Natural Remedies: Activated Charcoal

In recent months, I’ve been highlighting some of my favorite natural remedies (posts on chia seed, turmeric, and eucalyptus seen here, here and here). For the next installment, I wanted to feature a remedy perhaps as unconventional as it is powerful: activated charcoal.

A detoxifying treatment that has been used since ancient times, activated charcoal is a substance often derived from coconut shells or wood. In a process that involves exposure to extremely high temperatures, the charcoal develops a large number of pores. It is through these pores that activated charcoal is able to “trap” most organic toxins, chemicals and poisons before they can harm your body.

One of my trusted resources for holistic nutrition, Elissa Goodman is a proponent of this natural remedy, and shared this piece detailing some of its many uses. Among them: relief of digestive issues and bloating (I always keep capsules in my purse as a quick fix for tummy aches), hangover prevention, improved cholesterol levels, and treatment of food or chemical poisoning.

But its benefits don’t stop there, just as activated charcoal works to draw out toxins for health-related purposes, it does the same for beauty as well. Not only does it serve as a natural teeth whitener (Elissa recommends placing toothpaste on your toothbrush, dipping it in charcoal, brushing, and rinsing quite thoroughly), with its addition to scrubs, masks and soaps, it can gently draw out toxins and impurities from the skin.

Stay tuned tomorrow for some of my activated charcoal picks (both in the health and beauty realms). XXJKE