Activated Charcoal for Food Poisoning | Should You Pop A Charcoal Pill
Activated charcoal aka Activated Carbon is a fine black powder which is odorless. It has an ability to absorb toxic substances. It is absorbent in nature and thus has a potential to be an effective therapy, for Eg, using activated charcoal for food poisoning and for stomach bug can be a successful remedy. But there is still a need for a lot of research to be done on this.
What is Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is derived by super heating the naturally occurring carbon rich substances like saw dust, coconut shells, wood etc. This activated carbon is packaged in form of tablets and powder.
How does Activated Charcoal Work
The activated charcoal particles are negatively charged and thus they have a tendency to attract substances with positively charged molecules. Most of the pollutants like toxic chemicals, molds, pollen etc. possess positively charged ions.
This can be put in a simpler way as ” Activated charcoal attracts the toxins and prevents them from getting absorbed in the body”
How Does Activated Charcoal Work For Food Poisoning
Activated charcoal is used in some cases of food poisoning and drug overdose. According to a study ” Activated Charcoal must be administered promptly”. In order for it to work it is essential for the Activated carbon to come in contact with the toxic substance concerned.
If activated charcoal is given timely it will reduce the bio-availabily of the toxic substance or drugs, thus preventing them from entering into the blood stream.
Taking Activated charcoal for food poisoning is effective only in absorbing the toxins that are still available in the stomach, toxins that are already absorbed by the GI tract will not bind to the activated charcoal. The activated carbon will absorb the positively charged ions that are still available in the stomach, which also includes certain vitamins and minerals too.
Should You Pop a Charcoal Pill when You Have Stomach bug
If you go by the home remedy and old school remedies way, yes you can take charcoal pill if you have nauseating stomach bug. But the best road to take is seeking professional guidance.
Stomach bug may cause nausea, vomiting , abdominal cramps and even a low grade fever. Activated charcoal will bind the toxins and as it cannot be digested it will take everything out through the digestive tract. Activated charcoal tablet is easily available in the market, even activated charcoal powder can be taken. Mixing Activated charcoal powder in apple juice makes it easy to consume for kids. Adults can mix it water . It should be taken sip by sip.
Should I Take Activated Charcoal For Food Poisoning As A Home Remedy
The answer to this question is an absolute No. Before administering activated carbon in any form, weighing up the potential risks and benefits is to be performed essentially. This can only be done by a professional. The dosage and repetitions are also determined by the professional depending upon the poison/drugs in questions.
Moreover a medical personnel will also determine the efficacy of activated charcoal pertaining to the toxin/ drugs which are to be eliminated.
Does Activated Charcoal Works on Every Toxic Substance
Activated charcoal will bind the substances that have a positively charged ion. It will not absorb iron, petroleum products. heavy metal etc. This makes it very clear that Activated charcoal can work effectively on some events of food poisoning and may not work at all in some.
This is why in an event of emergencies like food poisoning administration of activated charcoal in any form should be done in an emergency room performed by medical personnel. It has to be preceded by detailed analysis of efficacy and risk factors.
Medication and Activated Charcoal
In general Activated charcoal can interfere with the absorption of the medication, thus reducing the effectiveness of the drug. If you are taking activated charcoal keep atleast 1 hour gap between the charcoal pill and your other medication.
Other Uses of Activated Charcoal
Suggested Read: 6 Best Uses of Activated Charcoal for Your Skin
Activated charcoal has taken the beauty and skincare industry by storm. It came as something very intriguing and promising at the same time, given its ability to attract toxins.
Its is also used extensively in water purification. A wide range of water purifier’s filters are now laced with a layer of activated charcoal.
Disclaimer: This article is for information purpose only. Activated charcoal for food poisoning should be taken under medical supervision only.
Where Can You Buy Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is available in form of powder, capsule and tablet. All these forms are available very easily online. You can search online for activated charcoal and you will get numerous options to buy from. You can also visit your local chemist to buy it from there.
