- Benefits
- Indications for use
- Contraindications
- Is there an effect
- Harm to the body
- Dosage and rules for use
- Variations
- Black or white: Choose the “right” coal
About ten years ago, activated charcoal was considered a very effective means of combating excess weight. Then it was replaced by “Lindax”, “Goldline”, “Xenical” and various dietary supplements. However, today, when newfangled drugs have become too expensive or have been discontinued altogether, a serious discussion about charcoal has resumed on the Internet. Therefore, let’s figure out how this drug works, and whether it is really possible to get rid of extra pounds with its help at home.
Benefits
Activated charcoal is a medicinal product, not a fat burner. And it helps not so much those who want to lose weight, but those who need a serious body cleansing. Therefore, among the positive manifestations of taking the drug, it is not the “melted” centimeters at the waist or belly that take the forefront, but:
- Stabilization of the digestive tract.
- Removal of toxins and other harmful substances from the body.
- A slight slowdown in the aging process of the skin (due to an increase in fluid intake).
- Decreased blood cholesterol levels and, as a result, improved brain function, cardiovascular function, and accelerated metabolism.
- Improved performance of the liver, adrenal glands, kidneys and many other internal organs.
- The absence of sedimentary formations, since the active elements of the drug are not absorbed, but are completely excreted from the body 8-10 hours after ingestion.
- Reduced likelihood of contracting staphylococcus, dysentery, and certain respiratory diseases (e.g. flu).
Indications for use
As with all kinds of diets (which we will discuss in more detail below), taking activated charcoal is justified only in combination with other methods. However, in medical guidelines you can find many other indications for its use. So, you should pay attention to this drug for those who suffer from:
- Metabolic disorders.
- Indigestion, fermentation, flatulence, diarrhea.
- Consequences of acute intoxication.
- Poisoning with alkaloids, heavy metal salts and other harmful substances.
- Poisonings of various etiologies.
And this is just a short list of situations when taking it will be extremely beneficial. However, do not forget that you can drink the drug not once, but as a course only after the approval of the attending physician, since you may have contraindications to taking it.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that activated charcoal cleansing is practiced everywhere, not everyone should use it. In addition to individual intolerance, the reason for refusal may be:
- Avitaminosis or metabolic disorders.
- Insufficient (up to 14 years old) or excessive (over 65 years old) age of the person losing weight.
- Pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding for young mothers.
- Low blood pressure.
- Problems in the digestive tract: colitis, duodenal ulcer, or any others.
- The patient taking certain medications (e.g. antitoxins).
- Predisposition to constipation and bulimia, intestinal dysbacteriosis.
- Internal bleeding (regardless of its origin).
As you can see, drinking it is not always useful. And in some cases, it can even be dangerous to health. Therefore, if you plan to start losing weight on activated charcoal, do not forget to consult with your doctor beforehand.
Is there an effect
Is charcoal effective as a weight loss aid? In search of the answer to this question, let us turn to the experience of those who have already tried these tablets on themselves. According to reviews, in two weeks without the use of additional methods (effective diets, physical activity), people managed to lose about 2-4 kg. Moreover, the greater the initial weight of the losing weight, the better results he managed to achieve.
However, let’s see if activated charcoal really helps to lose weight? Actually, no. It’s just that when you start drinking these pills, you also increase your water intake. Having previously filled the stomach with water, a person eats less during the next meal. As a result, weight loss. In other words, you can achieve the same result in the same time without taking activated charcoal. It will be enough to drink a cup of still water at room temperature about 20-30 minutes before meals.
But what the drug really does well is cleanse the body. After a two-week course, many people note:
- Improvement of the skin condition: disappearance of blackheads and oily sheen.
- Feeling of lightness in the body.
- Stabilization of the intestines.
However, all this is possible only if you take the drug correctly. If you forget about the measure and are guided by the principle “the more, the better”, you can earn a number of complications.
Harm to the body
It would seem that we have all known charcoal since childhood as an excellent remedy for intestinal problems and excessive gas formation. So what negative consequences can we talk about? Recall that activated charcoal is primarily a medicinal product. This means that its overdose or misuse can be quite harmful to the body. This can be expressed in:
- Avitaminosis and hypovitaminosis
Activated charcoal is an excellent adsorbent, but it removes from the body not only toxins, but also nutrients.
- External deterioration
With prolonged use, you risk negating all the positive effects of “cleansing”: clean skin will become dull and pimpled, nails will become brittle, and hair will begin to fall out.
- Constipation
Excessive slowing down of peristalsis is a faithful companion of severe constipation, from which diarrhea and hemorrhoids are not so far away.
- Damage to the intestinal walls
Two weeks of moderate use of the drug will not cause any negative consequences. However, if you get too carried away, you are guaranteed problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
- Reduced effect of taking other medicines
Instead of having a restorative effect on the body, the beneficial substances and antibodies contained in the tablets will be actively excreted along with toxins.
- Lowering blood pressure and thromboembolism
And all this is true only for completely healthy people. How self-medication or a “grandmother’s” recipe based on activated charcoal will affect those who already suffer from any chronic diseases can only be guessed at. But there will clearly be no talk of improvements.
Of course, the above does not mean at all that it is harmful to health. It’s just that the benefits will only be noticeable with the right reception. And it may turn out to be completely different from what you expect.
Dosage and rules for use
So, what method of application will give the optimal effect and will not cause irreparable harm? The exact course can only be prescribed by the attending physician, who is familiar with the characteristics of your body. As a rule, the rules of
