Activated charcoal’s benefits are well-known, but this new study validates that it can help with excessive alcohol and drug consumption as well. Activated charcoal binds to toxins and chemicals in the body to help prevent their absorption into the bloodstream, and has been used for centuries to treat overdoses, stomach ailments, and more! Here are the seven most important benefits of activated charcoal.

What Is Activated Charcoal?

Activated charcoal refers to carbon that has been processed with oxygen to make it extremely porous and chemically active. (It’s called activated because it becomes chemically active once it’s exposed to oxygen). It comes in both capsule and powder form, which can be mixed into water or taken dry-but does activated charcoal come with side effects? 

In small doses, it’s a safe and effective treatment for accidental ingestion of certain medications, as well as poisoning from heavy metals such as lead or from some types of mushrooms. But there are also several potential side effects.

Help During Excessive Drug Intake

Activated charcoal is effective in eliminating alcohol from your body and has been known to help patients during excessive drug intake. It’s a great substance to have around in case you overdo it on a night out. For instance, it can help eliminate any potentially dangerous substances before they get into your bloodstream. However, that doesn’t mean you should reach for activated charcoal if you wake up hungover. 

We recommend rehydrating with water or juice and taking paracetamol instead! Still, there are some cases where activated charcoal might be helpful if you’ve ingested a poison or a large number of pills, and seek medical attention immediately. The health benefits of activated charcoal don’t apply when taken orally (so no matter how tasty it may seem). This may be due to its ability to absorb essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals.

Helps in Alcohol Consumption

Drinking water mixed with activated charcoal can help prevent hangovers and treat alcohol poisoning. Also, activated charcoal acts as a digestive aid and can help ease stomach pain and bloating caused by excessive drinking. Its absorbent properties also help cleanse your system faster by removing toxins from your body. 

The key to using activated charcoal for hangover relief is taking it as soon as possible after you stop drinking, preferably on an empty stomach. We recommend taking 1 tsp every 10 minutes until you feel better. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout so that it doesn’t clump in your intestines.

Can It Treat Hangovers?

After a long night out with friends, many people turn to activated charcoal as a home remedy for hangovers. There are numerous anecdotal reports that it helps reduce nausea and stomach discomfort. To some extent, evidence supports these claims; there is even research suggesting that activated charcoal may be able to treat alcohol poisoning in emergency situations. 

However, most studies have been performed on animals or small groups of humans-so take these findings with a grain of salt. If you’re suffering from a hangover and want to try activated charcoal, feel free; just don’t expect it to work miracles.

Removing Toxins and Chemicals

One of activated charcoal’s most well-known health benefits is its ability to remove toxins and chemicals from your body. For instance, it binds to heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic as well as pesticides, herbicides, food additives, and preservatives. Many people take activated charcoal with water before an event when they’ll be consuming alcohol-it can even get rid of a hangover headache! 

Studies have also shown that it helps prevent damage from industrial pollutants like dioxins in addition to airborne chemicals like benzene. Because it acts as an antioxidant by removing free radicals from your body, some research has even found that activated charcoal may help fight heart disease and cancer.

Does It Really Prevent Sickness?

Activated charcoal is one of those amazing natural remedies you’ve probably heard about but may have never tried. It has a ton of benefits from relieving constipation to whitening teeth, which is why it’s becoming more and more popular with consumers looking for alternative ways to improve their health and happiness. But does it really prevent sickness? 

The answer is yes! There are many different uses for activated charcoal, including helping your body rid itself of toxins after a night out drinking or even preventing food poisoning when traveling abroad. The key to using activated charcoal effectively is knowing how much you should take based on your weight and what symptoms you are trying to alleviate. 

Is Activated Charcoal Bad for Your Kidneys?

One concern with taking activated charcoal is that it can be hard on your kidneys, which filter out toxins in your body. A report published in March 2017 in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology suggested that high doses of activated charcoal caused acute kidney injury, though they were much higher than those found in regular use. 

If you’re going to take activated charcoal, don’t take it every day; take it only when you’ve consumed something harmful and under a doctor’s supervision. Keep It Clean: Another potential downside to activated charcoal is that if it’s not clean-if there are impurities in it-it could actually absorb essential nutrients from your body.

Removing Unwanted Materials from Your Body with Activated Charcoal

One of activated charcoal’s most popular and common uses is for helping rid your body of unwanted materials. The charcoal helps bind to unwanted toxins, drugs, or heavy metals in order to help remove them from your body. You can even use it internally and externally for an added boost! 

The material also has a wide range of benefits that include being able to help fight infection, reduce gas production, improve joint health, and even more! Check out these seven incredible benefits you can get by including activated charcoal in your diet.

Best Way to Take It?

Even if you’re just taking it for mild symptoms, some recommend taking activated charcoal by mixing a small amount of it with water. This is because charcoal doesn’t absorb water and turns into a thick paste when mixed with liquid. Additionally, people who are vomiting or nauseous can take activated charcoal in pill form. 

While there isn’t much research on how effective activated charcoal is at treating alcohol poisoning or overdose, some doctors say that it will help reduce both alcohol and drug absorption in your body. One study even found that patients who took activated charcoal along with naloxone (Narcan) were able to leave emergency rooms more quickly than those who didn’t take activated charcoal.

Final Thoughts

The goal of activated charcoal is to prevent certain molecules in your body from absorbing into your bloodstream. By binding with them, you end up flushing them out through urination instead of digesting them-which reduces and/or eliminates their harmful effects on your body. In other words, activated charcoal helps cleanse our system of toxins before they have a chance to inflict harm.