A new health supplement is getting a lot of attention – and has us wondering just how much it actually helps. If you have a friend talking about how great activated charcoal can be, here are a two important questions to ask.
How does activated charcoal work?
Bottom line: you won’t experience any real harm by taking the supplement. At worst, you may have mild gastrointestinal tract issues. While the supplement isn’t considered harmful, it isn’t helpful either. Researchers found no evidence charcoal helps manage weight or cholesterol.
What about detoxing?
Most activated charcoal supplement users claim it can cure a hangover or rid their bodies of toxins because the substance reportedly clings to and flushes out unwanted materials. After all, emergency room doctors can use it to counteract the symptoms of overdosing or poisoning.
In general, your liver does a great job ridding your body of the bad stuff you introduce to it. Bad news, though, if you’re hoping to give your liver a boost from the main “toxic” offenders – alcohol and metals – activated charcoal is not the way to go. Given the way both of those substances are structured, charcoal will not easily bind to them. In non-chemistry speak, the supplement is pretty ineffective against these substances.
Coupled with the lack of evidence of activated charcoal’s health benefits, we have one big takeaway: You may want to avoid the supplement altogether, at least until more research is conducted.
If you have questions about any of the latest health fads, let us know!
