Page 21 - Florida Sentinel 2-21-20

Health
What Is Activated Charcoal?
You can find activated char- coal in all sorts of places. From food and toothpaste, to supple- ments and personal care items, this jet-black powder looks like what you use on a backyard
Poisoning and Drug Overdoses
Activated charcoal can help in some emergency poisonings or drug overdoses. If you get it into your system within an hour, it can trap some of the toxins and keep your body from absorbing them.
An ER doctor might give it to you through a feeding tube, which goes down your throat and into your stomach. But it isn’t a cure-all. Charcoal does- n’t seem to help clear acid, iron, lithium, alcohols, alkali, or toxins in gasoline from the body.
Treating Gas and Indigestion
Some studies show that ac- tivated charcoal can help with gas and indigestion. But other studies disagree. A mix of char- coal and the gas-relieving drug simethicone seems to help ease
pain, gas, and bloating. But ac- tivated charcoal can also cause vomiting, so for some people, it could make an upset stomach worse.
Lowering Cholesterol
You might try mixing char- coal powder in food -- like
smoothies or baked goods -- in hopes of dropping your LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. Some re- search shows that activated charcoal can keep your body from absorbing cholesterol. But study results are mixed on whether taking activated char- coal can lower your cholesterol levels.
grill, but it isn’t the same. It’s made from natural ingredients like coal, coconut shells, or wood pulp, and broken down into tiny pieces.
How It Works
The charcoal is “activated” when it’s heated to a very high temperature. This changes its structure. Heating gives the fine carbon powder a larger surface area, which makes it more porous. This lets the charcoal collect toxins, chemicals, and other unwanted materials, like smells from stinky feet and odors in the fridge.
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