There is a popular remedy that helps you lose extra pounds in a short time. Activated charcoal has been used for weight loss for quite some time. As early as the late 19th century, some English doctors advised their overweight patients to swallow charcoal to cleanse the stomach and dull the feeling of hunger. Nowadays, 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 method of losing weight is explained by the availability and low price of activated carbon. 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 carbon and what kind of excess weight loss it can be. People's doubts are not surprising, since activated charcoal was not originally intended for weight loss. Everyone knows it as an indispensable remedy for poisoning, because these small black or white tablets with a porous surface perfectly absorb all toxic substances that enter the stomach. So how does this popular drug make rapid weight loss possible?
The effects of activated charcoal for weight loss
In fact, you should not expect any magic from using this medicine. It really helps with weight loss, but only if used as an aid. Initially, activated charcoal is unable to burn fat cells or in some complex way absorb large amounts of them and remove them from the body naturally. The researchers note that charcoal is indeed capable of adsorbing a small amount of fat cells, but no better than ordinary dietary supplements. That is, without diet and physical activity, its effect on weight loss will be zero.
The property of activated charcoal that helps you shed a few extra pounds quickly is hunger suppression. If you drink charcoal on an empty stomach, it will significantly dull your appetite. This is due to the fact that activated charcoal inhibits intestinal motility. Thus, one eats much less, which helps in losing weight. At the same time, other herbal remedies, such as chamomile or peppermint teas, can have a similar effect on humans. However, they will not harm health.
It is difficult to say how many kilograms it is possible to lose weight with the help of activated charcoal, since this still happens not because of it. Focus on the indications of specific dietary methods. The positive effect of consuming black activated carbon during a diet is that once it gets into the stomach, it will bind all the toxins, food decay products, poisons there and remove them from the gastrointestinal tract. The action 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 walls of the stomach and intestines: the remnants of gastric juice and bile, as well as cholesterol. Naturally, all these harmful substances are removed from the body.
Regardless, charcoal is still a drug, which means it should be taken in moderation. Try to follow the instructions so as not to exceed the maximum permissible dose. Otherwise, it is fraught with intestinal problems: as a result of long-term use of activated charcoal, the intestinal muscles can lose their ability to contract normally. As a result, constipation or, conversely, diarrhea will appear.
At first glance, there would be some positive aspects to consuming activated charcoal while dieting. But remember that it is primarily 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 adhering to a diet system or fasting days and at the same time using this medicine, you can lose weight. Some experts believe that with this approach, the chances of success in losing weight are improved by half of the results originally promised by diets.
There are several ways to take activated charcoal tablets:
| The essence of the approach | Quantity calculation |
|---|---|
| According to the first method, every day you increase the dose of the drug by one tablet. | First, weigh yourself. The classic scheme for using charcoal to cleanse the stomach states that one tablet corresponds to ten kilograms of weight per person. For example, you have 80 kg. On the first day, you should take three tablets - one before each meal. The next day you will need to take four tablets, then five and so on until you reach eight a day. |
| According to the second approach, throughout the day you should drink the number of tablets of activated carbon prescribed according to your weight (using the same formula). | A person weighing 80 kg should take 8 tablets per day. |
| But according to the third method, the weight of a person should not be taken into account. | During the day you need to take ten tablets. |
In any case, the intake of this drug for the purpose of weight loss should not exceed 10 days. After a ten-day course, you should take a two-week break. To achieve a good result, this cycle should be repeated three times with breaks.
During the diet you should not eat:
- sweets;
- baking;
- salted, canned and smoked foods;
- fried foods;
- spicy spices;
- mayonnaise;
- alcoholic beverages.
In addition, during the period of the coal diet, you should take vitamin complexes. This is due to the fact that along with harmful elements, activated carbon will absorb all the useful substances in your body. Therefore, they must be constantly supplemented to avoid health problems. Also, do not forget that you should regularly drink one and a half to two liters of clean water, which also stimulates body cleansing.
To lose weight with the help of activated charcoal, you can resort to a not so long-term diet, designed for only 3 days. The three-day food 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 will help maintain normal bowel function so your metabolism doesn't slow down.
The three-day diet is based on consuming as many black coal tablets per day as prescribed based on the person's weight. Divide this amount into three meals. Tablets should 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 are allowed to eat two large pieces of fruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the third day, which is aimed at gradually removing the body from the diet, a vegetable menu is provided. You will be able to eat about one kilogram of vegetables in the form of salads or steamed. On the third day, the vegetables can be lightly seasoned with vegetable oil.
A three-day fasting cycle provides as many tablets of black coal 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. At a weight of 60-70 kg, take eight tablets, at a weight of up to 80 kg - 10 tablets, and above - 12.
You have to be very careful
Remember that activated charcoal, like any other drug, has many side effects and contraindications. Their list is quite extensive and may certainly stop some people from taking coal for weight loss. Some of the contraindications to long-term use of activated charcoal include:
- pregnant women and nursing mothers;
- suffering from peptic ulcer;
- people with intestinal obstruction;
- those who have chronic constipation;
- suffering from intestinal atony;
- susceptible to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract;
- patients with ulcerative colitis;
- patients with chronic low blood pressure.
But even if you don't fall into any of the listed categories, still be sure to consult a doctor for advice, as long-term use of charcoal can harm your health. Many diseases of the internal organs remain unnoticed by a person for the time being, and he does not even know about the existence of the problem. But reckless long-term use of this drug 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, its long-term intake can lead to vitamin deficiency. At the very least, you will notice that your hair looks dull and has begun to actively fall out, and your nails have split and become brittle. In addition, scattered pimples may appear on the skin, and the skin itself will acquire an earthy hue. 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.
Also, if you regularly take charcoal for weight loss, you may have an allergic reaction to it. And if it is only ten days and does not repeat often, then the risk of side effects is reduced. But in the instructions for the drug itself, you can read that when taken for more than two weeks, there are disorders in the absorption of fats, proteins, hormones and calcium. If the duration of use of the drug is exceeded, a person may experience nausea, stomach upset in the form of diarrhea or constipation. In addition, with prolonged use, charcoal will begin to damage the walls of the stomach and intestines. Another important point is that when you take activated charcoal, you cannot take other drugs, as it completely neutralizes their effect on the body. In particular, this 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 disruption of the body's normal functioning. In this case, you can give preference to a short three-day diet. But you have to admit that not every person can withstand too meager menu. As a result, it will lead to a bad mood and a depressed state. Again, due to a poor diet, the pounds lost during the mono diet can quickly come back.
Many nutritionists advise that it is better to focus on such a simple thing as natural fiber. It is found in large quantities in many vegetables and fruits that can be easily obtained at any time of the year. In its effect on the gastrointestinal tract, it resembles activated charcoal. Fiber also absorbs harmful substances and cleans them from the walls of the stomach and intestines. At the same time, it will not only help to cleanse the body, but will also bring with it a lot of vitamins and trace elements - coal can only envy this property.
Carefully study the useful properties of the drug, but do not lose sight of its many side effects in order to assess whether losing weight by this method is worth the possible health problems.