Activated charcoal for body cleansing and weight loss: how and how much to drink?

The man's striving to develop himself, changing the world around him, has led to the fact that the water, food and air necessary for our existence, began to contain a certain danger. Together with oxygen, we breathe in a lot of toxic and harmful substances, food all kinds of carcinogens, preservatives, unsafe chemical additives (dyes, taste enhancers, etc.) fall into our body, and the water contains almost the entire periodic table, not all elements of which are useful to humans. And in fact all of the above can also be added to the increased radiation, the negative impact of stress, under the influence of which harmful substances, allergens present in clothing, household chemicals, etc., are formed in the body itself. Therefore, it is not surprising that with age, under the weight of the described negative factors, human health begins to malfunction against the background of apparent prosperity. And in order to get rid of unnecessary ballast and help your body to recover, you just need to clean it regularly, which can be done in different ways. One of such popular, inexpensive and effective methods of cleansing is the cleansing of the body with activated charcoal, known to people from time immemorial.

A little about the history of the method

Activated carbon is a special demineralized form of ordinary coal, made in the form of a porous powder, purified of foreign impurities and adapted for internal reception. This popular sorbent, thanks to its low price, safety and versatility, is actively used in complex therapy of various diseases, as well as simply for cleansing and rejuvenating the body.

They produce activated carbon using modern technologies from various raw materials. It can be stone or bituminous coal, wood raw materials, and even a burned coconut shell. In the first stage of the process, charring of the material occurs, and then it is activated, i. E. Opening of previously closed pores of coal. It is thanks to the porous structure that activated carbon acquires (absorbs) a large number of substances harmful to the body: slags, toxins, certain metabolic products, lipid compounds in the blood, microbial particles, etc.

The greatest popularity for today coal has received in treatment of food poisonings, in fact its properties to deduce from an organism of a poison and harmful substances, to clear a blood of toxic connections and to struggle with a diarrhea in this case are just the way. But the mention of coal powder as a therapeutic and cosmetic means can be found even in the chronicles of Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. So, special attention to this interesting material was paid by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates.

It is clear that in those days it was not about modern tablets. Healers used to cleanse the body of poisoning and infections (for example, with typhoid fever, cholera or dysentery), ordinary charcoal. For example, in ancient Russia, the treatment with birch charcoal, which was used both externally and inside, was quite popular.

Conventional coal did not have the same porous structure as the activated one, and, nevertheless, was actively used as an absorbent. And what can we say about modern tablets and powders based on coal, which are capable of binding and removing harmful substances more than their own mass. In addition, the production of activated carbon is considered to be low-cost, which means that the material obtained is of low cost for all the benefits that it has. Not surprisingly, the cleansing of the body with activated carbon does not lose its popularity even today, despite the appearance of new effective enterosorbents.

But if in ancient times coal was interested in people from the point of view of its therapeutic effectiveness, in the modern world, which demands high not only for health, but for the appearance of a person, this substance was also found in other applications. We will talk about this below.

[1], [2]

Indications Activated carbon

Tablets "Activated charcoal"  - a well-known drug, which can be found in virtually every home. Low price and benefits in the treatment of various diseases, including poisoning with other medicines, make the sorbent a universal medicine available to a wide range of people. True, not everyone is familiar with the full range of possibilities for the use of activated carbon, and the drug is used primarily for poisoning.

But after all, the purification of the body and intestine in particular, that part of the digestive system, where the absorption of the main part of useful and harmful substances occurs, is necessary not only when the first signs of poisoning have appeared. It should be understood that in the modern world the human body is daily poisoned by polluted air, poor-quality food, water of questionable quality, etc. Thus, it is a question of chronic poisoning, i.e. The gradual accumulation of harmful substances in the body, which ultimately leads to deterioration of health, malfunctions in the digestive system and nervous system, and a reduction in general and local immunity.

If you regularly cleanse your body with the same activated carbon, you can avoid the development of many diseases, the root cause of which is chronic intoxication. And if you understand, then in the list of such diseases, you can include most of the well-known pathologies of health.

For example, the result of chronic intoxication of the body can be considered an increase in the frequency of infectious diseases and the appearance of allergic reactions, which are associated with weakening of immunity. Some doctors do not even consider allergy to individual diseases, referring it to a particular case of intoxication, if an allergic reaction occurs in response to ingestion of harmful substances.

One type of malfunction in the immune system is food allergy, which has skin manifestations. It is caused by two factors: exogenous and endogenous intoxication. In the first case we are talking about harmful factors that affect the body from the outside, and in the second - about internal causes (slagging of the body, ie, inadequate removal of fat-soluble substances, products of processing hormones and proteins, etc., that settle in skin as one of the organs of excretion).

