Health

Say Goodbye To Hangovers With Activated Charcoal

8th June 2017

By Harriet Mallinson | Published on June 8, 2017


Charcoal is something we might start seeing a lot of as the weekends begin to fill up with summer barbecues, but did you know a relative of common charcoal is in fact something of a wonder drug?

Activated charcoal is widely used medicinally as a detoxifier and poison antidote. Consumed as a powder or capsule, it can also aid digestion and even prevent hangovers.

It is made by burning coconut shells, peat, coal, wood or petroleum and then collecting the carbon. This is then immersed in hot water, ‘activating’ as the high temperatures combine with a gas or activating agent to expand its surface area.

It is activated charcoal’s absorption that makes it so effective at mopping up toxins. Its porous surface’s negative electrical charge causes positive charged toxins and gas to bond with it, thereby eliminating them from the body.

The substance has used for thousands of years (with recorded uses dating back to 1550 BC) but has lately been praised by detox enthusiasts such as Gwyneth Paltrow and added to juice cleanses and cayenne pepper lemonades. If that wasn’t enough, even more recently, activated charcoal has enjoyed plenty of Instagram fame after certain trendy eateries began adding into goth-like ice-creams, pizza crusts and cocktails.

MACROS have chosen just four benefits of the black stuff to admire.

 

Beating the bloat

Activated charcoal can help relieve trapped gas by binding the gas-causing byproducts in foods that cause pain.

According to a study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, participants taking activated charcoal saw the amount of gas produced in the colon reduced. Symptoms of bloating and abdominal cramps attributable to gaseousness were also significantly lessened.

Furthermore, the charcoal can promote a healthy digestive tract by removing nasty toxins which can attack the immune system and cause allergic reactions. As a result, both your energy and mental function should be boosted.

 

– RELATED: Ashwagandha: What Is It And Why Should We Take It? –

 

Banishing the hangover

Research has shown the substance can significantly reduce blood alcohol concentrations. According to Princeton University’s First Aider’s Guide to Alcohol, activated charcoal can be administered if someone is showing signs of alcohol poisoning or is unconscious.

Research published in the British Medical Journal states that activated charcoal is a better option than stomach pumping in many cases of poisoning.

Topping up your alcoholic drink with lemonade may seem like a sensible idea but it’s the artificial sweeteners and chemicals in mixers that translate into toxins. Wine too, contains sulfites which many people don’t tolerate well. Luckily, activated charcoal can remove such toxins.

Sports nutrition company Bio-Synergy, recommend taking two of their Body Perfect Activated Charcoal Capsules immediately after drinking to help lessen the effects of your heavy night out.

 

Reducing high cholesterol

Activated charcoal can serve to reduce bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol.

In one four-week study, published in The Lancet, total cholesterol decreased by 25%, LDL (bad) cholesterol decreased by 41%, while HDL (good) increased by 8%.

 

Cleansing the body

In 2015 Gwynnie P called charcoal lemonade “the perfect juice gateway drug for cleanse newbies,” and indeed activated charcoal is a great ingredient to include if you’re looking to embark on a cleanse. It can help prevent cellular damage to kidneys and liver and healthy adrenal glands.

According to clinical nutritionist, Dr. Josh Axe: “To complete a digestive cleanse with activated charcoal, take 10g 90 minutes prior to each meal, for two days.

“During the cleanse, eat only organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meat, and wild fish. If, during the cleanse, you find you are constipated, this is a sure sign you’re not consuming enough water! Drink a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon and a touch of honey every half hour until constipation is relieved.”