Activated charcoal: Do’s and don’ts

Have you heard… or should I say seen? Activated charcoal is the new ‘it ingredient’! Yup, those black brioche buns that look like you dropped your burger in the remnants of a campfire are black because of one dramatically coloured ingredient, activated charcoal. Don’t get me wrong, this stuff is incredible, but like everything Low Tox… it’s important to know the facts before you start adding it to your breakfast, lunch and dinner, because you could actually be taking AWAY from your breakfast, lunch and dinner… more on that in a bit. 

What is Activated Charcoal?

Activated charcoal is actually activated carbon, which has been heated to increase its absorptive properties – it’s super absorbent. It’s most commonly used these days as a natural treatment for trapping and eliminating toxins, pathogens and heavy metals in the body, by binding to them in the gut so you can poop them out – charming! It has been shown to be very effective in poisonings and in binding various mycotoxins from mold. 

While activated charcoal should not be taken willy-nilly and it’s always best to check in with a practitioner, it has been attributed to the relief of bloating, excess gas and belching, tummy bugs, reducing hangovers (anecdotally of course), ingestion of poisons (ALWAYS seek medical help first but it is still used today in poisoning emergencies and some overdoses) a reduction in cholesterol, supportive for elderly patients with renal conditions, wound healing, a general detoxifier and a strong elimination tool when used safely. Check out this full list of studies if you want to read more and explore the research. 

It is a fantastic natural antihistamine, also for food-based histamine consumption. Remember we mentioned the hangover? Well, add to that for when you have eaten a m eal rich in cheese, ferments, charcuterie, tinned meats/seafood, spinach, chocolate, citrus, tomato, avocado, eggplant or reheated leftovers – all higher histamine foods – then charcoal an hour later can help mop up excessive histamine release after histamine rich meals.

Activated charcoal in food

Like any ‘superfood’, there’s often some really sound evidence to suggest that it does do exactly what it’s famed for and activated charcoal is no exception. However, there can always be a few grey areas with this. Because of charcoal’s incredible black colour it’s being used as a marketing spin when promoting ‘detoxifying’ smoothies, sourdough, burger buns, crackers, ice cream cones, chocolate bars, bliss balls and the list goes on. 

Unfortunately, combining activated charcoal with food kinda defeats the purpose of it in the first place.

It’s a binder designed to bind and remove toxins from the body, but when prescribed/used medically it is always recommended on an empty tummy or at least an hour or two from a meal or any medication/supplements, because it BINDS – to not just the nasties but nutrients also. And while it’s hard to measure the exact amount of binding that occurs, we don’t want our thoughtfully prepared meals or our important and expensive medication/supplements to have nutrients bound and flushed out of our bodies by having them too close together in timing.

So the oh-so-hot black coconut waters and bread buns? Skip ’em… 

Once or twice for novelty though, no problems. Don’t panic.

I have used it at my little man’s birthday parties – like that time I made black icing and a Lego Star Wars mini figure action battle on top of a cake – Do the whipped caramel icing and then add a tablespoon, working up to two if needed, of the activated charcoal until it’s black. Lots of fun and the kids loved it.

One year we also had Darth Vader water, which was just soda water with a little charcoal in it – the kids thought it was the coolest and there were no 6 year olds asking for sodas!

Am I going to include charcoal in my daily diet and start ordering charcoal-baked bread for our morning eggs, though? Nope. I don’t want it binding to the nutrients in my food.

How to use it

So, while activated charcoal in foods is a no-go but it can still be used in other ways to gain all of the health benefits:

