Activated charcoal cleanse
| Activated charcoal cleanse | |
|---|---|
 Activated charcoal shown in various forms | |
| Alternative therapy | |
| Claims | Detoxification or cleansing of the body |
| Part of a series on |
| Alternative medicine |
|---|
 |
Activated charcoal cleanses, also known as charcoal detoxes, are a pseudoscientific use of a proven medical intervention for poisoning, activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is available in powder, tablet, and liquid form. Its proponents claim the use of activated charcoal regularly will detoxify and cleanse the body as well as boost one's energy and brighten the skin. Such claims violate basic principles of chemistry and physiology. There is no medical evidence for any health benefits of cleanses or detoxes via activated charcoal or any other method. Charcoal, when ingested, will absorb vitamins and nutrients as well as prescription medications present in the gastrointestinal tract which can make it dangerous to use unless directed by a medical doctor.
Background
[edit]Production and industrial applications
[edit]
Activated charcoal, also known as activated carbon, is commonly produced from high-carbon source materials such as wood or coconut husk.[1] It is made by treating the source material with either a combination of heat and pressure, or with a strong acid or base followed by carbonization to make it highly porous.[2] This gives it a very large surface area for its volume, up to 3000 square metres per gram.[3] It has a large number of industrial uses including methane and hydrogen storage, air purification, decaffeination, gold purification, metal extraction, water purification, medicine, sewage treatment and air filters in gas masks and respirators.[4]
Medical use
[edit]
Activated charcoal is used to detoxify people, but only in life-threatening medical emergencies such as overdoses or poisonings.[5][6] As it is indigestible it will only work on poisons or medications still present in the stomach and intestines.[6] Once these have been absorbed by the body the charcoal will no longer be able to adsorb them so early intervention is desirable.[2] Charcoal is not an effective treatment for alcohol, metals or elemental poisons such as lithium or arsenic as it will only adsorb certain chemicals and molecules.[2] It is usually administered by a nasogastric tube into the stomach as the thick slurry required for maximum adsorption is very difficult to swallow.[7]
Use in alternative therapies
[edit]
