for diarrhea treatment. In a recent study, researchers conclude the capability of activated charcoal to prevent bacteria and drugs. Harmful medications can cause diarrhea. Activated charcoal medication traps the harmful chemicals, drugs, and bacteria on its porous, textured surface and prevents absorption of them into the body.
In a recent survey, many people claim that activated charcoal drinks aid hangover and if consumed with alcohol it may reduce blood alcohol level. But in support of this cure, no studies have been found yet.
Charcoal also works wonders against bad odor. It absorbs the smell and harmful gases from the underarm, shoe, refrigerator deodorant and other odor.
It has other medical use in clearing toxins and drugs, For example –
a. Malaria medications
b. NSAIDs and other OTC anti-inflammatories
c. Calcium channel blockers
d. Methylxanthines (mild stimulants)
e. Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Animal Health: The blessing of activated charcoal for animal’s health is several and the same as a human. The medical use of activated charcoal is also used for animal health purposes. To treat poisonous ingestions and proceeds for a kind of gastrointestinal decontamination, activated charcoal is getting consideration for animal treatment. Once toxins and harmful chemical get closer to the charcoal surface, doesn’t get released. Now universally activated charcoal is used for veteran treatments as well for its poison removal characteristics. If given as food or liquid form to pets, activated charcoal stops animal’s stinky breath by absorbing odor and gas from their stomach.
Charcoal is wonderful digestive care that also adsorbs specific microbes and toxins in the animal stomach. This antidote component is capable to remove diverse harmful or undesirable substances that may be present in the gastrointestinal tract and control diarrhea.
Agricultural Uses: Activated carbon substance is used by organic farmers in both, livestock production and wine-making. It is effective in removing organic toxins like juglone. Activated carbon is applied as a pesticide, processing aid, animal feed additive, nonagricultural ingredient, and disinfectant. Carbon is used as an absorbent agent in the processing of wine-making to adsorb brown color pigments from white grape concentrates.
Industrial Use: Activated carbon or charcoal has many industrial uses, some of these are –
a. Air Filter: Activated charcoal is a key element which interestingly purifies air solution and makes the air odorless and pleasant. Mainly coconut activated charcoal is used as air filtration. While World War I, activated charcoal connected with the mask was used for soldiers to protect them from harmful gases. Recently carbon air filter is being used by many households.
b. Water Filter: Carbon basically filters the impurities and chemical substances from water. From ancient time, activated charcoal filtration method to purify water is used. Activated carbon works in a process called ädsorption”, in which toxic molecules get trapped inside the pore formation of the carbon substrate. Activated charcoal has the ability to remove chlorine, chloramine, Fluoride and Heavy Metal, Discoloration. This can give a well clean drinkable water.
c. Gold recovery: Activated carbon is the cornerstone of modern methods for the gold extraction procedure. Activated carbon is used in the absorption of golden cyanide complexes in gold processing. Activated carbon absorbs dissolved gold from gold leach paste difficult to be absorbed into the vesicles of this carbon. The most low-cost method would be to make adsorption of the excavated gold on activated carbon, causing an easier solid-solid separation based on size.
Conclusion: Activated charcoal is the vital element used in every possible sector because of its benefits. Very low-cost ingredient but if taken for health as medication, then it is suggested to consult a doctor to avoid side effects (any), for both humans and animals.