Activated Charcoal

[Guest guest]

Funny in another group last night there was request for information on

activated charcoal and I apologized for not publishing this information sooner.

I have gotten so caught up in the vaccine area these past few weeks have not had

much time to finish the Healing the GI track chapter I was working on. The below

is part of that work. I hope it is helpful.

Mark

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Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal (carbon) is an essential agent when chelating or

detoxifying from mercury and other heavy metals. It is an effective treatment

for accidental and intentional poisonings and is used in every emergency room,

in every ambulance, and should be a part of every household, especially those

with small children. When one is concerned, during chelation, that mercury is

being eliminated through the intestines, activated carbon will insure that it

will not be reabsorbed to inflict further harm on the system.

So strong is activated carbon's ability to adsorb mercury and other

heavy metals that it is now being used to remove mercury from smokestacks of

coal burning power plants. The mercury-removal method is simple. The carbon is

treated with the chemical bromine and then blown into the stream of exhaust

gases. The carbon adsorbs as much as 75 percent of the gaseous mercury in

difficult applications, and at power plants with easier configurations, the

activated-carbon technology removed as much as 94 percent of the mercury.

" This is as complicated as it gets right here, " said Duke Engineer

Potter. " It's like a sponge. It soaks that mercury up. " The project, funded

mostly by the U.S. Department of Energy, cost less than $2 million. Activated

Carbon has been used in the removal of mercury, lead and other toxins from

aqueous water systems, and the removal of toxins, including heavy metals from

soils and superfund sites. [ii] [iii]

Activated Charcoal (AC) has been used effectively in the healing arts

for centuries. Doctors use it routinely as an antidote for poisons and an

effective treatment for indigestion and gas. AC is a highly adsorbent gritty

black material and is commonly found in air and water filters because it has an

amazing ability to attract other substances to its surface and hold them there

through the process of adsorption. Charcoal can adsorb thousands of times its

own weight in gases, heavy metals, poisons, and other chemicals, thus making

them ineffective or harmless.[iv] The adsorptive surface of activated charcoal

contains several carbon moieties (e.g., carbonyl, hydroxyl) that adsorb

different poisons with varying affinity.[v] It is so filled with holes that the

surface area of just one teaspoonful of this material will cover the area of a

football field.[vi] AC does not really function like a sponge, as inferred above

by Potter. It does not pull into its inner structures like clay does. Instead,

poisonous gases and chemicals adhere or stick to its surface. If you were to eat

the carbon, nearby poisons within your body would attach to it firmly until the

body expels both of them from the body. The charcoal is not absorbed into the

blood; it's merely a carrier of toxins.

Activated charcoal is made from coal, wood, bone char, peat, sawdust

or charred hard fruit shells and fruit pits. Coconut shells and cherry pits are

often used. The charred bits of fruit pits and coconut shells (considered

vegetable sources) are believed by many to be the most valuable for human

consumption of activated charcoal. This vegetable form of carbon is safe for

human consumption and is FDA approved [vii]

The best-known use of activated charcoal is in emergency medicine.

AC is an effective treatment for accidental and intentional poisonings. The

Poison Control Centers around the country advocate that parents keep a bottle of

activated charcoal in the home. Many substances and toxins are said to be

effectively removed by Activated Charcoal in poisoning situations.[viii]

Activated charcoal can be used in the home, and is mixed with either water or

juice. Activated charcoal can be used in many ways to detoxify our bodies from

everyday contaminants, toxins, effects of pharmaceutical drugs, relief of

gastrointestinal ailments, including candidiasis, which is such a prominent

problem in children with autistic spectrum disorders. Dr. Kaufman PhD,

who has done extensive study on activated carbon, explains that:

1. Activated Charcoal adsorbs much of the toxins that Candida produces

that otherwise would be absorbed by the blood and carried throughout the body.