The use of activated carbon  for allergies  helps to cleanse the body of toxins and toxins, which reduces the risk of allergic reactions. The fact is that food allergy does not arise from scratch. Usually it is provoked by already existing diseases of the digestive tract, in which most often, metabolic disturbances caused by slagging of the intestine are noted. In this case, not only the absorption of nutrients is disturbed, but also the removal of harmful metabolic products.

The attempt to remove unnecessary substances through the skin ends with their interaction with immune cells that produce antibodies and cause the appearance of a rash (inflammatory reaction). Purification of the intestine  in this case acts as the prevention of new allergic reactions, while in food poisoning it is an effective therapeutic procedure that helps to remove from the body of bacterial agents and toxic products of their vital activity that provoke the appearance of symptoms of acute poisoning.

It's not a secret that the metabolism in the body largely depends on the state of our intestines. One of the symptoms of its violation can be considered the change in body weight, and in particular its increase. Using activated charcoal for cleaning the intestines can normalize the metabolism, which helps to fight excess weight, it is no wonder that in recent years it has become fashionable to use this popular sorbent  for weight loss, combining its reception with rational dietary nutrition.

In some cases, the immune system starts to work inadequately, which results in the development of autoimmune pathologies, in the treatment of which activated charcoal is used as an auxiliary.

Toxic effects on the nervous system lead to increased irritability, sleep disorders, headaches, and sometimes depressions. In severe cases of poisoning, neurological symptoms may appear, and cardiovascular and respiratory system failures that are dangerous to human health and life.

Chronic intoxication greatly affects the appearance of a person, i.e. Condition of his skin, hair, nails, causing the appearance of signs of premature aging of the body (flabby skin, rough brittle nails, thin, lifeless hair). One of the manifestations of chronic poisoning of the body can be considered acne, furunculosis, various types of dermatitis.

All these problems can be prevented by regular internal cleaning of the body with activated charcoal. And with skin problems, coal, as an excellent absorbent and a means that normalizes metabolic processes in the skin, can be applied externally. For example, with the help of activated carbon (masks and special cleansing strips), you can  cleanse the skin of acne, blackheads, black spots, treatment of enlarged pores of acne.

On the other hand, many diseases or their treatment by themselves cause intoxication of the body. For example, in the infectious nature of diseases, a large number of microbes live and reproduce in the body, which in the course of their life releases toxic substances that poison the host's organism. To reduce the symptoms of intoxication, such as nausea, headaches, weakness, etc., activated charcoal should also be included in the treatment of diseases.

Sometimes coal is also used as part of complex therapy of parasitic infections. It is clear that the properties of the sorbent are not enough  to cleanse the body of parasites, but it helps to remove harmful living products of worms and the like. Moreover, coal promotes the removal of parasite decomposition products from the intestine during drug treatment.

Cleansing the body of toxins, from toxins, allergens, microbes and other things is considered an effective preventive measure, allowing to maintain the health of many organs and body systems. For example, such cleaning will be very useful for the liver, which is considered the main filter of the whole organism. It can be carried out both for preventive purposes and as part of a comprehensive treatment for cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis.

The liver is an organ that, along with brain cells, suffers primarily from the harmful effects of alcohol. If a person consumes only 75-90 ml of alcohol daily, his liver will eventually become atrophied. To prevent such unfortunate consequences helps the reception of activated carbon on the eve of the feast with alcohol. This same technique helps to avoid such an unpleasant phenomenon as a hangover.

True, such prophylaxis has real results only with occasional use of alcohol, while  with alcoholism of a  chronic nature the sorbent is unlikely to help preserve the liver and kidneys.

With regard to alcohol poisoning, caused by the use of a large volume of alcoholic beverages or poor-quality products, activated charcoal when properly used is at altitude. He perfectly copes with the binding and excretion of acetaldehyde (a dangerous product of ethanol metabolism), which causes the appearance of symptoms of intoxication, and in large quantities leading even to the death of the victim.

Toxic effect on the body is famous for nicotine, which enters the body when smoking and inhaling tobacco smoke, which contains, in addition to nicotine, about two hundred harmful substances for humans. Some of these substances act similarly to drugs and are addictive, which explains the difficulties arising from quitting smoking.

If a person decides to quit a psychological mood, there will be little, because you need to hold out for more than a day, until not only nicotine, but other poisonous substances, including those that cause cravings for smoking, are excreted from the body. The faster the toxins are removed from the body, the easier it will be to adapt to life without cigarettes. That is why purification of the body  after quitting  is an important component of tobacco dependence therapy. Again, popular activated carbon is coming to the rescue.

