Scientific Evidence for the Health Benefits of Activated Charcoal
The use of activated charcoal is commonly taken orally to treat poisoning.
It has been used to treat intestinal gas (flatulence) during pregnancy, high cholesterol, hangovers, upset stomach, and bile flow problems (bile stasis).
It is also used to be applied to the skin as part of a bandage to aid in wound healing.
Efficacy and side effects
In the case of addiction, activated charcoal can help stop some types of poisoning by trapping the chemical. In order for this to work, it is advisable to administer it within an hour after the poison has been ingested.
Depending on the type, it may not have a beneficial effect if administered more than two hours after the poisoning.
It is effective against some types of poisoning, but not all.
There are results from scientific studies, but the quality of evidence is low.
It is believed to have the potential to lower cholesterol levels, but studies to date show no evidence or agreement on the effectiveness of taking activated charcoal by mouth to lower blood cholesterol levels.
With regard to relief of diarrhea symptoms caused by the anticancer drug irinotecan, early studies showed that ingesting activated charcoal during treatment with irinotecan reduced diarrhea, including severe diarrhea, in children taking the drug.
As for flatulence, some studies have shown that activated charcoal is effective in reducing intestinal gas, but since the results are from a small number of studies, there is a need to draw conclusions based on the results of other studies.
As for indigestion, some studies have shown that taking certain combination products containing activated charcoal and simethicone, with or without magnesium oxide, can reduce pain, bloating, and satiety in people with indigestion.
However, it is unclear whether the same effect can be achieved by taking it alone.
As for improving bile stasis during pregnancy, some studies have shown that taking activated charcoal by mouth may help treat bile stasis during pregnancy.
As for lowering phophate levels in people on dialysis, studies have shown that taking activated charcoal daily for 24 weeks may lower phosphate levels in people on hemodialysis who have high phosphate levels.
When it comes to preventing hangovers, activated charcoal has a place in some hangover treatments, but some experts are skeptical about how well it works.
As for the effects of anti-seizure medications on toxicity from phenytoin, some studies show that activated charcoal can remove phenytoin from the body and help bring phenytoin levels back into the normal range.
There are also a variety of studies on the use of activated charcoal for wound healing. Some early studies show that the use of bandages with activated charcoal helps wound healing in people with venous leg ulcers.
However, other studies have shown that activated charcoal does not help in the treatment of pressure ulcers or venous leg ulcers.
Safety Issues
Activated charcoal is considered very safe for most adults when taken by mouth, for short periods of time, or when applied to wounds. Side effects of taking activated charcoal by mouth include constipation and black stools.
More serious and rare side effects are slowing or obstruction of the intestinal tract, reflux into the lungs, and dehydration.
