Charcoal. Activated. A great first aid ingredient to keep in your cabinet.

 An effective remedy for diarrhea, chemical poisoning, spider bites, and infected wounds, activated charcoal is a valuable remedy to have around.

Steven Horne explains it so well:

Chunks of charcoal are often left behind in the coals after making a campfire. This charcoal is the carbon that remains from burning wood or other fibrous material after the volatiles and gasses have been burned off. It’s almost pure carbon, but not quite.

Activated charcoal has been processed to remove impurities and increase the carbon's surface area, allowing it to adsorb, not absorb, substances. Charcoal doesn’t absorb things into it, it adsorbs or sticks to them, making it a great agent for purifying things.

Activated Charcoal for the GI Tract

The benefits of activated charcoal for the gastrointestinal tract, are priceless.

Charcoal is a great remedy for bloating, foul belching, and diarrhea. It adsorbs both the gas and the irritants that are causing the diarrhea.

For bloating and foul belching,

I recommend 2 capsules with each meal taken along with food enzymes to help the body break down the food more effectively.

For diarrhea, I recommend taking two capsules every two hours up to a maximum of eight capsules per day. For diarrhea in children, I recommend mixing charcoal with slippery elm.

I've heard of using ACTIVATED CHARCOAL for hangovers. I have never used it for such, but the reports are very positive.

Activated Charcoal for Adsorbing Poisons

Charcoal also adsorbs bile salts and the cholesterol they contain, which means it helps to reduce cholesterol. Of course, it also helps to eliminate any toxins being flushed from the liver into the GI tract via the gallbladder.

Because it adsorbs many types of poison, charcoal may be helpful for both food poisoning and chemical poisoning.

While activated charcoal is non-toxic, there are a few cautions you should observe.

First, it can interfere with the assimilation of medicines and nutrients. So, do not take activated charcoal with prescription medications or nutritional supplements.

Also, do not take larger doses for more than a few days at a time.

One or two capsules a day can be used for a longer period as part of a cleansing program. Large doses may cause constipation.