Activated Charcoal Should Be In Every Medicine Cabinet In Case Of Emergencies

10 Dec 2009 @ 8:46 AM

Activated Charcoal Should Be In Every Medicine Cabinet In Case Of Emergencies

“Activated charcoal” is a substance sometimes given in emergency rooms, by mouth or through a stomach tube, to victims of poisonings. This treatment is used because activated charcoal absorbs (”complexes”) substances in the gut, thereby reducing their ability to enter the body.

Activated carbon, also called cctivated charcoal or activated coal, is a form of carbon that has been processed to make it extremely porous and thus to have a very large surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions. [1] The word activated in the name is sometimes substituted by active.

Due to its high degree of micro porosity, just one gram of activated carbon has a surface area of approximately 500 meters squared (or about 2 tennis courts), as determined typically by nitrogen gas adsorption. Sufficient activation for useful applications may come solely from the high surface area, though further chemical treatment often enhances the adsorbing properties of the material. Activated carbon is usually derived from charcoal.

In one study investigators mixed peanut protein (alone or mixed in food) and activated charcoal in a test tube and then took the mixture and evaluated how well the charcoal was able to make the peanut protein “unavailable” to detection by various measurement techniques. It was found that at a high enough dose of activated charcoal, the peanut protein was effectively absorbed and made essentially unavailable for detection by various methods.

It was 1831. In front of his distinguished colleagues at the French Academy of Medicine, Professor Touery drank a lethal dose of strychnine and lived to tell the tale. He had combined the deadly poison with activated charcoal.

That’s how powerful charcoal is as an emergency decontaminant in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which includes the stomach and intestines. Activated charcoal is considered to be the most effective single agent available. It is used after a person swallows or absorbs almost any toxic drug or chemical.

Some activated charcoal products contain sorbitol. Sorbitol is a sweetener. It also works as a laxative, for the elimination of the poison from the body. Products that contain sorbitol should be given only under the direct supervision of a doctor because severe diarrhea and vomiting may result.

Activated carbon is one product everybody should have in their medicine cabinet for emergencies such as when one swallows something poisonous. This highly absorbent carbon is available at your local or internet health food store at inexpensive prices. Look for name brands like Solaray brand or Source Naturals to ensure quality and purity in each pill.

*Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Activated charcoal is not intended to diagnose, treat and cure or prevent disease. Always consult with your professional health care provider before changing any medication or adding Vitamins to medications.