Growing up in my village at Suhum-Amanhia; have seen charcoal in soups but never asked why this was done by my grandmother. I have now realized the immersed science exhibited by my great-grandparents in the village.

Interestingly, this remedy was one of a few natural medicinals, such as sulfur, conventional doctors have long used for a variety of conditions. It’s not simply charcoal, per se, created by burning wood down to char and produced in the absence of oxygen. To produce activated carbon, aka activated charcoal, it’s treated with oxygen. According to Difference:

“When charcoal is activated, it is processed in a way to increase the porosity. Because of this, activated carbon will have a large surface area, which can adsorb substances effectively.

This primarily increases its effectiveness as a filter. Therefore, activated carbon is mainly used in water filters, in the chemical purification process[ing], and in medicine. As we use them, the impurities tend to accumulate in the carbon surfaces. So the disadvantage of using this is that they become less effective as we use them(Difference Between January 16, 2012)

A fine black powder created by mixing bone char, peat, petroleum coke, coal, olive pits, sawdust, or coconut shells, activated charcoal is “activated” when it’s processed at extremely high temperatures, which changes its internal structure, reduces its pore size and expands its surface area(Juurlink DN 2016)published in the Br J Clin Pharmacol titled Activated charcoal for acute overdose: a reappraisal. It’s not absorbed by your body, so it’s free to carry surface-bound toxins from your body and dispose of them through bowel movements. Authority Nutrition explains on June 29, 2017 :

“Charcoal’s porous texture has a negative electrical charge, which causes it to attract positively charged molecules, such as toxins and gases. This helps it trap toxins and chemicals in the gut.

You may be familiar with charcoal as a filter for bottled water, in pollution control systems and even for whitening teeth. In pill and supplement containers, you’ve probably seen tiny packets inside that say “Do not eat,” often containing charcoal for the purpose of absorbing moisture.

Activated Carbon vs Charcoal
Carbon is everywhere. There are millions of compounds, which are made with carbon. We can say that carbon is the framework for our bodies, plants, and micro-organisms. Further, they are in nature, in several forms, like graphite, diamond, charcoal, etc.

Charcoal
Charcoal consists of the element carbon. Carbonic compounds are abundant in plants, animals and other living organisms. Therefore, as they die, these carbonic compounds are ultimately converted to other carbonic compounds. Charcoal is one of those products. When water and other volatile substances are removed from the carbonic compounds, the resulting product is charcoal. Charcoal is in the solid form, and it has a dark grey color. It contains ash; therefore, charcoal doesn’t have carbon in its pure form. Charcoal is mainly produced by pyrolysis. This is a method, where organic materials are decomposed at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. Therefore, the chemical compositions and the physical phase of the matter will change very fast. For example, by heating wood we can obtain charcoal. There are few types of charcoal. They are as follows.

• Lump charcoal
• Extruded charcoal
• Japanese charcoal
• Briquettes
Lump charcoal produces less ash, and it is mainly produced from hardwood material. Extruded charcoal is made from logs, which have been extruded by raw ground wood or carbonized wood. Briquettes are made from saw dust and other wood by-products using a binder. Japanese charcoal doesn’t contain pyroligneous acid because it is removed in the charcoal making process. This type of charcoal doesn’t produce a characteristic smell or a smoke when burning. There are three types of Japanese charcoal as white charcoal, Ogatan and black charcoal. There are many usages to charcoal. It has a long history; from earliest days, charcoal has being used as a fuel. Even today it is used as an important fuel in homes and industries. Charcoal can produce high heat energy since charcoal burns at high temperatures. Charcoal is also added to soil to improve the soil quality. In medicine, charcoal is used to treat gastric problems. Though there are many usages, charcoal production has negative impacts on the environment. This is a threat to the forests as the rate of deforestation is becoming higher in areas where charcoal is produced.

Difference between Activated Carbon and Charcoal:

• Activated carbon is made from charcoal.
• Charcoal is produced in the absence of oxygen. To produce activated carbon, charcoal is treated with oxygen.

