No, I’m not referring to charcoal to fuel your BBQ.

Activated charcoal is a supplement used to soak up toxins from your body and improve intestinal health, just to name a few uses.

What is Activated Charcoal?

First, let’s start with the history of activated charcoal, also known as activated carbon. For over 10,000 years healers all over the world have been using this natural element for a variety of different purposes. In ancient times it was used to cure intestinal ailments, preserve the dead, purify water and treat vertigo.

In later centuries, charcoal was the preferred method for decoloring sugar. This may not seem like a big deal in 2014, but in the late 1700’s, the discovery of making sugar more white and appealing revolutionized the sugar industry.

It wasn’t until the 19th century when the charcoal became “activated”, which is when charcoal is treated with oxygen to open up millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms. And It was during this time that it was used in medicine to naturally heal people, mainly to counteract poison. The charcoal will actually absorb harmful chemicals in your body.

What is Activated Charcoal Used For?

Today, it is used everywhere for many different things. And since it is odorless and tasteless, it makes it easy and safe for humans to consume. Here are 8 ways to use activated charcoal:

• Hospitals and doctors use it as an antidote for drugs and poison.
• Also used by doctors as a remedy to detox.
• Many people take it for digestion issues – gas, bloating, etc.
• Doctors prescribe it to help lower cholesterol.
• Still used to purify water.
• Some women use it in their beauty routine – as a face mask, teeth whitener, and even eyeliner.
• For the removal poisonous substances from snake venom or spider bites.
• It can also be taken orally in the case of food poisoning.

Activated charcoal can cause constipation as it soaks up toxins in your digestive system so be sure to drink a lot of water.

Personally, I use it as a teeth whitener and a heavy metal detox.  For whitening, I open the capsule and pour it on my toothbrush, being careful to hold it over the sink so I don’t get black powder everywhere.  

For detoxing from heavy metals (which is highly recommended if you have or had mercury fillings), taking activated charcoal helps remove the dangerous heavy metal from your body by taking it orally.

So where can you buy this miracle stuff? It is available without a prescription and can be found as a tablet or capsule in most health stores (including Thrive Market).  And as with anything, you should speak with your health care professional before taking it to make sure it’s right for you.

Leann Forst, MBA, CHC — Family Health & Cancer Coach

Leann is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, holding a Master’s degree from Drake University and a Bachelor of Science from Upper Iowa University. Leann is accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. And she is an award winning author of 2 books “How to Get Your Kids to Beg for Veggies” and “100 Ways to Lose Weight.”

Born and raised as an Iowa farm girl, she moved to Texas in 1998 where she lives with her husband and 2 kids.

As a wife of a brain cancer survivor, Leann has a special interest in anti-cancer nutrition and detoxification. She works with individuals and groups, and speaks regularly at hospitals, schools and organizations to teach people how to attain optimal health by getting to the root cause of chronic and inflammatory conditions, while using healing modalities such as essential oils. <Click here to get my free report, “37 Cancer Facts You Should Know…But Probably Don’t”

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

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