There is a popular remedy that helps you lose excess weight in a short time. Activated charcoal has been used for weight loss for quite some time. As early as the end of the 19th century, some English doctors advised their obese patients to swallow charcoal to cleanse the stomach and suppress the feeling of hunger. Today, people are also increasingly turning to white or traditional black charcoal tablets to not only remove toxins from the body, but also to lose weight. A large number of fans of this weight loss method is explained by the availability and low price of activated charcoal. It is sold without a prescription, which inspires people to believe that it is safe for health.
Many who have heard about this unusual method wonder if it is possible to lose weight with the help of activated charcoal and what kind of excess weight loss it can be. People's doubts are not surprising because activated charcoal was not originally intended for weight loss. Everyone knows it as an indispensable remedy against poisoning, since these small black or white tablets with a porous surface perfectly absorb all toxic substances that enter the stomach. So how does this popular remedy make it possible to lose weight fast?
The effects of activated charcoal for weight loss
In fact, you should not expect any magic from using this remedy. It actually helps in losing weight, but only if used as an aid. Initially, activated charcoal is unable to burn fat cells or in some complicated way absorb large amounts of them and remove them naturally from the body. Researchers note that charcoal is indeed able to adsorb a small amount of fat cells, but no better than regular supplements. That is, without diet and physical activity, its effect on weight loss will be zero.
The property of activated charcoal that helps you lose a few extra pounds quickly is hunger suppression. If you drink charcoal on an empty stomach, it will significantly suppress your appetite. This happens due to the fact that activated charcoal inhibits intestinal motility. Thus, a person eats much less, which helps in losing weight. At the same time, other herbal remedies, such as chamomile or mint tea, can have a similar effect on humans. However, they will not cause harm to health.
It is difficult to talk about how many kilograms it is possible to lose with the help of activated carbon, since it is not because of it that it still happens. Focus on the indications of specific dietary methods. The positive effect of consuming black activated carbon during a diet is that once it is in the stomach, it will bind all the toxins there, food breakdown products, toxins and remove them from the gastrointestinal tract. The effect of white activated carbon is slightly different. It is based on silicon dioxide, which works by removing heavy metals, allergens and toxins from the blood. White coal also contains microcrystalline cellulose. Once in the stomach, it swells, absorbs and cleans from the stomach and intestinal walls: the remains of gastric juice and bile, as well as cholesterol. In a natural way, all these harmful substances are removed from the body.
Whatever one may say, charcoal is still a medicine, which means it should be taken in a limited way. Try to follow the instructions so as not to exceed the maximum allowed dose. Otherwise, this is fraught with problems with the intestines: as a result of long-term use of activated charcoal, the intestinal muscles can lose the ability to contract normally. As a result, this will result in constipation or conversely diarrhea.
At first glance, there would be some positive aspects to consuming activated charcoal during a diet. But do not forget that this is first and foremost a drug, which means that it can harm your body if used for a long time.
How to take activated charcoal for weight loss
By following a diet or fasting days while using this remedy, you can lose weight. Some experts believe that with this approach, the chances of success in losing weight are improved by half the results originally promised by diets.
There are several methods of taking activated charcoal tablets:
| The essence of the approach | Quantity calculation |
|---|---|
| According to the first method, you increase the dosage of the medicine every day by one tablet. | First, you need to weigh yourself. The classic scheme for using charcoal to cleanse the stomach says that one tablet is equivalent to ten kilograms of a person's weight. You have, for example, 80 kg. On the first day, take three tablets - one before each meal. The next day, take four tablets, then five and so on until you reach eight a day. |
| According to the second approach, during the day you should drink the number of tablets with activated charcoal prescribed by your weight (using the same formula). | A person weighing 80 kg should take 8 tablets a day. |
| But according to the third method, a person's weight should not be taken into account. | During the day, you must take ten tablets. |
In any case, taking this medicine for the purpose of losing weight should not exceed 10 days. After a ten-day course, you must take a two-week break. To achieve a good result, this cycle must be repeated three times with breaks.
During the diet you should not eat:
- sweets;
- baking;
- salted, canned and smoked food;
- fried foods;
- spicy spices;
- mayonnaise;
- alcoholic beverages.
In addition, during the cold diet period, you must take vitamin complexes. This is due to the fact that activated carbon, along with harmful elements, will adsorb all useful substances in your body. Therefore, they must be constantly replenished to avoid health problems. Also, don't forget that you should regularly drink one and a half to two liters of clean water, which also stimulates cleansing of the body.