• Activated carbon is more useful as filters, whereas charcoal is more useful as a fuel.

The Trendy Nature of Charcoal
Black ice cream, black burgers, and, looking like molten gunmetal, black bread, bagels, and pizza crusts are coming into vogue all over the country. As The Guardian notes, “There is one key ingredient infusing these snacks with the hue of a teenage goth’s bedroom wall: charcoal.” Charcoal, according to Waitrose executive chef Jonathan Moore, has been emerging in a number of restaurants and pop-up eateries in the last year. But while it may be a bold move for up-and-coming chefs, The Guardian warns in June 28, 2017 :

“That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to nab a barbecue briquette from the shed and sprinkle it on your salad. But a number of actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s celebrated Goop products include charcoal, including a facial skincare mask, soap and cleanser, an infusion in toothbrush bristles, and even several drinks, including chai and lemonade. In fact, several juice companies sell medical-grade charcoal-infused drinks designed to “cleanse, reload and rebalance the body.” According to the Botanic Lab.co.uk

The ‘Universal Antidote’
Once known as the “universal antidote,” activated charcoal interested both Hippocrates and Pliny the Elder, circa 400 B.C. and 50 A.D, respectively, both of whom wrote about the health advantages of activated charcoal for a myriad of maladies, including anthrax, vertigo, and absorbing odors from rotting flesh.

Activated charcoal supplements are often used today as a powerful natural treatment. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that every emergency room has them. One study called charcoal “the most frequently employed method of gastrointestinal decontamination in the developed world” Some of the uses of activated charcoal include:

Toxin binder
Hangover prevention(https://www.mercola.com/infographics/how-to-get-rid-of-hangover.htm)

Tooth whitening
Reducing gas
Treating acne
May help optimize cholesterol levels
Elimination of fishy odor caused by trimethylaminuria (TMAU)

May promote kidney function
Emergency poison treatment; even snake bites, anecdotally(Schaper A 2013 Charcoal, cocaine and rattlesnakes: evidence-based treatment of poisoning published in Anaesthesist)

Water filtration( https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/01/13)

Leaky gut (ticles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/21/grains-causing-gut-leaks.aspx)

Helps alleviate effects of toxic mold(http://thenaturalpenguin.com/11-surprising-benefits-of-activated-charcoal/)

The Tie That Binds
Bond GR 2002 research titled “The role of activated charcoal and gastric emptying in gastrointestinal decontamination: a state-of-the-art review” revealed that Activated charcoal is an effective treatment for particular acute poisoning and overdoses, used since the early 1800s, as it’s able to absorb certain toxins in the gut before they enter the bloodstream, even for animals; vets sometimes prescribe it when dogs have eaten substances like chocolate, which to them is poisonous. Even today, activated charcoal is used to treat drug overdoses, both prescribed and over-the-counter, such as aspirin, acetaminophen and sedatives.

Juurlink DN 2016 published in the Br. J Clin Pharmacol indicates that a single dose of 50 to 100 grams of activated charcoal taken within five minutes of drug ingestion may reduce drug absorption in adults by up to 74 percent.

In a position paper: Single-dose activated charcoal by Chyka PA et al 2005 published Clin Toxicol (Phila) revealed that Waiting 30 minutes reduces its effectiveness 50 percent, and cuts it down to 20 percent after three hours. But being a binder, especially in tandem with other detoxifying chelating agents, you must be very careful when you use it because it binds indiscriminately, wiping out beneficial minerals, as well and the benefits of other supplements and medications.

Villarreal J et al 2015 paper titled a retrospective review of the prehospital use of activated charcoal published in the Am J Emerg Med show it’s not effective in all cases of poisoning. For instance, it appears to have little effect on alcohol, heavy metal, iron, lithium and potassium or alkali poisonings. It’s important to note that activated charcoal should only be considered for poisoning on a case-by-case basis(Chyka PA et al 2005 published Clin Toxicol (Phila

Dr. David Jockers, a corrective care chiropractor and nutritionist, notes that after a chemical explosion by the Songhua River in China in 2008, the drinking water for more than 10,000 people living in the city of Harbin was contaminated.

