5 Ways Activated Charcoal Will Improve Your Health
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Activated charcoal is basically like a sponge on steroids. According to this report, it’s “estimated to reduce absorption of poisonous substances nearly to 60%.” Essentially, activated charcoal is a form of carbon that has small, low-volume pores. The charcoal traps toxins and chemicals in your body, allowing them to be flushed out so that you don’t reabsorb these toxins. By itself, activated charcoal is a fine black powder that’s tasteless, odorless and nontoxic. The “activated” part just means that it’s made from wood, peat, or coconut shells and heated, expanding its surface area. Emergency rooms even use this stuff on patients who have swallowed or absorbed toxic drugs or chemicals, since it usually works better than stomach pumping in many situations.
Activated charcoal has many uses outside of the emergency room. The versatile ingredient can be used for natural healing of your body, but make sure it’s made from coconut shells or other natural sources. Here are five ways activated charcoal will improve your health.
1. Treat Acne
You can incorporate activated charcoal into your beauty routine in many ways. It’s commonly used as an acne treatment since it absorbs oil, dirt and bacteria. One way to treat acne on your face is to mix together the powder inside a capsule of activated charcoal with two teaspoons of aloe vera gel and gently cover your face with the dark concoction. Let the mask dry and then rinse it off completely. It’ll bind with any external toxins on your face and then you’ll rinse all the dirt away. You can also apply this mixture as a quick spot treatment for in an acne emergency. If you’re someone who struggles with acne on other areas of your body like your arms, shoulders and back, then you should consider buying activated charcoal soap. Make sure it’s good quality and that you can understand the ingredients on the label. You can use the soap daily, as long as it doesn’t irritate or dry out your skin, and you’re likely to see results within a week or two.
2. Whiten Teeth
You can always buy fancy whitening strips, but whitening your teeth with activated charcoal is a more natural approach, plus it’s kinda fun. The pores of the activated charcoal bind with the rough parts on your teeth, like plaque and surface stains. This makes it easier to remove yellowing substances. You can purchase it from any health food store, usually in tablet form. Grind up one or two tablets until you create a find dust and then add enough water to create a paste. Dab it on your teeth, don’t rub it because the abrasiveness of the activated charcoal can permanently damage the enamel of your teeth. Leave it on for a few minutes and then thoroughly rinse out your mouth before brushing. This method is great for removing plaque, food particles and surface stains, but don’t expect miracles if you have naturally yellowing teeth.
3. Help With Haircare
Activated charcoal definitely wears a lot of hats. You can incorporate it into your haircare routine for extra volume. It’s way cheaper than other hair products out there and it’s natural. Add it to your shampoo and let it help cleanse and remove any product buildup, pollutants and dirt that’s hanging out in there. If you’re suffering from a dandruff problem, activated charcoal paste is an easy solution. The powerful substance will draw out any impurities or bacteria from your scalp so you can be fresh and ready to take on the world.
4. Lower Cholesterol
According to the Natural Medicine Journal, taking activated charcoal by mouth can help lower cholesterol levels, triglycerides and lipids found in the blood. This study shows how patients with a pre-existing cholesterol problem were treated for four weeks, three times a day, with activated charcoal. This experiment ended up decreasing the bad cholesterol (LDL) and increasing the good cholesterol (HDL) in these patients, maybe even as much as some medications would. Try to avoid taking it at the same time as prescription meds because they might prevent full absorption in your body.
5. Cleanse Your Digestive System
Remember the cayenne pepper, lemon juice and maple syrup cleanse? It definitely had a moment in the sun, but guess what? Activated charcoal is just as good. It can help you with any uncomfortable gas and bloating by binding the gas-causing byproducts in the foods you eat. We all have trigger foods that can lead to discomfort, so this is exciting news. You could try a bunch of different diets and health food regiments for a digestive cleanse, but activated charcoal promotes a naturally healthy digestive tract by removing toxins in our bodies that come from everyday life. Whether it’s uncontrollable factors in the environment, chemicals in our water or pesticides on our food, it’s smart to cleanse your digestive tract to support your overall well-being.
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