[3], [4]

Release form

As you can see, the benefits of activated carbon on human health can not be overestimated. It is not for nothing that this porous absorbent is used even to protect the body from penetration of substances harmful to it, making it filters for water purification or use in respirators. True, the industry uses mainly granular form of activated carbon.

For medical purposes, special medicines are used to treat food poisoning, intoxication with heavy metal salts and drugs (antibiotics, glycosides, hypnotics), dyspeptic phenomena, increased acidity of gastric juice, diarrhea, elimination of toxins of various origin. They are also suitable for preventive cleansing of the intestine.

To purify the body with activated carbon, the following sorbent release forms can be used:

• tablets (the most popular and common form of the drug, which is usually called "Activated Carbon"),
• capsules (this form of activated charcoal may have different names, dosage and application, for example, the same popular "Sorbex", the active substance of which is activated charcoal),
• Powder for the preparation of a suspension, which can also be called "Carbolong" and "Microsorb", it is convenient to use for the treatment of various intoxications in children (can be produced both in vials and in bags with different masses of active substance).

White activated carbon, which appeared on the shelves of pharmacies much later than its black predecessor, can also be used to purify the body. The truth to coal this drug has nothing to do. Its active substance is silicon dioxide (another powerful sorbent), and auxiliary - fine crystalline cellulose, stimulating the peristalsis of the intestine.

"White coal" is considered a more powerful enterosorbent, which is recommended for the treatment of poisoning and allergies in adults. Its sorption properties, like that of the 4th generation preparation, are much higher than those of the past coal activation. But here you can treat him children only with the permission of the pediatrician and only with serious poisoning. And use as a means to lose weight is not recommended at all, because in addition to financial costs, the patient actually receives nothing. The effect is the same as on reception of activated carbon, but at a higher price.

[5], [6], [7]

Pharmacodynamics

But back to the traditional sorbent sorbent called "Activated Carbon." Its name corresponds to the active substance considered to be an effective absorbent. Pharmacodynamics of the drug is due to the properties of its active substance, which provides absorption and elimination of harmful components for the body, causing acute or chronic intoxication.

Activated carbon is able to bind many substances that are capable of having a toxic effect in high doses. In addition to the above-mentioned slags and toxins, the drug binds and removes harmful gases, alkaloids, glycosides. It is effective for removal from the body of such poisonous substances as compounds of heavy metals and salicylic acid, barbiturates, certain types of poisons, etc. Coal is also used to treat intestinal infections, as it helps to remove pathogenic microorganisms from the intestines more efficiently.

The drug can also be used for poisoning with acids or alkalis, including iron salts, cyanides, ethylene glycol, etc. But in this case the absorption will be weaker, which means that in case of severe poisoning such treatment will be ineffective.

The porous powder of coal begins to act immediately upon ingression into the gastrointestinal tract, preventing the absorption of harmful substances and facilitating their excretion together with feces. In this case, the coal itself in the digestive system is not digested and not absorbed into the blood. But it helps to cleanse the liquid part of the blood, because its constituent is just purified gastrointestinal juices.

Thanks to the participation of activated carbon, the concentration of lipids in the blood decreases, which are considered the cause of the development of arteriosclerosis of the vessels, forming cholesteric plaques on their walls. Cleaning the bowels and optimizing the absorption of nutrients contributes to the normalization of metabolic processes, which affects both weight and condition of the skin, hair, nails, bones, etc.

Such properties are given to the activated carbon by the porous structure of the substance. A large number of pores simply attracts most of the harmful and some useful substances and keeps them on its surface. And since coal is not absorbed in the intestine, it is excreted from the body in an unchanged form, taking with itself all unnecessary.

Given the natural origin and pharmacokinetics of the drug, i.e. The fact that the active substance does not enter the blood, the sorbent is considered quite safe, although it is not without contraindications to the use. In addition, special selectivity for activated carbon is not noticed, and this suggests that along with harmful substances, it can remove from the body and some useful, so the course of treatment with the drug and the duration of the purification procedures should be limited in time. Otherwise, it is possible to successfully obtain avitaminosis and deficiency conditions associated with a deficiency in the body of minerals.

Despite all the useful properties of the popular drug, cleansing of the body with activated charcoal should be done consciously with a certain degree of caution, which includes contraindications, adherence to recommended treatment terms, additional intake of vitamin and mineral complexes.

[8], [9], [10], [11], [12]

Dosing and administration

"Activated carbon" is a drug with a rather wide scope of application. With it, you can both treat serious diseases and prevent toxicity. It is clear that the universal method of treatment and prevention of one drug in this case does not exist.