“Significant quantities of the toxic chemical benzene were released in which the Chinese government acted quickly to filter the toxin from the water with activated charcoal. Successfully, the activated charcoal cleaned the benzene out of the river and prevented fatalities from contaminated drinking water.” https://drjockers.com/4-reasons-use-activated-charcoal/

Clinically Tested and Approved Activated Charcoal

Ali BH et al 2014 published in the Food Chem Toxicol Titled “The effect of activated charcoal on adenine-induced chronic renal failure in rats also show activated charcoal to bind urea and other toxins for eventual elimination. Additional, Musso CG et al 2010 published in the Saudi J Kidney Dis Transplant titled Combination of oral activated charcoal plus low protein diet as a new alternative for handling in the old end-stage renal disease patients states that activated charcoal supplements were shown to help patients with end-stage kidney disease to lower blood levels of urea and other waste products.

Authority Nutrition notes:
“Activated charcoal may help promote kidney function by reducing the number of waste products that the kidneys have to filter. This could be particularly beneficial in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease, a condition in which the kidneys can no longer properly filter waste products.”

The U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) endorses charcoal tablets, sold over the counter, to treat severe flatulence, as it also absorbs gas in your digestive system. But get this: You can buy clothing containing activated charcoal, or charcoal pads you can place inside your clothing, that can “help absorb foul-smelling gas released during flatulence.” NHS Flatulence Treatment March 20, 2015(https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/flatulence/)

Unpleasant odors come in many forms. One is a fish odor, which strikes people with a condition known as trimethylaminuria (TMAU), or fish odor syndrome, a genetic condition that activates a compound in your body called trimethylamine (TMA), reminiscent of rotting fish. Authority Nutrition explains that when you’re healthy, your body converts fishy-smelling TMA into a non-smelly compound before excreting it in urine.

According to Yamazaki H et al 2004 titled Effects of the dietary supplements, activated charcoal and copper chlorophyllin, on urinary excretion of trimethylamine in Japanese trimethylaminuria patients” published in the Journal Life Science “Those suffering from TMAU lack the enzyme for the conversion, causing TMA to accumulate in the body and cause the “fishy, foul-smelling” odor. That’s where activated charcoal comes in, as it works to bind the toxins that cause the odors.

In another paper by Krasopoulos et al 1980 published in the Journal Lipids entitled The adsorption of bile salts on activated carbon”In optimizing cholesterol, activated charcoal binds bile acids in your gut to prevent absorption”

In an article contributed by Serena http://www.charcoalremedies.com/leaky_gut_protocol ; Leaky gut, it turns out, is one of the symptoms and serious problems caused by heavy metal poisoning, often evidenced by weak digestion, bloating, food allergies, chronic fatigue and brain fog, Charcoal Remedies. One consequence many run into as a result is long-term antibiotic use, which disrupts bacterial balance, sometimes making candida, enterococcus and staphylococcus worsen.

What exacerbates leaky gut besides antibiotics in many cases is eating sugar, including too much fruit or fruit juices, and excess acid caused by chronic stress, says Serena and for your immune system, your gut is very involved. This is another area where activated charcoal may prove to be useful. According to the Bulletproof Blog:

“Your ability to fight illness starts in your gut. Roughly 70 percent of your body’s immune cells live in your intestines, and contact with your microbiome ‘programs’ your immune cells to behave in a certain way before they go out into circulation …

Activated charcoal is [an] ancient and scientifically backed remedy. It’s successful at absorbing endotoxins that cause gastrointestinal disease and removing toxins from processed, low-quality foods. Charcoal is a great go-to supplement if you are eating in a restaurant.”

