Contents
What Is Charcoal?
As we all know, charcoal is a highly lightweight black carbon product produced by excessively heating wood or other plant and animal materials with minimum oxygen that removes all the water & volatile constituents.
In the conventional version of the pyrolysis procedure, known as charcoal burning, the heat is supplied with a restricted oxygen supply. Also, the material can be heated in a closed retort.
The procedure takes place inadvertently at the burning wood in a wood stove or fireplace. Visible flame in them is due to the burning of volatile gases exuded as wood switches into charcoal.
The smoke and soot commonly given away from wood fires result from incomplete combustion of such volatiles.
Charcoal completely burns at a temperature way higher than wood, with minimal visible flames & releases nearly nothing except for the heat.
What Is Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal, also called activated carbon, is a fine black powder produced from coconut shells, bone char, petroleum coke, peat, olive pits, coal, or sawdust.
You can create activated charcoal by exposing it to extremely high temperatures with a restricted oxygen supply.
The high temperature changes their internal composition, lowering the pores’ size and increasing their surface area. It leads to the creation of charcoal that is highly porous compared to regular charcoal.
Do not confuse activated charcoal with charcoal briquettes, which people utilize to light the barbecue. Though both are made from similar materials, the charcoal briquettes are not activated at enhanced temperatures.
Additionally, they include added substances that are highly toxic to humans.
Activated charcoal has many useful properties. It exceptionally has several first aid benefits, like treating poisoning and stomach bugs.
You may use it to create DIY water filters or face masks to eliminate chemicals.
However, before you grab the BBQ charcoal, ensure it is activated charcoal & normal charcoal share a lot of difference, and they are not the same products.
Charcoal Vs. Activated Charcoal – Comparison
Here, we will list the difference between both the products in detail. While regular charcoal and activated charcoal appear the same, they share crucial distinctions.
In contrary to traditional charcoal, activated charcoal has the listed characteristics:
- Extremely porous
- It comes with a higher surface area
- It is purer
Why Does Porosity & Surface Area Play A Crucial Role Here?
Activated charcoal is highly effective for treating conditions such as poisoning and even acts as a good water filter owing to its adsorbent qualities. It means it can easily bind to various other components.
For instance, in water filters, activated charcoal binds to water passing chemicals. Chemicals get adversely trapped by activated charcoal, so just clean water passes via it.
Activated charcoal, which is more porous, takes more surface area, and the better it is to grab onto the toxins and various harmful components.
Thus, while regular charcoal is too absorbent & has the potential of being broken down to have enhanced surface area, it does not compare well with activated charcoal.
These contain various similarities between activated charcoal and regular charcoal; however, they are not similar.
- Activated charcoal is produced at relatively higher temperatures as compared to regular charcoals.
- Activated charcoal is way too porous than traditional charcoal.
- Activated charcoal effectively filters the material and more effective adsorbent than charcoal.
- Activated charcoal is commonly utilized in medicine as compared to charcoal.
Charcoal Vs. Activated Charcoal – Similarities
Charcoal & activated charcoal are dry residues leftover from organic material burning. Though there are many similarities between charcoal and activated charcoal, they are not the same structurally.
Both are porous compared to other carbon forms, making them considerably useful for filtering matter. However, activated charcoal is much more porous than charcoal and can filter water more effectively.
Why Is Activated Charcoal Better?
Activated charcoal works by trapping the chemicals and toxins in the gut and preventing their excessive absorption. The porous texture of the charcoal comes with a negative electrical charge.
Hence, they attract positively charged molecules like gases and toxins. It allows them to trap chemicals and toxins in the gut.
As the activated charcoal gets absorbed by one’s body, it can carry the toxins bound to its surface in the form of feces.
It is all because of their toxin binding properties that activated charcoal has various medicinal properties. For example, you can use activated charcoal in situations of poisoning.
Activated charcoal can bind in a great range of drugs, which lowers its effectiveness. People have been using activated charcoal in the human body as a poison antidote since the 1800s.
You can also use it to cure prescription drug overdose and overdoses of over-the-counter medication such as acetaminophen, aspirin, and sedative.
For example, studies reveal that a single dose of up to 100 grams of activated charcoal, if consumed within 5 minutes of ingestion of drugs, can lower drug absorption in adults by nearly 74%.
The effect lowers to nearly 50% when one consumes charcoal thirty minutes after the drug ingestion and 20% when one takes it 3 hours after a drug overdose.
You can follow the initial dose of up to 100 grams by 2-6 doses of up to 50 grams every 2 to 6 hours. Note that you can use this multiple-dose protocol and can mostly restrict the number of poisoning events.
It is crucial to understand that activated charcoal does not prove effective in most cases of poisoning. For example, it has little effect on heavy metal, alcohol, lithium, iron, acid, potassium, or alkali poisoning.
Moreover, note that experts say that activated charcoal must not be administered routinely in most cases of poisoning. Instead, you should use them based on the case.
Listed Below Are How Activated Charcoal Can Benefit You:
Might Promote Kidney Function
Using activated charcoal might help promote kidney function by lowering the number of waste products that kidneys filter.
It can be specifically helpful in patients undergoing chronic kidney issues, a condition where the kidney may no longer filter the waste products properly.
Normally, healthy kidneys are well equipped to filter blood with zero additional assistance.
However, those patients undergoing chronic kidney issues usually have a tougher time eliminating urea and numerous other toxins from the body.
Activated charcoal might even have the potential to bind urea and various other toxins assisting your body to get rid of them.
Urea, along with other waste matter, can pass through the bloodstream into the gut via a procedure called diffusion. And finally, they are excreted in feces by binding them to activated charcoal.