Since in this article we are talking about the cleansing of the body with activated carbon, we omit the discussion of the topic of treatment with sorbent of acute poisoning, and we will dwell on the manifestations of chronic intoxications (allergy, acne, deterioration of general health and digestive system, metabolic processes, etc.).

Consider the most popular scheme of treatment and prophylactic cleansing of the body with activated charcoal, while it should be understood that for the treatment of acute poisoning the dosage of the drug will be completely different, however, like the course of treatment. For cleansing the body with the first signs of malaise, a standard adult dosage is provided - 1 tablet of activated carbon (0.25 g) for every 10 kg of the body weight of a person.

Thus, patients with a weight of 40-55 kg are enough 5 tablets, and those whose weight is in the range of 56-65 kg is enough to take 6 tablets. That is, to calculate the effective dosage it is enough to know your weight and to make a mathematical rounding: if the last figure of the body weight is less than 5 rounding is made to a smaller side, and if more than 5 to a larger one. People with a border weight (45, 55, 65 kg, etc.) can stop at a lower dosage (round down).

Patients whose weight exceeds 80 kg, it is recommended to stop on taking 8 tablets. Further increase in dosage is impractical, and with prolonged use even dangerous.

How to take pills to cleanse the intestines and the body as a whole? Optimum is considered taking a single dose of the drug twice a day. The first reception of the sorbent is better done in the morning, and the second - in the evening. Tablets can be taken, thoroughly chewed and washed down with a sufficient amount of water (about half a glass), or pre-grind them into powder and, mixing with water, drink. The latter option is considered preferable.

Since the cleansing of the body with activated carbon is not limited to a single dose of the drug, you need to determine the scheme and the course of cleansing, relevant in each case. For example, to cleanse the liver, a dosage of 1 tablet for every ten kilograms of weight is relevant only on the first day, while taking the sorbent is recommended in the evening before going to bed. On the second day of the cleansing course, the drug is taken 2 tablets 2-3 times a day between meals. Beginning from the 3rd day of taking the pill in a standard dosage is taken, as for cleaning the intestines, twice a day (in the morning and in the evening).

In general, the course of cleaning the liver lasts 7-10 days, after which you need to give the body a rest for 7-14 days and again repeat the course treatment. Take an activated day for more than 10 days in a row is not recommended, so as not to violate the composition of nutrients in the body that the coal displays together with harmful.

On the same system you can clean the intestines. Since activated charcoal is taken inside to purify the liver, the digestive system is also cleared with it.

Activated charcoal can treat various types of allergies. But he shows the best result in the therapy of food allergy. The dosage of the drug in this case remains standard (1 tablet per 10 kg of weight). You can take it as at one time (in the morning or in the evening), and divide by 2-3 reception.

When asked how much to drink activated charcoal for allergies, there is no clear answer. But usually the treatment takes at least 2 weeks, and sometimes can last for 5-6 weeks, during which you need to do a couple of intervals for rest and recovery.

If it is a pollen allergy, one-two-week courses of activated carbon intake should be carried out during the periods of active flowering of plants (April-May, July-August). But then again, do not forget about the need to make at least a short break for replenishing useful substances.

In the instructions for activated charcoal there is no indication that it can be used to purify the body, as there is no clear indication of the scheme for conducting the course cleaning. People spend cleaning the body with activated charcoal according to different methods and schemes. For example, you can brush for a week, and then spend 2-3 more of this course at intervals of 1-2 weeks. Or give preference to a technique in which coal needs to be taken for a long time (at least 8 weeks) for 2 days with 5-day intervals. In any case, these courses will be safer than taking coal for 2-4 weeks continuously, as some sources advise.

There is no generally accepted scheme for taking activated charcoal and for reducing body weight. In order to lose weight, the drug can be taken according to the following schemes:

• daily for 1-1,5 hours before breakfast take 2 tablets of sorbent, washed down with a glass of water,
• during the day we take a three-time reception of the drug (1 hour before meals in the amount of 3-4 tablets),
• the standard dose of the drug is divided into 2 divided doses, each of which should be performed 1-1.5 hours before meals).

During the cleaning period, it is recommended that you follow a low-calorie diet (1100-1200 calories per day) or eat only water. In the latter case, you first need to get a doctor's permission to carry out such fasting, so as not to damage your health, nevertheless, the 10th course of purification will be a powerful blow to the body, which will not receive useful substances, while coal will take out of it available reserves . Fasting on water and coal is recommended to be carried out under the supervision of a specialist.

How many days to drink coal, and according to what scheme to do it, everyone chooses for himself.

But in any case, the safety of the cleaning procedure should come to the fore. And since special selectivity for activated carbon is not noticed, after the course of cleaning the body must necessarily drink a course of vitamin and mineral supplements and probiotics, as well as include in their diet products with high nutritional value, for example, dairy products with a high content of useful lacto- and bifidobacteria .