These toxins produce pathological changes in tissues and organs and interfere

with proper immune function. Candida toxins cause allergic reactions and are

responsible for the debilitating symptoms of Candidiasis.

2. Activated Charcoal suppresses the growth of intestinal-based yeasts.

3. Activated Charcoal counteracts the Herxheimer reaction - a severe,

short-term exacerbation of Candida symptoms caused by the copious amount of

toxins produced by dying yeast cells as a result of a successful treatment. The

Herxheimer reaction is often so unpleasant that patients abandon treatment

before completion. Activated Charcoal is one method for alleviating the symptoms

of yeast die-off so people can continue their treatment and not suffer.[ix]

For GI problems a teaspoon of activated charcoal mixed with a full

8oz glass of water per day, often gives relief from many ailments. While

constipation is one of the possible effects of regular ingestion of AC, the

slurry can be mixed with psyllium husk to minimize this effect, or

alternatively, a mild herbal laxative or magnesium preparation can be used. Dr.

Kaufman said, " Abdominal distension (bloating) and flatulence respond

favorably to treatment with activated charcoal. Diarrhea caused by food

poisoning, bacteria, nervousness and other factors is usually alleviated by

taking activated charcoal. Some physicians have used activated charcoal to stop

bleeding from ulcerative colitis and calm spastic colons. Activated charcoal is

the best intestinal deodorant available. Taking activated charcoal counteracts

decomposition products from food (such as beans) that cause flatulence and

diarrhea. Individuals with malodorous stools should reach for activated

charcoal " .[x]

You can help your heart and circulatory system by taking activated

charcoal. It lowers the concentration of total lipids, cholesterol, and

triglycerides in the blood serum, liver, heart and brain. It was reported in the

British journal Lancet, on patients with high cholesterol, 8 gm of activated

charcoal taken three times a day lowered total cholesterol 25%, lowered LDL

cholesterol 41% and doubled their HDL/LDL (high-density lipoprotein/low-density

lipoprotein) cholesterol ratio.[xi] Microscopic tissue examination studies have

shown that a daily dose of activated charcoal may prevent sclerotic changes in

the heart and coronary blood vessels.[xii]

Dr. V. V. Frolkis, a famous Russian Gerontologist discovered that

activated charcoal is a potent life-extending agent. Activated charcoal has been

found to increase the mean lifespan of older test animals by approximately 40%

and their maximum lifespan by approximately 34%.[xiii] It decreases the

age-related increase in the brain's sensitivity to drugs and regular use

improves the adaptive functioning of essential organs (liver, kidneys, and

adrenals). That translates into better defense mechanisms. Microscopic tissue

analysis shows that activated charcoal prevents many cellular changes linked to

aging-decreased protein synthesis, lower RNA activity, arteriosclerosis, and

organ fibrosis. So the cumulative effects from activated charcoal are longer

life and improved overall health.

Activated charcoal is used to remove pathogens from the body, either

by ingestion (for cold/flu viruses) but also for use topically in poultices and

wound care. Studies have also shown that activated charcoal is an effective

treatment for dysentery, cholera, and many infectious conditions of the

digestive tract.[xiv] Lancet described the use of charcoal compresses to speed

the healing of wounds and eliminate their odors. Application of moist activated

charcoal compresses and poultices actually draw bacteria and poisons through the

skin and into the poultice or compress.[xv]

General detoxification is an on-going biological process that

prevents toxins (from infectious agents, food, air, water, and substances that

contact the skin) from destroying health. Chronic exposure to toxins produces

cellular damage, diverse diseases, allergic like reactions, compromised immunity

and premature aging. Activated charcoal can be an important adjunct to any

general detoxification program. AC can be taken separately in a daily drink,

used in conjunction with clay baths or used for acute mercury or other heavy

metal ingestion. Though it does not seem reasonable to think AC will remove

longstanding body burdens of mercury it certainly is an important aid for it

will adsorb all mercury being released that reaches the gut. Dr. Klinghardt

tells us that for selective mobilization of mercury from the gut, three

effective agents are available: chlorella pyreneidosa, chitin and chitosan, and

activated charcoal.[xvi]

