Activated charcoal is commonly used as an antidote to poisoning. You should ingest it immediately after eating or drinking contaminated material. It works by entering the gastrointestinal tract and traveling through the entire system, absorbing poisonous material and removing it from the body through natural waste elimination.
Function
Activated charcoal is effective against poison, drugs, alcohol and chemicals. It lasts in the gastrointestinal tract about two days, resulting in waste elimination via black stool. Other purposes of activated charcoal include general detoxification, treatment for intestinal problems, anti-aging, counteracting pathogens and lowering cholesterol, the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis.
Directions
Take activated charcoal as soon as you think you've ingested poison. You should take it in powdered form, mixed with water. The amount you take should be eight times greater than the amount of the poison you swallowed. To be safe, you can ingest 10 times the amount of the poison. If you cannot take activated charcoal immediately, you should take it within 30 minutes of ingesting poison, because if you don't, you risk decreasing the effectiveness of the activated charcoal by up to 60 percent.
Other Uses
To improve your general health, you can take activated charcoal as part of a detoxification program. You should take a total of 20g in increments each day for the length of the detox, using the powdered form. Gerontologists also recommend activated charcoal as part of an anti-aging regimen to normalize cholesterol and lipid metabolism and improve adaptive functioning of the kidneys, liver and adrenals. As part of an anti-aging regimen, you should take a total of 30g of activated charcoal powder each day, with a dose in the morning, midday and bedtime for two days straight each week. To reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, take 12 to 17g of activated charcoal two times per day for a month and consult a doctor to monitor your progress.
Pathogen Control
Activated charcoal can effectively counter various pathogens in the body, such as those that cause cold and flu. It does this by absorbing and eliminating the hazardous material that harmful bacteria produce. If you have gastrointestinal problems related to systemic Candidiasis, an overgrowth of yeast bacteria in the GI tract, you can try taking a total of 20 to 30g of activated charcoal in increments per day until the problem fades.
Safety
Activated charcoal does not harm the body, which is why it is safe to take more than you think you need in case of poisoning. You should not take it with food or medication, because doing so will decrease its effectiveness. In case of constipation resulting from taking activated charcoal, you can use a mild laxative.
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