Activated carbon or “activated charcoal”: the new panacea?
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You may have already seen it online: pitch black ice creams, smoothies and other dishes. Not made with all kinds of artificial dyes, but â € justâ € ™ with charcoal. Because activated charcoal, or â € ˜activated charcoalâ € ™, is the new hype in the wonderful world of superfoods.
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You may have already seen it online: pitch-black ice creams, smoothies and other dishes. Not made with all kinds of artificial dyes, but “just” with charcoal. Because activated charcoal, or 'activated charcoal', is the new hype in the wonderful world of superfoods.
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But as is often the case, there is also reason to be skeptical. Because can a spoonful of charcoal a day indeed improve your mood, cholesterol and oral hygiene? We'll discuss it in today's blog!
What is activated carbon?
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Activated carbon or activated charcoal is not the same as the charcoal you throw on the barbecue. Do not put it in your mouth, because it will not make your body happy anyway… Activated carbon consists instead of peat and plant residues that are processed with a gas after combustion. With that it is â € activatedâ € ™.
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Activated carbon or activated charcoal is not the same as the charcoal you throw on the barbecue. Do not put it in your mouth, because it will not make your body happy anyway… Activated carbon consists instead of peat and plant residues that are processed with a gas after combustion. This will 'activate' it.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
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That is, the charcoal gets a negative charge. You can see the stuff as a kind of ground negative magnetic pole, which attracts positively charged particles. Due to this property, activated carbon has a strong absorption effect for some substances.
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This means that the charcoal gets a negative charge. You can see the stuff as a kind of ground negative magnetic pole that attracts positively charged particles. Due to this property, activated carbon has a strong absorption effect for some substances.
Activated carbon as an antidote
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This effect has been used in medical science for several centuries. The best known to many people is probably the norit pill, a medicine for diarrhea. Charcoal can cause more clogging precisely because of its absorbent effect.
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Furthermore, activated carbon is also used as an antidote for some poisons. For example, bleach, mercury and some pesticides bind well to the product. So if a child accidentally drank a cleaning agent, such a pill of charcoal can prevent or reduce damage.
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Activated carbon as a health miracle
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Nowadays activated carbon is also advertised on the internet for very different purposes. That detoxifying effect would not only come in handy when you are dealing with a bottle of bleach. Activated charcoal also offers a good method for detoxing other toxins from your body.
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Nowadays, activated carbon is also advertised on the internet for completely different purposes. That detoxifying effect would not only come in handy when you are dealing with a bottle of bleach. Activated charcoal also offers a good method for detoxing other toxins from your body.
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For example, it could reduce flatulence, limit damage from pesticides and relieve your kidneys. In addition, it could lower your cholesterol. In fact, activated charcoal would be a lifesaver if you have a hangover.
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For example, it could reduce flatulence, limit damage from pesticides and relieve your kidneys. In addition, it could lower your cholesterol. In fact, activated charcoal would be a lifesaver if you're hungover.
Are there any side effects?
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Most blogs and websites also triumphantly mention that you can take activated charcoal without any side effects. And indeed, the drug is in principle freely available at drugstores and the like. However, that doesn't mean it can't have consequences!
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20 minMain dishTasty vine tomato, (olive oil, fresh basil, onion, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, zucchini spaghetti, pumpkin spaghetti, mini buffalo mozzarella,lukewarm pumpkin and zucchini spaghetti -
15 minSide dishtraditional olive oil, curry powder, wheat flour, coconut milk, sambal oelek, chicken broth tablet, water, fresh mango,curry sauce with mango -
30 minMain dishtraditional olive oil, lean ground beef, frozen Mexican wok vegetables, salsa sauce mild, taco shell, grated young cheese, creme fraiche,Mexican vegetable in tacos -
95 minMain dishmaize chicken, lemon, coarse sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme, zucchini, tomatoes (small to), black olives without pit,provençal chicken with zucchini and tomatoes
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An important disadvantage is that activated carbon not only attracts bad substances from your body! In fact, official pharmacist reference books warn that it can also reduce the effectiveness of drugs. For example, you increase the risk of pregnancy if you take activated charcoal with the contraceptive pill.
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In addition, vitamins and minerals can also be absorbed by the activated carbon. If you use the drug for a long time, it will lead to shortages. Finally, it can also cause severe constipation, and in some cases nausea or stomach pain.
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25 minSmall dishflour, frozen puff pastry, egg, milk, walnut, mature cheese, paprika, dried Provençal herbs,puff pastry-sticks -
20 minSide dishEggs, lettuce, parsley, olive oil (extra virgin), tarragon vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper,lettuce with egg dressing -
15 minSmall dishbaking flour, peanut oil, flat leaf parsley,ar'nabit mi'li -
15 minAppetizerScottish salmon fillet, butter or margarine, fresh dill, creme fraiche, dry white wine, arugula lettuce melange, pan tostado,baked salmon with white-wine sauce
The nonsense of detox
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There is another, more general point: detox remedies are actually always nonsense. Your body has its own detox system, consisting of, among other things, your liver and kidneys. They are optimally set up to remove harmful substances as quickly as possible - and they usually do just fine.
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There is another, more general point: detox remedies are actually always nonsense. Your body has its own detox system, consisting of, among other things, your liver and kidneys. They are optimally set up to remove harmful substances as quickly as possible â € “and they usually do fine.
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Of course, harmful substances can accumulate in a bad diet - but then some superfoods won't save you. And if you do have a good diet, you don't need an additional detox. Detox superfoods are therefore either inadequate or unnecessary.
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This certainly applies to activated carbon in particular. There is no qualitative evidence, according to current scientific standards, that charcoal has a positive effect on your health. Moreover, the consequences of long-term frequent intake are simply not well researched.
So: activated charcoal?
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In short, is there a reason to use the activated charcoal? Aside from the photogenic color effects - no, not really. As far as we know, the usefulness is absent. And it could leave you with a vitamin deficiency or - if you're unlucky - a baby.
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If you accidentally drank a bottle of anti-herbicide, it is useful. The same applies, for example, to an overdose of drugs. But tossing it through your smoothies every day is not necessary!