Powdered Charcoal for Medical Uses.

Activated charcoal U.S.P, is a pure naturally produced, wood charcoal carbon.  One teaspoonful has a surface area of more than 10,000 square feet.  This allows it to adsorb large amounts of chemicals or poisons.  Always store charcoal in a tightly sealed container.  It readily adsorbs impurities from the atmosphere.  Charcoal from burnt toast is not effective, and charcoal briquettes can be dangerous because they contain fillers and petrochemicals to help them ignite.

Activated charcoal can help with mild digestive upsets, stop diarrhea, viral and bacterial infections. Activated charcoal adsorbs toxins, renders them inert and carries them through the digestive tract. Charcoal is not metabolized or digested by the human body. It is a valuable aid in the treatment of accidental poisonings.

A 1981 study shows that activated charcoal cuts down on the amount of gas produced by beans and other gas-producing foods.  Charcoal adsorbs excess gas as well as the bacteria that form the gas.  It is also helpful in relieving symptoms of nervous diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea,  spastic colon, indigestion, and peptic ulcers.  For such problems, it is suggested that you take 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon of powdered charcoal up to 3 times a day.  Take it between meals, as food can reduce its effectiveness.  If you are using charcoal tablets instead of capsules mix the charcoal in a glass of water and drink.

Activated charcoal is inexpensive, simple to use and is a time-tested natural remedy that has many valuable uses without dangerous side effects

Do not take charcoal with other medications it may adsorb and inactivate them.  Usually you can take charcoal two hours before or after other medications . If you are taking prescription drugs, check with your doctor before beginning treatment with charcoal.

Tablets or capsules of activated carbon are used in many countries as an over-the-counter drug to treat diarrhea, indigestion, and flatulence

The 1 July 1977 issue of the Special Forces Medical Specialist Handbook in Appendix 33 Primitive Medicine in a Survival Situation discusses the uses of charcoal.  One of the big problems in prisoner of war camps in Korea was dysentery.  One of the treatments that helped was to take charcoal.  Their method was to take a partially burned piece of wood, scrape off the charred portions and swallow them.  They would take about a handful.  This charcoal was not activated but still helped.  The more you break it into powder the better.

If you decide to make your own, use charcoal from a fire in which only clean wood has been burned.

I have used charcoal for upset stomach problems for many years with good success.  I always keep some around.  It is is available at most health food stores, some pharmacies and on the internet.

Howard