Here's the truth about activated charcoal

After waking up from a night on the town, some people turn to activated charcoal drinks or pills to quell the ravages of a hangover. Others, worried about toxins and metals building up in their bodies, use activated charcoal to detoxify. Some even claim activated charcoal can make them lose weight and lower their cholesterol.

Suddenly, the best thing for grilling seems to be the latest, most popular health fad. But is it okay to take an activated charcoal supplement every day?

Well, technically speaking, yes.

"The risks are minimal," Dr. Michael Lynch, medical director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center and assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, told us. "Overall, it's pretty safe."

 

Activated Carbon Capsules

 

Activated charcoal - which is certainly different from a briquette thrown on a grill - can cause some mild gastrointestinal upset, including diarrhea. Some people mix it with laxatives to avoid that. Otherwise, the risk is low, Lynch said.

But can activated charcoal really do what fans claim? After all, doctors often use it in emergency rooms to treat overdoses and poisonings.

"Activation" means that charcoal - made from wood, peat or coconut shells - is heated, expanding its surface area. The charcoal attaches to substances in the stomach, such as aspirin, and prevents the body from absorbing it. This is why people believe charcoal can help with alcohol. They believe it absorbs the alcohol and stops the nausea symptoms associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

"Because of the chemical structure, it doesn't bind well to ethanol or alcohol," Lynch says, dispelling the myth.

Some people also worry about toxins or metals building up in their bodies and believe that charcoal supplements absorb harmful substances. However, it doesn't bind to metals, and the body already does a good job of dealing with toxins.

"Our bodies have the ability to detoxify themselves. That's the main role of the liver ...... It plays a big role in detoxification," Kristin Kirkpatrick, manager of health nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, told us.

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