Fight Coronavirus: Food Recipes to Boost Your Immunity System
Coronavirus as a pandemic has already caused countries to lockdown for social distancing and prevention of its further spread. It is important to follow basic hygiene but there’s only so much that hand sanitizers can do. Hence, it’s imperative to boost immunity that helps prevent diseases like novel coronavirus.
Our body has a natural defense mechanism, ‘immunity’, to prevent and fight again virus such us coronavirus infection. Since it is a virus which has never mutated in human beings before, there is no current solution to it. Therefore, prevention is the best way during times of social distancing or self-quarantine. Some of the most helpful ammo in this fight against ill-health is right in your kitchen.
Turmeric is a spice commonly used in Indian cuisines and easily accessible. It contains a bright-yellow compound known as curcumin which has strong anti-inflammatory effects.
Garlic, a pungent herb with a characteristic aroma with zesty flavour and popular amongst Indian cuisine. It helps to fight the common cold and has antibacterial and antiviral effects.
Cloves also known as lavang pods are a major part of Ayurvedic medicine. It helps in treating nausea and flu. The oil in it combats sore gums.
Cinnamon has strong anti-inflammatory properties and can be added to warm water, coffee and desserts. The oil in it reduces aches, joint pains and improves circulation.
Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation in the body. The lining of the cells is protected by this fatty acid which keeps the immune system in check. It may not directly help with warding off a cold, but it bolsters the immune system.
Juices like Kale which is nutrient-dense provides one of the best ways to fortify the immune system. Pomegranate helps in aiding blood clotting, boosts heart health and bone development. Beetroot juice has powerful antioxidants that lower risk of heart disease and inflammation. Orange juice is rich source of vitamin C along with calcium that contributes to bone health.
Here are few easy and quick recipes for daily consumption of food that will boost your immunity system.
Lemon Ginger And Turmeric Daily detox tea To Strengthen Immunity
Ingredients – 6 cups water, 1 chunk fresh ginger, 3 cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, 6 fresh lemons
Instructions
- Peel the ginger and dice into thin slices. Add water in a large pot or saucepan over high heat and add the sliced ginger. Turn to low-heat once the water boils and let it simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, add the cinnamon sticks, turmeric and cayenne and simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes; stirring occasionally.
- Then remove from heat, let cool and strain.
This makes about 6 cups of a concentrated version of the detox tea which you can store in a glass jar in the fridge. This can be consumed warm or cold and add ½ fresh lemon juice right before you enjoy.
Breakfast Smoothies with Flax Seeds To Boost Your Immunity
Ingredients – 2 tbsp flaxseeds, 1 cup flavored soya milk, 1 cup chilled and roughly chopped strawberries, 1/2 cup chilled and roughly chopped bananas, 2 tsp honey, Garnish: 2 strawberries and 2 bananas slices
Instruction
- Add strawberries, bananas, flaxseeds and honey in soya milk, blend in a juicer till the mixture is smooth and frothy.
- Pour equal quantities of the smoothie into 2 individual glasses.
- Serve garnished with a strawberry and banana slice.
There are healthy recipes to keep your unhygienic/junk food eating habits at bay. But the above food items are easily available in your kitchen spice box or at the market. Staying healthy especially during such conditions is imperative.
- Authored By : Paramita Singh, Sport Nutritionist, to get an immune boosting diet or a list of supplements under a guided program email – connect2parami@gmail.com
- All the views are solely of the contributor, website does not take any responsibility about the authenticity of the information shared..
How To Flush Toxins and Cleanse The System
What are Toxins?
Toxin is a poisonous substance that can affect our body negatively and also lead to the malfunction of organs. Toxins are mostly understood as poisonous substances that are contained in the chemicals present in our food, water and environment, they are very hazardous if they come in contact and react with, or are absorbed by body tissues. They are produced by almost all living organisms, plants and human beings and micro organisms like bacteria, fungus, algae etc. However they are not harmful to the organism they are produced by but they are extremely harmful to the human beings.
