May Promote Kidney Function
Activated charcoal may help promote kidney function by reducing the number of waste products that the kidneys have to filter.
This could be particularly beneficial in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease, a condition in which the kidneys can no longer properly filter waste products.
Healthy kidneys are normally very well equipped to filter your blood without any additional help. However, patients suffering from chronic kidney disease generally have a harder time removing urea and other toxins from the body.
Activated charcoal may have the ability to bind to urea and other toxins, helping your body eliminate them
Urea and other waste products can pass from the bloodstream into the gut through a process known as diffusion. In the gut, they become bound to activated charcoal and excreted in the feces
In humans, activated charcoal has been shown to help improve kidney function in those suffering from chronic kidney disease.
In one study, activated charcoal supplements may have helped lower blood levels of urea and other waste products in patients with end-stage kidney disease.
That said, the current evidence is weak, and more high-quality studies are needed before strong conclusions can be made.
Poison Treatment
Thanks to its toxin-binding properties, activated charcoal has a variety of medical uses.
For instance, activated charcoal is often used in cases of poisoning.
That’s because it can bind a wide variety of drugs, reducing their effects . In humans, activated charcoal has been used as a poison antidote since the early 1800s
It may be used to treat prescription drugs overdoses, as well as overdoses of over-the-counter medications like aspirin, acetaminophen and sedatives
For instance, studies show that when a single dose of 50–100 grams of activated charcoal is taken within five minutes of drug ingestion, it may reduce drug absorption in adults by up to 74%.
This effect decreases to around 50% when the charcoal is taken 30 minutes after drug ingestion and 20% if it’s taken three hours after the drug overdose.
The initial dose of 50–100 grams is sometimes followed by two to six doses of 30–50 grams every two to six hours. However, this multiple dosage protocol is used less often and may only be effective in a limited number of poisoning cases.
It’s important to note that activated charcoal is not effective in all cases of poisoning. For instance, it appears to have little effect on *******, heavy metal, iron, lithium, potassium, acid or alkali poisonings.
What’s more, experts warn that activated charcoal shouldn’t be routinely administered in all cases of poisoning. Rather, its use should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Reduces Symptoms of Fish Odor Syndrome
Activated charcoal may help reduce unpleasant odors in individuals suffering from trimethylaminuria (TMAU), also known as fish odor syndrome.
TMAU is a genetic condition in which trimethylamine (TMA), a compound with an odor similar to that of rotting fish, accumulates in the body.
Healthy individuals are usually able to convert fishy-smelling TMA into a non-smelly compound before excreting it in urine. However, people with TMAU lack the enzyme needed to perform this conversion.
This causes TMA to accumulate in the body and make its way into urine, sweat and breath, giving rise to a foul, fishy odor.
Studies show that activated charcoal’s porous surface may help bind small odorous compounds like TMA, increasing their excretion.
One small study in TMAU patients analyzed the effects of supplementing with 1.5 grams of charcoal for 10 days. It reduced TMA concentrations in the patients’ urine to levels found in healthy individuals.
These results seem promising, but more studies are needed.
Other Uses Benefits
Activated charcoal is also a popular home remedy with multiple uses, though it’s important to note that not all of these are supported by science.
Its most well-known home uses include:
Activated charcoal may help promote kidney function by reducing the number of waste products that the kidneys have to filter.
This could be particularly beneficial in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease, a condition in which the kidneys can no longer properly filter waste products.
Healthy kidneys are normally very well equipped to filter your blood without any additional help. However, patients suffering from chronic kidney disease generally have a harder time removing urea and other toxins from the body.
Activated charcoal may have the ability to bind to urea and other toxins, helping your body eliminate them
Urea and other waste products can pass from the bloodstream into the gut through a process known as diffusion. In the gut, they become bound to activated charcoal and excreted in the feces
In humans, activated charcoal has been shown to help improve kidney function in those suffering from chronic kidney disease.
In one study, activated charcoal supplements may have helped lower blood levels of urea and other waste products in patients with end-stage kidney disease.
That said, the current evidence is weak, and more high-quality studies are needed before strong conclusions can be made.
Poison Treatment
Thanks to its toxin-binding properties, activated charcoal has a variety of medical uses.
For instance, activated charcoal is often used in cases of poisoning.
That’s because it can bind a wide variety of drugs, reducing their effects . In humans, activated charcoal has been used as a poison antidote since the early 1800s
It may be used to treat prescription drugs overdoses, as well as overdoses of over-the-counter medications like aspirin, acetaminophen and sedatives
For instance, studies show that when a single dose of 50–100 grams of activated charcoal is taken within five minutes of drug ingestion, it may reduce drug absorption in adults by up to 74%.
This effect decreases to around 50% when the charcoal is taken 30 minutes after drug ingestion and 20% if it’s taken three hours after the drug overdose.
The initial dose of 50–100 grams is sometimes followed by two to six doses of 30–50 grams every two to six hours. However, this multiple dosage protocol is used less often and may only be effective in a limited number of poisoning cases.
It’s important to note that activated charcoal is not effective in all cases of poisoning. For instance, it appears to have little effect on *******, heavy metal, iron, lithium, potassium, acid or alkali poisonings.
What’s more, experts warn that activated charcoal shouldn’t be routinely administered in all cases of poisoning. Rather, its use should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Reduces Symptoms of Fish Odor Syndrome
Activated charcoal may help reduce unpleasant odors in individuals suffering from trimethylaminuria (TMAU), also known as fish odor syndrome.
TMAU is a genetic condition in which trimethylamine (TMA), a compound with an odor similar to that of rotting fish, accumulates in the body.
Healthy individuals are usually able to convert fishy-smelling TMA into a non-smelly compound before excreting it in urine. However, people with TMAU lack the enzyme needed to perform this conversion.
This causes TMA to accumulate in the body and make its way into urine, sweat and breath, giving rise to a foul, fishy odor.
Studies show that activated charcoal’s porous surface may help bind small odorous compounds like TMA, increasing their excretion.
One small study in TMAU patients analyzed the effects of supplementing with 1.5 grams of charcoal for 10 days. It reduced TMA concentrations in the patients’ urine to levels found in healthy individuals.
These results seem promising, but more studies are needed.
Other Uses Benefits
Activated charcoal is also a popular home remedy with multiple uses, though it’s important to note that not all of these are supported by science.
Its most well-known home uses include:
- Gas reduction: Some studies report that activated charcoal may help reduce gas production following a gas-producing meal. It may also help improve the odor of gas. However, not all studies observed this benefit.
- Water filtration: Activated charcoal is a popular way to reduce heavy metal and fluoride content in water. However, it doesn’t appear to be very effective at removing viruses, bacteria or hard water minerals.
- Tooth whitening: Using activated charcoal to brush your teeth is anecdotally said to whiten them. It’s said to do so by absorbing plaque and other teeth-staining compounds. However, no studies could be found to support this claim.
- Hangover prevention: Activated charcoal is sometimes used as a hangover cure. While consuming it with ******* may reduce blood ******* levels, its effects on hangovers haven’t been studied.
- Skin treatment: Applying this charcoal to the skin is touted as an effective treatment for acne and insect or snake bites. However, only anecdotal reports could be found on this topic.