For the treatment of acne, acne, dilated pores and other defects on the skin of the face, activated charcoal is recommended to take 2 tablets 4-5 times a day. You need to do this after eating. In addition, it is recommended to make special masks with activated charcoal once a week. External application of the drug will accelerate the removal of inflammation in the area of acne, and the internal device will prevent the appearance of new rashes.

Activated charcoal and bad habits

Treatment of poisoning and cleansing with activated carbon of the body with its slagging - a long time and repeatedly tested by the people of the technique. But not everyone knows that with the help of this sorbent you can help yourself to remove unpleasant symptoms of dyspepsia (heartburn, flatulence, nausea) with overeating. Treatment is carried out according to the standard scheme, but take the pill no later than half an hour after eating a large amount of food.

Identically, they do the same when eating fatty foods, after which a feeling of heaviness appears in the stomach. This feeling suggests that the food is digested slowly, as a result of which stagnant phenomena are noted in the digestive system. Stagnation of food in the stomach and intestines causes fermentation processes with the formation of harmful substances for the body, which helps to remove activated carbon, preventing intoxication.

Another bad habit is addiction to alcohol. We have already noted that in chronic alcoholism, the course treatment of the liver and the body as a whole is unlikely to bring particular benefit, and it is not recommended to take charcoal for a long time. But those who drink spirits not regularly, can help themselves to prevent such an unpleasant phenomenon, as a hangover, which is a particular case of intoxication.

To do this, it is recommended to take 5-6 tablets of activated charcoal (ideally 1 tablet per 20 kg of weight) an hour before the anticipated drinking of alcoholic beverages, after washing them with water. When alcohol gets into the body, activated carbon will already be waiting for it, spreading to the walls of the stomach and intestines, and quickly removes acetaldehyde, which is formed in the process of ethanol metabolism. And we remember that this substance is the cause of intoxication and our nightmarish condition after the feast the next day.

If with the prevention of intoxication a discrepancy has come out, it is possible to take activated charcoal even later, for example, before going to bed or in the morning. In this case, the dosage of the sorbent will need to be doubled, i.e. Back to the standard dosage for cleansing the body.

Another important point in the use of alcohol and the treatment of intoxicating it with activated charcoal is preventive bowel cleansing. Sorbent will take on all the harmful metabolites and poisons contained in alcohol (which is quite a lot), and if they are not removed in time, toxins will be re-absorbed into the blood from the intestine. A cleansing enema or taking laxatives will help make cleansing of the body from alcohol breakdown products more effective.

Along with a large amount of alcohol and alcohol of questionable quality, significant concentrations of acetaldehyde and other poisons enter the body, which often leads to alcohol poisoning. In this case, you first need to wash the patient's stomach (for this purpose, you can use a slurry of activated carbon particles in water), and then take 10 or more tablets of coal (depending on the degree of poisoning), without forgetting about the abundant drink.

With severe poisoning, one should not rely only on activated charcoal. It is more reasonable even before rendering first aid to hurry to call an ambulance, especially if from the moment of drinking alcohol before the symptoms of acute poisoning passed quite a lot of time and harmful substances in high concentrations penetrated into the blood. Activated charcoal can not clean blood quickly and qualitatively, in urgent cases urgent hemodialysis is required to save the patient from a lethal outcome.

Another problem of mankind is nicotine addiction. Realizing that tobacco smoke poisons both the body of the smoker himself and those who are near him (and they suffer even more), not everyone is ready to part with an addiction. This is not surprising given that cigarette smoke contains narcotic substances.

But, even having said goodbye to tobacco dependence and having returned to a healthy way of life, the person for a long time feels broken. The nicotine "breakage" in combination with the consequences of chronic intoxication (and in fact a smoker receives high doses of harmful substances on a daily basis) is precisely the reason for the poor state of health of those who quit smoking.

To reduce the symptoms of intoxication and return the body to normal work, you can use the beneficial properties of activated charcoal, taking it 20-25 minutes before eating before breakfast. Single dose - 2 tablets, which should be washed down with plenty of water. The key is the reception of activated carbon on an empty stomach. And the body will need to be cleaned for at least 1 month.

[16], [17], [18]

Application for children

"Activated charcoal" - one of the completely harmless drugs that are allowed for use in childhood. The natural basis of the sorbent and the absence of toxic effects on the child's organism allows treating even infants. However, children of younger age who do not know how to swallow tablets, this form of the drug is recommended to dissolve in water, i.e. Prepare from it an aqueous suspension of particles.