People use activated charcoal to improve the kidney function of those undergoing chronic kidney issues.
In one of the studies, activated charcoal supplements might have helped lower the blood levels of urea and various other waste products in those patients witnessing end-stage kidney issues.
As per current evidence, findings are not adequate and appear weak as more high-level studies are required before any people draw any strong conclusions.
Lowers Symptoms Syndrome of Fish Odor
Activated charcoal might lower unpleasant odors in those undergoing trimethylaminuria, called fish odor syndrome.
Trimethylaminuria is a case, which is genetic, where the trimethylamine, a compound having a similar odor to that of a rotting fish, gets accumulated in one’s body.
Healthy humans can generally switch the fishy-smelling trimethylamine into a non-smelly compound just before urinating. But those individuals with trimethylaminuria condition lack the necessary enzyme required to perform the conversion.
It creates trimethylamine to accumulate in the body & makes its way into sweat, urine & breath, which gives way to a fishy foul odor.
Studies reveal that porous surfaces present in activated charcoal might help bind small odorous compounds such as trimethylamine, enhancing their excretion.
One study reveals that patients with trimethylaminuria had shown great effects when given 1.5 grams of charcoal supplements for ten days. It lowers the trimethylamine concentration in the individual’s urine level.
Such results appear promising; however, people need to conduct more studies.
Might Lower Cholesterol Levels
Activated charcoal might even assist in lowering cholesterol levels. It helps in binding cholesterol and the cholesterol holding bile acids in the gut, preventing one’s body from absorbing it.
In one such study, having 24 grams of activated charcoal each day for 4 weeks showed decreased total cholesterol level by nearly 25% & bad LDL cholesterol by about 25%. Good HDL cholesterol margins are even enhanced by 8%.
In the next study, taking 4-32 grams of activated charcoal regularly helped lower the total and bad LDL cholesterol by up to 41% in those with high cholesterol levels.
In the next study, taking 4-32 grams of activated charcoal helped lower the total and bad LDL cholesterol by up to 41% in those with high cholesterol levels.
In such studies, larger dosages of the activated charcoal appeared most effective. The same results were reported in most, however, not in all the studies.
But it is interesting to know that people have conducted all such studies linked to such topics in the beginning 1980s.
Other Uses of Activated Charcoal
One can use activated charcoal for various cures at home. However, it is crucial to know that science does not support all such findings. Well, known home uses involve the following.
Tooth whitening
Usage of activated charcoal for brushing or cleaning your teeth works as anecdotal. It helps to whiten them.
It is said to do just by absorbing the plaque & other teeth-staining matters present in teeth. However, no prevalent studies are supporting it.
Reduction of gas
A few studies report that activated charcoal might lower gas production following a gas-producing meal. It even assists in improving the gas odor.
However, not all the studies have witnessed this advantage.
Treatment of skin
The application of charcoal to the skin is an effective treatment for insect, acne, or snake bites. However, you can find anecdotal reports on the topic of skin treatment.
Water filtration
Using activated charcoal is an effective way of lowering heavy metal & fluoride content included in the water. However, it does not appear to be highly effective at eliminating bacteria, viruses, etc.
Prevention of hangover
You can use activated charcoal at times to overcome a hangover. Though consuming activated charcoal with alcohol might lower blood alcohol levels, their effects on hangovers need more studies.
Is Using Activated Charcoal Safe?
In most cases, usage of activated charcoal is said to be safe as their adverse reactions are often said to be rare or infrequent.
However, it might cause few unpleasant drawbacks, the most common ones are vomiting & nausea. Additionally, black stools and constipation are 2 other most commonly stated side effects.
When you use activated charcoal as an emergency antidote to eliminate poison from the body, there is a risk of this material traveling into the lungs instead of the stomach.
It is particularly true when a person is semi-conscious, witnesses vomiting, or is drowsy.
You should give activated charcoal to only those who are completely conscious. Additionally, activated charcoal can worsen symptoms in those with variegate porphyria, a rare genetic disorder impacting the skin, nervous system, and gut.
In rare cases, activated charcoal has also been associated with bowel blockages. It is a must to mention that activated charcoal might lower the absorption of particular medications.
Thus, individuals taking medications must consult their healthcare experts before consuming them.
Charcoal Dosage Instructions
The ones interested in trying out activated charcoal can find a great range of it on various online platforms. Ensure to step by step follow dosage instructions.
In case of drug poisoning, it is crucial to opt for medical assistance as soon as possible.
Dosage of up to 100 grams can be administered by medical experts initially within 1 hour of overdose. Kids normally get a lower dose of 10 to 25 grams.
For other conditions like fishy odor disease, the dosage of 1.5 grams may work, but those with cholesterol or kidney function problems can consume 4-32 grams each day.
You may also find such activated charcoal supplements in powder forms or pills. When you take it as a powder, the activated charcoal might get mixed along with water or non-acidic juice.
Can I Use Charcoal Instead?
While regular charcoal shares similarities with activated charcoal, you can not use charcoal in place of activated charcoal for most things. One such example is for curing few diseases.
You should use activated charcoal as a medicine, but not regular charcoal for this purpose.
Conclusion
Activated charcoal acts as a supplement with a huge range of usages. Interestingly, it might have the relevant potential to reduce cholesterol, lower gas, treat poisoning, and promote kidney function.
However, studies supporting such advantages tend to be very weak, & many of the other advantages associated with activated charcoal are not at all supported by science.
Thus, when turning towards activated charcoal, you should keep this in mind.
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