To lose weight with the help of activated carbon, you can resort to a not so long-term diet, designed for only 3 days. The three-day nutrition system is reminiscent of fasting days or a mono-diet, since the list of what is allowed in it is reduced to a minimum. At the same time, all these products have a laxative effect, which in the case of taking activated charcoal for weight loss is an extremely important factor. Charcoal causes constipation, and these foods help maintain normal bowel function so your metabolism doesn't slow down.
The three-day diet is based on consuming as many black charcoal tablets per day as prescribed based on the person's weight. Divide this amount into three meals. The tablets must be taken before each of them, half an hour before meals. On the first day, your entire diet will consist of a liter of kefir and water, with which you must wash down the tablets. On the second day of the diet, you will have to sit on apples. You must eat two large fruits for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the third day, which aims to gradually remove the body from the diet, a vegetable menu is offered. You will be able to eat about a kilo of vegetables in the form of salads or steamed. On the third day, vegetables can be slightly flavored with vegetable oil.
A three-day fasting cycle provides as many black charcoal tablets per day as prescribed, based on a person's weight: 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight. In the case of white coal, the dosage will be slightly different. To calculate it correctly, see the instructions for the drug. If your weight is in the range of 45 to 60 kg, then five tablets a day will be enough for you. If you weigh 60-70 kg, take eight tablets, if you weigh up to 80 kg - 10 tablets and above - 12.
You have to be very careful
Do not forget that activated charcoal, like any other medicine, has many side effects and contraindications. Their list is quite extensive and may certainly stop some people from taking charcoal for the purpose of losing weight. A number of those who are contraindicated from using activated charcoal for a long period of time include:
- pregnant women and nursing mothers;
- suffering from stomach ulcers;
- people with intestinal obstruction;
- those who have chronic constipation;
- suffers from intestinal atony;
- susceptible to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract;
- patients with ulcerative colitis;
- patients with chronic low blood pressure.
However, even if you do not fall into any of the listed categories, you should still consult a doctor for advice, as long-term use of charcoal can be harmful to your health. Many diseases of internal organs remain unnoticed by a person, and he does not even know about the existence of the problem. But thoughtless long-term use of this medicine can stimulate the transition of the disease to the acute stage, which is fraught with unpleasant consequences.
Activated charcoal adsorbs absolutely everything in your body, including amino acids, digestive enzymes, vitamins and trace elements. Therefore, long-term use can lead to vitamin deficiency. In the mildest case, you will notice that your hair looks dull and has actively started to fall out, and your nails have split and become brittle. There may also be a spread of pimples on the skin, and the skin itself will take on an earthy color. Activated carbon quickly removes important elements such as potassium and calcium from the human body. They are vital for people with heart problems. Their deficiency can even be fatal.
In addition, if you regularly take charcoal for the purpose of losing weight, you may experience an allergic reaction to it. And if it is only ten days and not repeated often, then the risk of side effects is reduced. But on the instructions for the medicine itself, you can read that when it is taken for more than two weeks, there are disturbances in the absorption of fat, proteins, hormones and calcium. If the duration of the use of the drug is exceeded, a person may experience nausea, stomach upset in the form of diarrhea or constipation. Also, with long-term use, charcoal will begin to damage the walls of the stomach and intestines. Another important point is that when you consume activated charcoal, you cannot take other medications, as it completely neutralizes their effect on the body. This especially applies to birth control pills and special suppositories.
Along with the great benefits that activated charcoal brings, weight loss with its use can be fraught with disruptions to the body's normal functioning. In this case, you may prefer a short three-day diet. But, you have to admit, not everyone can resist a menu that is too lean. As a result, this will result in a spoiled mood and a depressive state. Again, due to a poor diet, the kilograms lost during the mono-diet can quickly return.
Many nutritionists recommend that it is better to turn your attention to such a simple thing as natural fibers. It is found in large quantities in many vegetables and fruits, which are easily available at all times of the year. In its effect on the gastrointestinal tract, it is similar to activated charcoal. Fiber also absorbs harmful substances and cleans them from the stomach and intestinal walls. At the same time, it will not only help to cleanse the body, but will also bring a lot of vitamins and microelements with it - coal can only envy this property.
Carefully examine the beneficial properties of the drug, but also do not forget its many side effects, in order to assess whether weight loss using this method is worth the possible health problems.