Now, as for the indications for the use of the drug. Just for the purification of the body, activated charcoal in childhood is not necessary. Pediatricians generally do not recommend without strict evidence to conduct such procedures. It's another matter when it comes to food poisoning, when coal actually has real benefits, protecting children's body from microbes and their toxins.

The use of activated carbon is also possible if the child has been exposed to radiation for some time, lived in an ecologically unfavorable territory, and was poisoned by chemical compounds. But the decision on the appointment of a sorbent in this case should be made by the doctor, and not by the parents of the baby.

Other indications for the use of various forms of activated charcoal may be intestinal infections, the symptoms of which are similar to manifestations of food poisoning, as well as other infections, including respiratory infections. The fact is that in the acute period, when active multiplication of infectious agents occurs, toxic products of their vital activity are released into the human blood, causing symptoms of intoxication (weakness, headaches, nausea, etc.). Activated charcoal facilitates the child's well-being during infectious diseases and partially removes germs from the intestines during gastrointestinal infections.

But by offering activated charcoal to a child, one must understand that the adult standard dosage in this case is not applicable. At the age from 3 to 7 years, children can be given no more than 5 grams of the drug three times a day for reception, children under 14 can take 7 g per reception with the same multiplicity. The adult dose for poisoning is more than 10 g per reception, depending on the degree of intoxication.

It is important to consider, in connection with which disease the drug is prescribed. For example, to treat allergies in children (diathesis), it is enough to give the baby 1 tablet activated per day, dividing it into 3 doses (half an hour before meals for 2-3 days) and dissolving each part of the tablet in water. But for the treatment of poisoning, diarrhea, infections, the dosage can be much higher.

Another nuance in the use of activated charcoal by children is that kids often refuse to take a coal black liquid, so parents will have to show all their ingenuity and imagination to persuade the crumb to be treated, or to use white preparations to which children are more supportive.

[19], [20], [21]

Use Activated carbon during pregnancy

At pregnancy women especially scrupulously concern to a question of safety of medicines for their organism and the kid in a womb, therefore to all preparations concern with fear. However, doctors do not see any obstacles to the use of activated charcoal either during this period, or after the birth of the child during the period of breastfeeding.

Activated carbon is one of the few drugs that can boast of its versatility and safety for different categories of the population. In the blood, he does not penetrate, and so the young mother can not harm. Through the placenta, the substance does not pass, and this indicates the absence of its influence on the developing fetus. The drug is excreted naturally through the intestine, without loading the kidneys, which the future mother is already experiencing an increased load.

As you can see, you can take activated charcoal during pregnancy without any special fear. But do not do it foolhardy. For example, it is worthwhile to take care of preventive cleansing of the body at the stage of preparation for pregnancy, and not during it. Activated carbon as a sponge absorbs both harmful and beneficial substances. The lack of the latter will negatively affect not only the well-being of the pregnant woman, but also the development of the fetus in the womb.

If the future mother really wants to eat a black tablet (well, there are such quirks in pregnant women), this is not forbidden. In the end, our body knows what it needs, and there is practically no harm from the activated carbon. But to conduct cleansing of the body with activated charcoal in high doses for several days during pregnancy, at least, it is unreasonable.

But with poisoning and intoxications, very dangerous in this period for both the mother and the fetus, activated charcoal is simply indispensable, however, it is necessary to start taking it as early as possible so that as few harmful substances get into the blood. After all, with the blood of the mother, they will also enter the baby's organism, causing irreversible disturbances in its development, and sometimes the death of the baby in the womb.

But poisoning is not the only situation where you can take activated charcoal to pregnant women. The drug will also help with increased gas production, intestinal colic, heartburn, diarrhea, which often torment future mothers because the growing uterus begins to press on various parts of the digestive tract, provoking digestive disorders. Only take it is recommended strictly according to the doctor's prescription, because different symptoms require different dosages of the sorbent, and the standard dose (1 tablet for every 10 kg of weight) is not relevant here.

Contraindications

Regardless of who is prescribed the drug: an adult or a child, before using it is recommended to carefully read the contraindications to the use of the drug. The fact is that even the most innocuous drugs have certain limitations in the application. So the general contraindication for all medicines and dosage forms is considered individual sensitivity to individual components of the drug, regardless of whether the substance is acting or ancillary.

Activated carbon can be prescribed for various pathologies (food and chemical poisoning, toxic infections, increased acidity of gastric juice, dyspepsia, drug overdose and reactions of intolerance, allergies, acne, etc.), as well as for periodic cleansing of the organism in chronic intoxications . But this is possible only if the patient does not:

• gastrointestinal bleeding,
• erosions and ulcers on the gastrointestinal mucosa.

