Activated charcoal is a black powder that can be made from a couple things. It can be made from sawdust, petroleum coke, bone char, peat, olive pits, or coconut shells. The ‘activated’ part comes in because of the high temperatures that the starting ingredient is put through. The high heat enlarges the surface area while reducing the size of pores.    

Notice that charcoal is not on the products that activated charcoal can be made out of. The charcoal that is used for grilling can actually be toxic to humans if it was used in the same way that activated charcoal is.

How Does Activated Charcoal Work?

The pores in the charcoal have negative charges. Like in high school science classes, opposites attract. The negative charge of the charcoal gently draws out the positively charged molecules that are not good for you.

A handy thing about activated charcoal is that it comes a couple of different forms. You can get it in a powder, in pills, capsules, or tablets. Each form can be used for different things to make the use of activated charcoal easier.

 

Activated Charcoal Health Benefits

A quick note about activated charcoal is that you want to use it in very small amounts. Too much-activated charcoal can actually do your body some hard. Side effects of activated charcoal can include, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal discomfort, black stool, and dehydration.  

1. Bloating and Gas

Taking 500 milligrams of activated charcoal an hour before eating a meal that you know will give you gas can stop you from getting gas. The activated charcoal binds the byproducts of the food that cause the uncomfortableness that often comes with bloating.

When you take the 500 milligrams of the activated charcoal, make sure to drink an entire glass of water with it and that you have at least one more after the meal.

2. Teeth Whitener

To use activated charcoal to whiten your teeth, you just wet your toothbrush and dip into the activated charcoal powder and brush your teeth like you normally would. If there are couple spots that stain more easily than others, brush those spots a little more.

Once you are done brushing, take a sip of water and swish it around your mouth and spit it out. Do this until the spit comes out completely clear. It is best to only use activated charcoal two to three times a week.

Activated charcoal works for this because it balances the pH in your mouth. While whitening your teeth, it also cleans away plaque, drops the chances of gum disease and cavities, and kills bad breath.

 

3. Water Filtering

A lot of times, you see that water filters have “carbon filters”. These “carbon filters” are actually activated charcoal. Activated charcoal traps most fluoride, industrial waste, pesticides, and other harmful things that should not be in water. By keeping the listed above impurities out of the water you drink, you are also protecting your liver kidney functions, your oral health, and your immune system.

4. Alcohol Poisoning

Anyone who has had a basic health class knows that alcohol has a good amount of different toxins that can damage the liver and other organs of your body. Activated charcoal can help to remove some of the toxins from the body my quickly, it can lessen the blood to alcohol concentrate, and can even lessen the degree of a hangover.

5. House Cleaner

If you want to get into real floor cleaning, you can make your own mixture using baking soda, activated charcoal, tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, and borax. This mixture can kill mold and bacteria and stop both from coming back in the future.

 

6. Skin Masks  

Most of the oils, dirt, and different things that clog the pores of your face are positively charged. Activated charcoal is negatively charged. That means, that if you get a face mask that contains activated charcoal, the activated charcoal will draw all of the bad things out. That means fewer blackheads, less acne, and smoother skin.

7. Odor Control

The pores in the activated charcoal absorb and lock in the different components that cause the bad orders. You can get little bags of activated charcoal and put it in the fridge, a gym bag, the laundry room, the bathroom, wherever you need to. Some garbage bags even have a coating of activated charcoal so you do not have to buy it separately.

8. Bug Bites

Activated charcoal has been found to relieve the annoying itch that comes with bug bites. Take a little bit of the powder, mix it in with a bit of coconut oil, and rub it into the bug bites. This can even help to calm bee stings.

 

9. Food Preservative

It has been mentioned that activated charcoal can absorb impurities from the air. Keeping that mind, the impurities that cause the fridge to smell are the same ones that make food go bad. It might not be a bad idea to put a little pouch of activated charcoal in the fridge or pantry and see if it does increase the shelf life of your food.

10. Poison

While this is one that is a tad bit morbid, it is good to know. If you use activated charcoal within an hour of taking too much medicine, it can actually help your body to be rid of the excess chemicals a lot faster.

 

11. Cholesterol

Activated charcoal can be good for cleaning cholesterol out of your intestines and stopping it from being absorbed into your bloodstream.

12. Upset Stomachs

Activated charcoal can be good calming an upset stomach because it absorbs the different toxins that can make you ill while also helping your body to discard and release the toxins that much faster.

 

13. Deodorant

You can make your own deodorant using the powder from four or five capsules and enough water to make a spreadable paste. You take the paste, paint it onto your underarms and let it be for five minutes before rinsing it off.

The activated charcoal captures the bacteria that turns sweat into the smelly acids and can lessen the degree at which they return throughout the day.

14. Cure Oily Hair

Activated charcoal can stop the build of oils in the scalp that can make your hair oily and/or frizzy. When you shower, add half a teaspoon to your shampoo, then just scrub and rinse it out like you usually would.    

What will you use activated charcoal for next? Comment below!

Sources

https://wellnessmama.com/247/activated-charcoal/

https://www.mommypotamus.com/activated-charcoal-uses/

https://articles.mercola.com/vitamins-supplements/activated-charcoal.aspx

https://www.thankyourbody.com/6-benefits-activated-charcoal-almost-good-true/

https://www.verywellhealth.com/activated-charcoal-89047

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a20706713/what-is-activated-charcoal-good-for/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/activated-charcoal