1. Choose an activated charcoal derived from coconut shells / natural sources like the one I use below – not the same stuff you get for the bbq or fireplace!
2. Always ensure when ingesting charcoal that it is certified ‘food-grade’.
3. Make a charcoal face mask: add a teaspoon of powdered activated charcoal to 2 tbs warm or lukewarm water, until a paste is formed. Apply a thin layer of the mixture to your face. Rinse after 5 to 10 minutes. Charcoal face masks are incredible for purifying the skin but should not be used daily as they can dry out skin with long-term use. Once a week or fortnight is just the ticket.
4. If you’re feeling bloated, gassy or you have a loose tummy try 1-2 teaspoon of activated charcoal in some water and follow it with a glass of water afterwards to aid in the detoxification. It has a deceptively refreshing taste despite looking like you’re sipping on liquefied coal. It’s mildly gritty but not offensive at all.
5. When you know there’s a gastro bug and you’re wanting to protect your family? What my family does, on advice of our naturopath is we take a capsule of saccharomyces boulardii  before a meal, then an hour after a meal (or just an hour later if no appetite) 2 capsules of charcoal and a glass of water a few minutes later followed by another glass of water. This star studded duo is what meant my husband was able to make it to my 40th, waking up with a massive tummy bug. We doubled his dose for the morning and afternoon and he made it. Amazing! Since then (editing 7 years later) we have used this combo countless times. Saccharomyces B is awesome to take one a day when there’s a gastro bug reported at school, for example, prophylactically.

For your peace of mind, Steph Hinton on our low tox team is a naturopath who added these dosage recommendations above when it comes to taking internally, so it’s not some ‘random blogger’ situation. I am a BIG fan of whatever we share here being backed by a qualified practitioner and/or sound research when it comes to making health product recommendations.

How not to use it

1. To wash your car. It’s very messy and not advised. Hee hee!
2. Ensure when you take your charcoal it’s not combined with anything acidic like lemon. Adding acidity can reduce the effects of the charcoal.
3. Take charcoal at least 30 minutes away from food to avoid inhibiting nutrient absorption – an hour or two or simply ‘in between meals’ is best or right at bed time. Food + charcoal = lost nutrients. 
4. Don’t take charcoal daily unless you’re on a prescribed protocol by a health practitioner. It’s incredibly powerful and should be used occasionally as a detoxifying or ‘mopping’ agent when needed.
5. Avoid the hype and don’t invest your money in food products claiming to fix all your health problems with charcoal. Save your money, it’s purely gimmick and buy the regular type, not the fancy charcoal type!

Products to try

If you’re intrigued by the idea of activated charcoal here are a few of my favourite easy-to-use and safe products.

BIOME Charcoal Toothbrush

The bamboo handle has bristles infused with Activated Charcoal, known for its natural antibacterial and antifungal properties. Have you tried one before? If you can, be sure to dry the bamboo toothbrush out in the sun every couple of days, or especially don’t leave it lying down on a wet surface in your bathroom, to avoid it getting mouldy over time. 

 

Magic Mud Oral Rinse – Mint

I love the Magic Mud range and this oral rinse is fabulous. It’s a great little once or twice a week booster for your daily flossing routine (because you floss daily, right? You floss to release any nasty bugs caught inside the gum area, then you mop it up and spit it out with the rinse. Genius!

 

 

 

Optimoz – Stockist for Bulletproof Activated Carcoal.

Possibly one of my favourite supplements in the past years, especially if mopping up mold or histamine in my gut at bedtime for better sleep – The Bulletproof Charcoal is brilliant. Again, just remember to not take medication/supplements at the same time – at least an hour apart.

 

 

 

Eden Activated Charcoal Powder from Part&Parcel

Another brilliant charcoal, this one in powder form if you prefer not to swallow capsules, is the Eden brand from Part&Parcel. If you want to try it and grab a few things from Part&Parcel – a wonderful online pantry/personal care store in Australia – use code LOWTOX20 and you’ll get $20 off your shop if it’s over $99 – Enjoy! 

 

PATCH Charcoal infused naturally made Bandaids

It is so great that there are bandaids now that aren’t made of nasty stuff. The addition of charcoal is great and mimics the ‘poultice’ vibes of the past in various war times, applying charcoal to wounds. Definitely worth having in the medicine cabinet at home with a couple in the handbag – what ISN’T in my handbag? Basically nothing. I’m ready for everything in there!

So I’d love to know if you’ve used activated charcoal and how you’ve found it or what products you’re enjoying that contain it. Has the allure of pitch-black brioche buns caught your eye? Now that you understand the way charcoal is actually of benefit, it will be easy to ‘just say no’ and keep the charcoal to being used for what it’s good for. 

Hope this has helped a little to clear up confusion, 

Low Tox. Happy us. Happy planet.