Dr. Ray says that during chelation of mercury with DMSA and

DMPS (sulfhydryl chelators), " Some of the mobilized metals may be unbound

because the mobilizing and binding mechanisms of each chelator may have

different degrees of efficiency depending on each patient's current

biochemistry. The longer the metals stay in the bowel, the more damage and

inflammation they can cause. If the patient has Leaky Gut Syndrome or

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which most of these patients do, the increased

permeability of the intestinal wall may provide little resistance to the

resorption of these mobilized metals, which then travel back to where they came

from - the brain, kidneys, liver, connective tissue, etc., or are deposited into

previously healthy tissue. "

The problem with leaky gut and bowel inflammation in general, is that

they are very difficult to treat while the metals are still present in that

tissue and continuing to cause inflammation. " Activated Charcoal is recommended

as one of the supplements to assist in protecting the intestinal wall and

grabbing the mercury to move it through the intestines and out of the body. He

also says, " Mercury is known to create antibiotic resistant bacteria, the

plasmid responsible also being replicated and passed on to other bacteria. The

presence of mercury in the bowel could therefore contribute to the severity and

duration of intestinal infections. " [xvii]

Many well-informed environmental dentists give their clients

Activated charcoal (and some combine it with chlorella) before proceeding with

removal of dental amalgams.[xviii] This protects the tissues and intestines from

any damage that might occur when particles of amalgam are swallowed, and helps

to rapidly transport and eliminate them from the body. Well-equipped dental

offices also use activated charcoal filters to trap the vapors released during

amalgam removal. Facial masks are also made with activated charcoal to protect

the dental practitioners.

Activated charcoal is recommended for internal ingestion in the

powdered form for best efficacy. While it is available in many differing

preparations, care must be taken to ensure the purest form. Toxicology studies

have proven that activated charcoal is harmless when used with reason. Ingesting

high dosages does not interfere with sleep-disorders appetite, well-being or

cause major problems. Activated charcoal is highly adsorbent; when it is

ingested at the same time as medication, supplements and foods it may decrease

their absorption and utilization. Milk, ice cream, or sherbet will decrease the

ability of activated charcoal to absorb other agents. Therefore, always allow 2

hours before and wait 2 hours after using activated charcoal to eat, take

supplements or swallow medication. Activated charcoal can cause constipation,

which can easily be remedied by the addition of psyllium, magnesium, or herbal

laxatives.

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Technology Gives Hope in the Removal of Mercury; Contra Costa Times

6/18/05 http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/living/science/11933933.htm

[ii] CPL Carbon Link: Municipal Water Treatment:

http://www.activated-carbon.com/3-2.html

[iii] Superfund sites are the most contaminated hazardous waste sites

located in the United States and are on the National Priorities List (NPL).RCRA,

the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, regulates hazardous waste treatment,

storage, and disposal facilities .Sixty-four percent of Superfund and RCRA sites

are contaminated with both organic and heavy metal species and another 15% are

contaminated solely by metals. Lead, which contaminates more than 50% of sites

found on the NPL, is one of the most prominent metal contaminants found in

hazardous waste sites. Mercury also poses significant environmental and health

concerns. The World Health Organization (WHO) has approximated that each year

10,000 tons of mercury are released globally from both natural and anthropogenic

sources. May-Aug, 2000 for the US. EPA: An Overview of the Phytoremediation of

Lead and Mercury http://clu-in.org/download/studentpapers/henry.pdf

[iv] Activated Charcoal Can Save Your Life, Jonothan Shiloka

http://www.motherearthnews.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5571

[v] Burke GM, Wurster DE, Berg MJ, Veng-Pedersen P, Schottelius DD.