How do toxins enter our body?
These toxins can enter our body through various mediums like:
Food: synthetic additives and preservatives used in our food products, herbicides and pesticides used agricultural process.
Air: Polluted air, cigarette smoke, room freshener, deodorant sprays, toiletries that we use and many other ways.
Water: toxins also enter our body through contaminated water and also through chemicals used in water.
There are other mediums also like prescription drugs, vaccines and household paints, varnishes etc.
All these are called external toxins and they enter our body while we eat, drink or inhale.
Apart from the external toxins our body also produces toxins for e.g. As the by product of normal metabolism process.
Thus both natural and man-made things have toxins and whether it is internal or external they are harmful.
How To Flush Toxins From The Body
The process of removing toxins or flushing toxins out of our body is called detoxification. In normal conditions our body eliminates toxins through perspiration, feces, exhalation and urine. Thus in the process of detoxification our liver and kidneys play a very important role. When the normal process of toxin elimination is hampered due to any reason the toxins starts reacting with body tissues and cause various health ailments ranging from mild to fatal.
Intake of toxins through various mediums kind of overload and then comes the time when we need to use another methods to detoxify our body i.e. when the intake or presence of toxins exceeds the amount of toxins our body eliminates, we require to undergo a body detoxification process which is done through various methods. The most common body detoxification method is raw juice diet and fasting.
Thus we should try to avoid and limit the use of synthetic and chemical based products. Try and use natural and organic products as much as possible drink 8-10 glasses of water daily and maintain personal hygiene.
Misconception About Detoxification
Detox is meant to flush out toxins from your body ant not to help you lose weight. A lot of people think that taking a detox diet will result in weight loss.
Principles Of A Detox Program
1. You may feel lighter as it is likely that you lose some water weight or even some calories due to an awakened metabolism, but this should not tempt you to weigh yourself every single day. The main objective of any detox program is to reduce the burden of toxins from your system and flush them out.
2. Choose Organic Food : when you are on a detox diet where your main aim is to eliminate toxins from the body it becomes very important to choose your food wisely. Hybrid and other form of vegetable may contain some amount of toxins because of the fertilizers and sprinklers used to grow them.
3. A good detox diet will never let you feel hungry. If the detox program is starving your or making you skip your meals, then your detox is going on the wrong path.
4. Eat Fibre rich food and drink plenty of water. Both water and fibre invoke satiety.
5. Eat Food in its natural form, or atleast in its closest natural state. Raw food is full with the vital nutrient, cooking and processing strip off some nutrients from the food.
6. Do not count calories, rather eat sensibly.
What To Eat on Detox Diet
- Fresh and preferably organic Vegetables
- Fresh Fruit especially those that have high water content
- Salads (without cheese of-course)
- Choose Cold Pressed Oils for dressing salads
- Fresh Juices ( not the packed ones)
- Breads
- Drinks – Green tea. herbal tea, cinnamon tea. Lemon Water, Filtered Water
- Nuts – Almond, Cashew
- Pulses and Bean Spouts
What Not To Eat On Detox Diet
- Processed Food
- Dairy Products- Milk, Cheese, Cream
- Sugar
- Chocolates and Confectioneries
- Baked food
- Meat / Fish/ Eggs
- Salt
- Alcohol
- Fizzy Drinks
- Ready Meals
- White Rice / Bread
Sample Diet Menu For A Detox Day
The toxins present in the body will only get flushed out when you stop overloading your system with toxins. This sample menu is created using the allowed food items.
Early Morning
Lemon Water
Breakfast
Millet Porridge (made with almond milk and honey)
Lunch
Cooked Quinoa
Roasted Vegetables
Dinner
Bean / Lentil / legume Soup
Green Salad
Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. If bowel moments are disturbed add high fiber items from allowed category to your meals.
Simple at home detox is a better alternative for those who have less affordability of time and money.