Beware of Uncertainty and Sometimes Scams
Charcoal as an essential ingredient has been showing up with increased frequency in various beauty counter and health-related products. A number of charcoal whitening products have hit the market, from charcoal coconut oil to charcoal powder, but British Dental Association scientific adviser Damien Walmsley says there’s no evidence to indicate that using charcoal on your teeth is a good idea, as it’s an abrasive that could damage your tooth enamel.

There are certain bamboo charcoal facial masks that unfortunately make the entire market look bad, as they’re dubiously purported to draw out impurities, but have a reputation of peeling skin off. One reason may be that the real active ingredient involves PVA glue, known to peel the skin along with the impurities. However, charcoal facial sponges marketed by a wide array of online marketeers get high marks as a gentle exfoliant(https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jun/28/charcoal-black-food-beauty-fad-instagram-health-claims

In spite of its “miracle cure” status, Sarah Coe, nutrition scientist for the British Nutrition Foundation, notes: “There is no nutritional composition data available for activated charcoal so it’s unknown whether it has any nutritional value.”

Other experts say they’re extremely hesitant in regard to recommending it as a supplement, saying that while it can absorb some substances in the gut, it’s virtually useless for many applications:

“It can indeed absorb some substances but not all, and it can only do that in the gut. It absorbs things that the body needs, for instance medications, which can lead to problems, of course. Foremost, it absorbs water from the gut, which can lead to dehydration and constipation.” The Guardian 2017

Goop’s “Sex Dust,” a $30-a-pot herbal supplement, comes with a recipe for activated charcoal chai, along with a strong precaution that consumers avoid taking charcoal within two hours of taking any kind of medications, vitamins or supplements: “Recreational charcoal use comes with some serious caveats. The issue is that while charcoal can certainly usher out not-so-great stuff, it can also bind to nutrients and meds, making them difficult to absorb.” Goop Activated Charcoal Chai 2017

Edzard Ernst, Professor Emeritus at Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, and author of “Homeopathy: The Undiluted Facts,” quips that claiming to balance mind and body via a process of deionization, as is sometimes claimed by marketers of charcoal products, is “nonsensical and misleading to the point of being dangerous,” and in his view is an example of how neatly the commodity is able “to absorb the maximum of cash from gullible consumers.” The Guardian June 2017

That being said, it clearly has some beneficial uses. For instance, combining activated charcoal with coconut oil and adding it to bandages may help relieve bee stings or mosquito, fire ant or spider bites.

Other Activated Charcoal Applications
In a review article published by Ahed J Alkhatib and Khalid Al Zailaey titled Medical and Environmental Applications of Activated Charcoal in the journal European Scientific Institute (ESI) notes that activated charcoal is useful in cases of:

Acute overdose, such as the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease to enhance the outcome of renal dialysis

Protection for workers against vapors in working atmosphere through the use of charcoal cartridge

Removal of heavy metals from environment, particularly water

Problems of different types have been associated with activated charcoal use. Never give it to someone who is not conscious as it could cause bowel blockages or holes. “Black stool” or constipation are possible side effects(Amigó et al 2010 published in the Med Clin (Barc) titled “Use of activated charcoal in acute poisonings: clinical safety and factors associated with adverse reactions in 575 cases].

While activated charcoal may not be a miracle cure, it may provide a variety of benefits when used correctly. In general, when buying activated charcoal products, consider their source. Activated charcoal made from organically grown coconuts or wood is the best. Organic raw materials will yield purer and more adsorbent product. Avoid buying from charcoal vendors that do not specify the materials they used to make their products.

Dr. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu is a Research Professor of Prostate Cancer and Alternative Medicine –Da Vinci College of Holistic Medicine, Larnaca City, Cyprus. He is the President of Nyarkotey College of Holistic Medicine, Tema community, 7 post Office… If you are concerned call 0208679076

Prof Raphael Nyarkotey Obu is an honorary professor of holistic medicine-Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University, Ukraine and the President of Nyarkotey College of Holistic Medicine, Tema Community 7, Post office.Column: RaphaelNyarkoteyObu