| Activated charcoal cleanse | |
|---|---|
 Activated charcoal shown in various forms | |
| Alternative therapy | |
| Claims | Detoxification or cleansing of the body |
Activated charcoal cleanses, also known ascharcoal detoxes, are apseudoscientific use of a proven medical intervention for poisoning,activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is available in powder, tablet, and liquid form. Its proponents claim the use of activated charcoal regularly willdetoxify and cleanse the body as well as boost one's energy and brighten theskin. Such claims violate basic principles ofchemistry andphysiology. There is no medicalevidence for any health benefits of cleanses or detoxes via activated charcoal or any other method. Charcoal, wheningested, will absorbvitamins andnutrients as well asprescription medications present in thegastrointestinal tract which can make it dangerous to use unless directed by amedical doctor.
Activated charcoal, also known as activated carbon, is commonly produced from high-carbon source materials such as wood orcoconut husk.[1] It is made by treating the source material with either a combination of heat and pressure, or with a strongacid orbase followed bycarbonization to make it highlyporous.[2] This gives it a very largesurface area for its volume, up to 3000 square metres pergram.[3] It has a large number of industrial uses includingmethane andhydrogen storage,air purification,decaffeination,gold purification,metal extraction,water purification,medicine,sewage treatment andair filters ingas masks andrespirators.[4]
Activated charcoal is used to detoxify people, but only in life-threateningmedical emergencies such asoverdoses orpoisonings.[5][6] As it is indigestible it will only work on poisons or medications still present in thestomach andintestines.[6] Once these have beenabsorbed by the body the charcoal will no longer be able toadsorb them so early intervention is desirable.[2] Charcoal is not an effective treatment foralcohol,metals orelemental poisons such aslithium orarsenic as it will onlyadsorb certainchemicals andmolecules.[2] It is usually administered by anasogastric tube into the stomach as the thickslurry required for maximum adsorption is very difficult to swallow.[7]
Activated charcoal, as used in cleanses or detoxes, became popular around 2014 after it was brought to mainstream attention byGwyneth Paltrow'sGoop company where it was described as "one of the best juice cleanses".[8] In the following years, it became a popular additive to many different types of foods and drinks including juices,lemonades,coffee,pastries,ice cream,burgers,pizzas andpet food.[9][10] TheCity of New York has banned activated charcoal in food products unless approval for their use is granted from theFDA.[11] Activated charcoal, excluding products designed for emergency medical interventions, is available in manypharmacies,wellness and health food stores intablet,capsule andpowder forms.[1]
Proponents of charcoal detoxes claim that it will cleanse the body by aiding in the removal of excess toxins that the body is unable to get rid of by itself.[12] Other claims made include that the use of activated charcoal providesanti-ageing benefits, will increaseenergy, brighten skin, decreaseflatulence andbloating, and aid weight loss.[5][8][11] It is also said to be an ideal product in skincare products for improving acne and scarring.[13]
Scott Gavura ofScience Based Medicine was highly critical of the use of activated charcoal in the wellness industry. In his 2015 article "Activated charcoal: The latest detox fad in an obsessive food culture", he said:[1]
Fake detox, the kind you find in magazines, and sold in pharmacies, juice bars, and health food stores, is make-believe medicine. The use of the term 'toxin' in this context is meaningless. There are no toxins named, because there's no evidence that these treatments do anything at all, but it sounds just scientific enough to be plausible.
Sophie Medlin, a lecturer innutrition anddietetics atKing's College in London suggests avoiding the use of activated charcoal cleanses for several reasons:
Jay Rayner ofThe Guardian contacted a manufacturer of activated charcoal lemonade to ask about its detoxifying properties. He was told that they make no claims at all about the product. When he then asked how the product detoxes the body, he was told that he was confusing the term "detox" with the medical term "detoxification".[14]
Carrie Dennett ofThe Seattle Times said of activated charcoal:[12]
unless you have a rare health condition that renders yourliver—or its supporting players: yourkidneys,digestive system,lungs andlymphatic system—unable to perform as designed, then your body doesn't need help. Unless you have overdosed or been poisoned, there's no substantial evidence that activated charcoal will benefit you.
Charcoal is also used as an alternative to whitening products intoothpastes, but was found to not be as effective in whitening the teeth as regular products such ashydrogen peroxide.[11][15]
