ACTIVATED CHARCOAL – ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

What is activated charcoal you ask? No, it's not the same stuff as the briquettes/charcoal you use to bbq or, as us South Africans call it, a 'Braai'.

Although the two types of charcoal are both made of residue left from burning carbon, the difference in activated charcoal is it's oxygenated, which results in the charcoal being much more porous, this is what activates the charcoal.

Charcoal has had an extremely long history of medical use, dating back to the Egyptians using charcoal to treat 'odorous vapours' from putrefying wounds. To this day, activated charcoal has been touted in alternative health circles as a versatile treatment for clearing up acne, inflammation caused by toxic mould, can draw out venom from snake bites, eases a hangover, removes toxins from your body and can even whiten your teeth, Yet little to no evidence has been provided to prove these claims.

When you ingest activated charcoal, it works as a "gastrointestinal decontaminant," attracting various chemicals from your stomach and digestive tract, and then eliminating them from the body. That's why it's so helpful in cases of poisoning or drug overdose in hospitals: It adsorbs the dangerous substance so it doesn't enter your bloodstream, then simply passes right on through – and out of – your system.