Before the 20th century, scientists had dedicated their lives to prove the effectiveness of their discoveries. Madame Marie Curie experimented with radium and underwent radioactivitie in the late 1800s. However, radioactive toxicity created a type of leukemia that eventually killed her in 1934, after she had turned 67.

Around 1831, P.F. Touery, a pharmacist, did a quite daring stunt in front of his felow scientists at The French Academy of Medicine. He drank a massive dose of lethal strychnine in front of his audience.

Surprisingly, he did not intoxicate himself. The Pharmacist combined a deadly poison and activated charcoal, a known antidote and detoxifying agent that has been used for centuries.

Today, activated charcoal is found in most ERs and emergency vehicles. It is used as an instant, effective antidote for all types of poisons. FDA approved it as safe and effective. It is also quite cheap.

People are not fully aware of its benefits, and only a few know much of its detoxifying ability. Activated charcoal can be also used to whiten teeth, as it does it better than any other whitener.

What is activated charcoal?

Activated charcoal is nothing like the charcoal briquettes you use when having your friends over for a barbecue. These briquettes contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals. Activated charcoal powder is what experts recommend using and it is pretty easy to ingest. Charcoal is tasteless, and a tad gritty.

It is obtained by burning pure, untainted organic substances, like cocnuts or certain woods, whthout adding any chemicals in the process. One pound bag costs about $10.00 US.

Dr Al Sears, MD, uses activated charcoal himself to perform detoxification, and asks his patients to do the same. According to him, 20grams per day are enough to perform heavy metal detofication, of course, divided in 2-3 doses. The treatment should last for 12 days.

Charcoal triggers adsorption and not absorption, of toxins from intestines. Adsorption is actually an electrical attraction of toxins to the surface of charcoal particles. Human body does not absorb charcoal, so it is eliminated via the bowels along with all the toxins attatched to its surface, which is why black stools should not scare you.

Some experts recommend using active charcoal as a non-toxic toothpaste to remove plague buildups and stains, and also harmful bacteria. Even though it is a bit messy, charcoal cleans and sanitizes effectively.

Rumors and controversy

The main controversy is based on the “theory” that charcoal may draw nutrients of the body. However, certain solid sources have confirmed that this is not true. Charcoal sure removes pharmaceutical medicines, which are sometimes toxic, and also nutrients from synthetic vitamins. But, it does not rob the body of food nutrients.

Mae sure you take activated charcoal two hours before your meal, because food affects its detox activity.

Here is an excerpt of a 1980 book Acitvated Charcoal, written by David O. Cooney:

Charcoal added to the diet of sheep for six months did not cause a loss of nutrients, as compared with sheep not receiving charcoal. (…) A level of 5 % of the total diet was given as charcoal.

It did not affect the blood or urinary levels of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, inorganic phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, creatinine, uric acid, urea nitrogen, alkaline phosphatase, total protein or urine pH.

Other rumors have it that it can cause constipation. This is the case only if you are already blocked a bit, but it sure does not cause it. Same as any other detox treatment, individuals need to relieve blockages to be able to eliminate easily. Drink plenty of water and take swig of pure organic Castor oil to provide this. Diarrhea is known asa temporary detox adverse effect,

Drining activated charcoal only removes toxins from GI tract, and that is the common notion. Clinoptilolite zeolite powder does pretty much the same as activated charcoal, so do a research on your own to check how the villi within the small intestines do their job.

Villi are small tube-like appendages attached on the inner walls of small intestines, and their surface is enough to cover a tennis cours. Blood circulates through the villi, and they catch food nutrients after food is processed in the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream that nourishes cells.

When coated with activated charcoal, toxins are absorbed by the fine powder and later eliminated via bowels. This is why you should take it prior eating food, because the small intestine should be as empty as possible to avoid blocking the exchange of blood toxins to activated charcoal particles.

Keep activated charcoal around for emergencies

Even if you do not fancy using activated charcoal to eliminate heavy metals from the body, it is pretty wise to have some on hand just in case you need to treat accidental sips of poisonous substances and venomous insect or snake bites. Activated charcoal is inexpensive, and it is quick and easy to prepare.

According to Dr Al Sears, capsule amounts are small, and their containes actually create another hurdle if you are doing a heavy detox. However, these are handy when it comes to intervening acute poisonous case.

Source: www.realfarmacy.com

Author: Paul Fassa (A contributing staff writer for REALfarmacy.com. Visit his blog by following this link and follow him on Twitter here. )

Other included sources linked in Real Farmacy’s article:
http://www.physics.purdue.edu/wip/herstory/curie.html
http://healthiertalk.com/every-er-carries-miracle-powder-1603
http://www.pureinsideout.com/activated-charcoal-detox.html
http://healingtools.tripod.com/char6.html