Thus, erosive gastritis, stomach ulcer and ulcerative bowel disease can be considered serious contraindications to the use of even such a safe preparation as activated charcoal. And it does not matter, it's about cleaning the body or treating acute poisoning.

It is undesirable to apply several antitoxic agents at the same time in different ways. So, sorbents will prevent absorption of other oral medicines (antidotes) used to treat intoxications, and reduce their antitoxic effect. In this case, it is advisable to observe the necessary interval between antidote and sorbent doses (usually at least 2 hours).

Another relative contraindication to the purification of the body with activated charcoal can be considered predisposition to constipation. The fact that constipation is one of the side effects of coal, which along with toxins and toxins absorbs in the intestines and fluid, making the stool masses more dry and firm. The constipation is especially dangerous during pregnancy and hemorrhoids, therefore in these situations it is better to abstain from using activated carbon without extreme necessity or to use the means that do not presume such changes in the stool.

Cleansing the body with activated charcoal, most often carried out at home without prescribing a doctor, still requires mandatory consideration of contraindications, so that such cleaning does not turn into new health problems. Special care should be taken for people with diseases of the digestive organs and do not use the drug if there is no certainty of the absence of ulcerative forms of diseases.

[13], [14]

Side effects Activated carbon

We all want to be healthy and beautiful, therefore the information that health can be returned to the body in such an inexpensive way is very much in demand today. In addition, cleaning the body requires much less material and physical costs than treatment of most diseases.

But applying any, even the safest methods, you need to understand what can be encountered in the process of treatment or prevention. Let's talk about the side effects of the sorbent called Activated Carbon. Yes, it can also have side effects, one of which is the reaction of drug intolerance.

The next group of known side effects of the drug is dyspepsia. These include: nausea, vomiting, stool disorders. Despite the fact that activated carbon doctors are appointed to combat dyspepsia, some people may have a reverse reaction. In this case, constipation during the reception of sorbents are more frequent than diarrhea, which in itself is very bad, because it is not enough to bind toxins, they must also be removed from the body in time, and not stored in the intestines, where they can return to the blood.

The body can be cleansed with coal more efficiently and at the same time it is possible to avoid such trouble as constipation if you pay attention to the drinking regime, i.e. Drink plenty of water and always include liquid food in your diet. But even if this does not help make the stool more fluid and regular, it is better to refuse the cleansing of the body with activated charcoal.

If activated charcoal in a standard dosage and above to consume for a long time without a break for recovery, there is a serious risk of earning avitaminosis, because the substance useful for the body displays along with harmful ones. And even if you keep the intervals between courses, after cleaning your body it is recommended to drink vitamin and mineral complexes to restore the necessary balance of vitamins and microelements that are necessary for normal functioning of the body.

Long-term use of activated carbon in high doses can lead to a deficiency in the body of not only vitamins and minerals, but also proteins, fats, hormones, which may require compliance with diet and drug therapy.

The desire to cleanse the body of everything harmful should not overshadow the mind. For cleaning procedures, 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight is sufficient. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Let an overdose of charcoal and is not considered dangerous for the life of the patient, it can provoke the appearance of side effects, which is also very unpleasant. In this case, the course of purification will have to be interrupted, so that the harm is minimal.

Doctors say that in effective dosage for cleansing activated charcoal safely does its job within 3-4 days, after which the concentration of nutrients begins to decrease in the body. If you take the drug for more than 2 weeks in a row, hypovitaminosis develops, which again leads to a decrease in immunity, performance, etc. In this case, without the administration of multivitamins, it will be very difficult to restore health.

[15]

Interactions with other drugs

Prevention, like treatment, requires consideration of the interaction of activated carbon with other drugs. As an enterosorbent, coal can reduce the effectiveness of oral medications, so taking them at the same time is not recommended. The optimal interval between sorbent intake and medications for internal administration, including oral contraceptives, is 1.5-2 hours.

[22]

Storage conditions

It is important to keep the drug correctly. In addition to the standard storage conditions (room temperature, the absence of nearby sources of moisture, away from children), manufacturers point out and such an important point, as the distance from substances emitting vapors and gases. As a sorbent coal will pull them on themselves, and together with it these substances can get into the human body.

[23], [24], [25], [26], [27]

Shelf life

Using activated charcoal to cleanse the body or treat diseases, it is necessary to take into account its shelf life. Many people think that coal simply can not deteriorate with time, and it can be stored forever. But this is not so, it's not for nothing that manufacturers give their products only 2 years of storage, during which the coal remains safe and retains its useful properties.

[28], [29]

Analogues

Activated carbon is one of the most ancient sorbents known to mankind. Later, many other enterosorbents with other active substances (lignin, silicon dioxide) appeared, which are considered more effective in poisoning and intoxication, and, according to reports, less often cause side effects, having greater selectivity.

