October 22nd, 2018 by
Activated charcoal is quickly becoming the new huge wellness craze. Marketed as a sort of all-purpose antioxidant that can cleanse your system, clear your skin, whiten your teeth, and cure hangovers, activated charcoal sales have boomed over the last couple of years. The activated charcoal industry is set to be worth a whopping $6.2 billion by 2022, so this is one wellness trend that’s certainly good for business if nothing else! However, one important question still remains: is activated charcoal good for you? It’s worth knowing all about this mysterious black powder as it doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere, so read on to find out all about the latest health and wellness trend.
What is Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal sounds like something you’d use for grilling on the BBQ, and, actually, that’s not too far from the truth. Just like regular charcoal, it’s made from burnt wood (and sometimes other carbon-based organic matter like coconut shells and heather), but the difference between activated and regular charcoal is the temperature it’s fired at. Activated charcoal is burnt at a much higher temperature so it breaks down into a fine powder that’s full of holes, making it really absorbent and helping it bind to almost anything while – supposedly – giving it miraculous healing properties. Activated charcoal is also known as activated carbon and, if you know anything about biology, you’ll know that all life on Earth is based on carbon. If we’re all made of carbon, it has to be good for you, right? Well, read on for all the answers!
Why is Activated Charcoal so Popular?
If you walk down the high street today, you’ll find shelves stacked with activated charcoal toothpaste for teeth whitening, activated charcoal cleanser for clearing your pores, and even activated charcoal pills for help with digestion and detoxing. The theory is that because activated charcoal binds to almost anything, it’ll bind to all the toxins and other bad stuff in your body and help you flush them out. Taking a little black pill as an all-purpose antioxidant sounds a little too good to be true, and unfortunately, in most cases, it is.
Activated Charcoal for Digestive Health
Activated carbon does have its uses – just not really the ones that are advertised! If it binds to a substance in your stomach, activated charcoal will stop that substance from being absorbed into your body. This means it’s commonly used in hospitals as a treatment for poisonings and overdoses as it’s much less invasive than a full stomach pump. It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that activated charcoal will stop any substance from being absorbed into your system, good or bad. If you take an activated charcoal pill alongside a healthy meal, the carbon will bind to the nutrients in that meal and stop them from being absorbed into your system properly. You should also be wary if you’re taking any medication, as activated carbon pills can stop that medication from doing its job. It won’t harm you so don’t worry if you’re eating at a restaurant that uses it as a food colouring or something, but it will make your healthy diet a little less healthy. This means you definitely shouldn’t start taking it as a supplement!
Activated Charcoal for Hangover Prevention
As a result of its toxin-absorbing properties, activated charcoal is marketed as a miracle hangover cure. Unfortunately, it won’t help your hangover at all! If you’ve got a hangover, all the toxins from the alcohol have long since passed through your system, so a dose of activated charcoal won’t do a thing to help! In fact, as it can stop painkillers and nutrients from food from being absorbed into your system properly, activated charcoal could actually make your hangover last longer.
Activated Charcoal Skincare Products and Soaps
Activated charcoal doesn’t just bind to things on the inside of your body – it works on the outside, too! This means it’s become hugely popular as an ingredient in beauty products and toiletries. If you’re a keen social media user, you’ve no doubt seen the many viral videos of people using charcoal face masks with varying degrees of success! Depending on how you use it, activated charcoal can help you cleanse your skin. Over time, oil from our skin will combine with bits of dirt and other impurities to clog up our pores, leading to spots and blackheads. Activated charcoal’s absorbent properties and gritty texture mean it can be used in skincare products to bind to these impurities and to make them easy to rinse away. This should leave your pores clear and reduce the risk of pimples forming. Be wary of using it too much, though – we’re supposed to have some oil on our skin to help us fight off bacteria and viruses.
Activated Charcoal Toothpaste
Another popular theory is that, despite being black, activated charcoal can actually whiten your teeth. There are countless viral videos of health enthusiasts dipping their toothbrush in black powder and brushing their teeth with it – but does it actually work? Unfortunately, there’s no evidence to suggest that activated charcoal whitens your teeth at all, and, in fact, it could do more harm than good! The abrasive nature of activated charcoal means that it can actually damage the enamel on your teeth, leading to them becoming stained and weakened.
Overall
Activated charcoal isn’t harmful, but there are very few uses for it in your day-to-day life. Much of its popularity can be attributed to social media – the deep black colour of the charcoal looks quite dramatic and makes for a great video. However, there really isn’t any evidence that it’ll help you stay happy and healthy outside of a few specific uses. If you don’t feel like mixing in black powder with all your food, the good news is you’ll be just fine without jumping on the activated charcoal bandwagon!
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