Surface characterization of activated charcoal by x-ray

[vi] field Carbon Activated Corp.

http://www.activatedcarbon.com/What%20is.html.

[vii] http://www.therapies.com/colon/charcoal.htm

[viii] The Total Health Newsletter July 1998 VoL No.5 ACTIVATED CHARCOAL

- Uses In Modern Natural Healing http://healingtools.tripod.com/thn5.html

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SUBSTANCES ADSORBED BY CHARCOAL

Acetaminophen

Aconitine

Amitriptyline Hydrochloride

Amphetamine

Antimony

Antipyrine

Arsenic

Aspirin

Atropine

Barbital Barbiturates

Ben-Gay

Benzodiazepines

Cantharides

Camphor

Chlordane

Chloroquine

Chlorpheniramine

Chlorpromazine

Cocaine

Colchicine

Congesprin

Contac

Dalmane

Darvon

Delphinium

2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid

Digitalis or Foxglove

Dilantin

Diphenylhydantoin

DiphenoxylatesDoriden

Doxepin

Elaterin

Elavil

Equanil

Ergotamine

Ethchlorvynol

Gasoline

Glutethimide

Golden Chain

Hemlock

Hexachlorophene

Imipramine

Iodine

Ipecac

Isoniazid

Kerosene

Lead Acetate

Malathion

Mefenamic Acid

Meprobamate

Mercuric chloride

Mercury

Methylene Blue

Methyl Salicylate

Miltown

Morphine

Multivitamins with Minerals

Muscarin

Narcotics

Neguvon

Nicotine

Nortriptyline

Nytol

Opium

Oxazepam

Parathion

Penicillin

Pentazocine

Pentobarbital

Pesticides

Phenobarbital

Phenolphthalein

Phenol

Phenolthiazines

Phenylpropanolamine

Placidyl

Potassium Permanganate

Primaquine

Propantheline

Propoxyphene

Quinacrine

Quinidine

Quinine

Radioactive Substances

Salicylamide

Salicylates

Secobarbital

Selenium

Serax

Silver

Sinequan

Sodium Salicylate

Sominex

Stramonium

Strychnine

Sulfonamides

Talwin

Tofranil

Tree Tobacco

Yew

Valium

Veratrine

Some Silver & Antimony Salts

Many Herbicides 32, 39, 40

& 4000+ chemicals, drugs, toxins, & wastes

[ix] The Universal Antidote and Detoxifier that Extends Life: C.

Kaufman, Ph.D. http://healingtools.tripod.com/char1.html

[x] The Total Health Newsletter, July, 1988; (revised: 6/3/00) Activated

Charcoal-Uses in Modern Natural Healing

http://healingtools.tripod.com/thn5.html

[xi] " Effect of activated charcoal on hypercholesterolemia. " P. Kuusisto,

et al., Lancet 16: 366-67, August 1986

[xii] The Universal Antidote and Detoxifier That Extends Life : Activated

Charcoal

C. Kaufman, Ph.D. http://healingtools.tripod.com/char1.html

[xiii] " Enterosorption in prolonging old animal life. " V. Frolkis, et al.,

Exp. Gerontol.19;217-25,1984.

[xiv] Activated Charcoal Can Save Your Life Jonothan Shiloka

http://www.motherearthnews.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5571

[xv] American Medical News, pp. 37, June 22, 1984

[xvi] Mercury Detoxification: Perpetuating Factors, Problems and Obstacles

Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, M.D., PhD

http://www.neuraltherapy.com/a_mercury_detox.asp

[xvii] The Mobilization and Elimination of Systemic Heavy Metals in the

Context of Biological Medicine. Ray O.M.D., LAc, USA

http://www.toothwisdom.net/detox_mobilization.html

[xviii][19] Goldman DDS: Detoxification Protocol for Replacement

of Mercury Containing Fillings and for Mercury Related Symptoms.

http://www.mgoldmandds.com/detox1.htm