Many people use sorbents successfully to purify the body, for example, Polysorb, White Coal, Polyphepan, Enterosgel, etc. It is clear that these preparations must be taken in other regimens and in different dosages. So, the course of purification "Polisorbom" leaves only 7-14 days, and take the drug in accordance with the weight of a man (for adults it is 1-2 tablespoons powder with a slide, diluted in ½ cup water) three times a day, respecting hour interval between taking the drug and food.

But to cleanse the body does not necessarily resort to the help of pharmacy. On our table quite often there are products that are capable of carrying out such cleaning no worse than sorbents. Such products include rice, garlic, apples and some other fruits, beets, kefir, flax seeds, etc.

Cleansing the body of rice  is a fairly popular and safe practice of taking care of one's health, which came to us from the countries of the East, which practically has no contraindications and can be applied from 12 years. The most popular is the monthly cleansing cycle, during which it is necessary to eat a specially prepared portion of rice for a breakfast (preferably brown), and for lunch and dinner - ordinary food. Special preparation of rice (long and repeated soaking) is required in order to free the rump from sugars, starch and inorganic salts.

One of the main requirements of such cleansing is the rejection of bad habits (alcohol, smoking) and a balanced diet. At the same time, there are also several options for cleansing the body with rice (unloading days, slimming on rice porridge, rice breakfast, etc.).

Of all the existing methods of purifying the body, the most simple and natural is the  cleansing of the body with water. In this case, it is not necessary to refuse food and take activated charcoal. It is enough to drink at least 1.5 liters of clean water a day, and in the morning on an empty stomach to drink a glass of warm water, preferably with a slice of lemon and a spoon of natural honey. Morning water intake cleanses the digestive system from mucus, and the whole body from toxins and in passing helps to start the stomach and intestines in the work.

It is believed that the greatest intensity is thawed water (frozen in the freezer and thawed), which changes its structure, gets rid of negative energy, increases the tone of the whole organism.

But to cleanse the intestines from parasites, the use of only useful water is not enough. Here, an enema with garlic will come to the rescue. The composition for it can be prepared in various ways. For adults, a week treatment option is suitable, when the chopped chives are poured with boiling water and left for half an infusion, then filtered and used for the intended purpose. For enema, 50 ml of infusion is sufficient.

For children, garlic is best poured with water and bring to a boil, then cool to a temperature of not more than 38 degrees and use. The course of treatment in this case will be 2 times greater, i.е. 2 weeks.

If you want on the Internet, you can find many ways to cleanse the body of not only activated charcoal, but also other natural and safe products that we encounter daily without knowing their useful properties. But for effective cleaning, it is not so much the substances used that are important as the mood and the patient's desire to be healthy and common sense.

[30], [31], [32], [33], [34]

Reviews

How many people, so many opinions. This alternative wisdom is also relevant for activated carbon, and in particular its use for purifying the body. No one doubts that this budgetary preparation is effective in poisoning, even in the paragraph "Overdose" instructions for the use of many drugs activated charcoal acts as first aid. But about the effectiveness of cleansing the body with activated charcoal, doubts still remain.

Most of the reviews indicate that coal operates. Those who practice cleansing manage to get rid of extra kilograms (from 1 to 5 per week), improve overall health, normalize the digestive system, get rid of chronic headaches. In favor of coal, there is an emerging sense of lightness throughout the body.

Nevertheless, there are some negative comments from those who did not notice any changes, or during the cleaning process, earned some problems: constipation, dyspepsia, etc. Appeared. Let's notice, manufacturers do not hide the probability of occurrence of similar signs, therefore to them it is necessary to be ready. Such people can be advised to look for other ways to cleanse the body, because even popular drugs are not suitable for everyone.

The reason for the lack of the effect of using the sorbent is often its improper application (low dosage, irregular reception) or disbelief in the very method of purification, when the patient simply does not want to take the obvious. But deterioration of health is usually associated with an overdose of the drug or a continuous continuous reception. No wonder, even in the instructions it is noted that you should not take the drug for more than 14 consecutive days.

For those who are frightened by the indiscriminateness of activated carbon, you can recommend referring to the help of silicon sorbents, which do not disturb the balance of the body, but at the same time cost an order of magnitude higher. So everyone should decide for themselves whether it is worth spending money on cleaning the body or resorting to a budgetary means, taking it on a safe scheme and adhering to a balanced diet.

Cleansing the body with activated carbon is a simple, easy and inexpensive way to regain health and youth. To use it does not require special knowledge and skills, just desire and reasonable care. On this depends and the result /