Ten years ago, activated charcoal was considered a fairly effective means of combating excess weight. It was later replaced by appetite regulators and various dietary supplements. However, today, when novel drugs have become too expensive or have been discontinued entirely, a serious discussion about charcoal has once again developed on the Internet. Therefore, let's find out how this drug works and whether it can really help you get rid of extra pounds at home.
Beneficial Features
Activated charcoal is a medication, not a fat burning agent. And it helps not so much those who want to get rid of extra pounds, but those who need a serious cleansing of the body. Therefore, among the positive manifestations of taking the drug, what comes to the fore is not the "melted" centimeters at the waist or problems, but:
- Stabilization of the digestive tract.
- Elimination of toxins and other harmful substances from the body.
- Slightly delays the skin aging process (due to increased fluid intake).
- Reduce blood cholesterol and, as a result, improve the function of the brain and cardiovascular system and accelerate metabolism.
- Improvement of the functioning of the liver, adrenal glands, kidneys and various other internal organs.
- There is no sedimentation, since the active elements of the drug are not absorbed, but are completely eliminated from the body within 8-10 hours after administration.
- Reduce the chance of infection with staphylococcus, dysentery, and some airborne diseases (e. g. , influenza).
Indications for use
As for all types of diets (which we will consider in more detail below), the intake of activated charcoal is justified only when combined with other methods. However, many other indications for its use can be found in medical reference books. So, those who suffer:
- Metabolic disorders.
- Stomach disorders, fermentations, flatulence, diarrhea.
- Consequences of severe detoxification.
- Intoxication with alkaloids, salts of heavy metals and other harmful substances.
- Intoxications of various etiologies.
And this is just a short list of situations in which it will be very useful. However, do not forget that you can take the drug not just once, but in a cycle only after approval from your doctor, as you may have contraindications to taking it.
Contraindications
Although activated charcoal cleaning is practiced everywhere, not everyone should use it. In addition to individual intolerance, reasons for rejection may include:
- Vitamin deficiency or metabolic disorder.
- Insufficient age (under 14 years) or excessive age (over 65 years) of the person who is losing weight.
- Pregnancy and lactation in young mothers.
- Low blood pressure.
- The presence of problems in the gastrointestinal tract: colitis, duodenal ulcer or any other.
- The patient is taking certain medications (for example, antitoxins).
- Predisposition to constipation and bulimia, presence of intestinal dysbiosis.
- Internal bleeding (regardless of its origin).
As you see, drinking it is not always beneficial. And in some cases it can even be dangerous to health. Therefore, if you plan to start losing weight with activated charcoal, be sure to consult your doctor first.
Is there a result?
Is charcoal effective as a means of losing weight? In search of an answer to this question, let's turn to the experience of those who have already tried these pills on themselves. According to reviews, in two weeks without the use of additional methods (effective diets, physical activity), people managed to lose 2-4 kg. Furthermore, the higher the initial weight of the person losing weight, the better results they can achieve.
However, let's find out if activated charcoal really promotes weight loss. Not precisely. What happens is that when you start taking these pills, you increase your water consumption accordingly. Having previously filled the stomach with water, a person eats less during the next meal. The result is weight loss. In other words, it is quite possible to achieve the same result in the same period without taking activated carbon. It will be enough to drink a glass of still water at room temperature about 20-30 minutes before meals.
But what the drug really does well is cleanse the body. After a two-week course, many people notice:
- Improvement of the condition of the skin: disappearance of blackheads and greasy shine.
- The appearance of lightness in the body.
- Stabilization of intestinal function.
However, all this only happens if you take the medication correctly. If you forget about the measure and when consuming you are guided by the principle "the more, the better", you can develop a series of complications.
Damage to the body
It seems that we have all known charcoal since childhood, as an excellent remedy for intestinal problems and excessive gas formation. So, what negative consequences can we talk about? Let us remember that activated charcoal is, above all, a medicine. This means that an overdose or improper use can cause damage to the body. This can be expressed in:
- Avitaminosis and hypovitaminosis.
Activated carbon is an excellent adsorbent, but it removes not only toxins from the body, but also nutrients.
- External deterioration
With prolonged use, you risk nullifying all the positive effects of "cleansing": fair skin becomes dull and covered with pimples, nails become brittle, and hair begins to fall out.
- Constipation
Excessive slowdown of peristalsis is a sure companion of severe constipation, which is not so far from diarrhea and hemorrhoids.
- Damage to the intestinal walls.
Two weeks of moderate use of the drug will not cause negative consequences. However, if you get too carried away, you are sure to have problems with your gastrointestinal tract.
- Reduce the effect of taking other medications.
Instead of having a restorative effect on the body, the beneficial substances and antibodies contained in the tablets will be actively eliminated along with toxins.
- Reduce blood pressure and thromboembolism.
And all this is true only for completely healthy people. We can only guess how self-medication or "grandmother's" recipe based on activated charcoal will affect those who already suffer from a chronic disease. But it is evident that it is not necessary to talk about improvements.
Of course, the above does not mean that it is harmful to health. Only the benefits will be noticed only if taken correctly. And it may turn out completely different than expected.
Dosage and administration rules.
So what method of application will give the optimal effect and not cause irreparable damage? The exact course can only be prescribed by the attending physician who is familiar with the characteristics of your body. In general, the admission rules are as follows:
- The duration of the course starts from 3 days and should not exceed 2 weeks (the same applies to diets that include taking this drug).
- The number of tablets to be taken per day (at least 3 doses) is calculated using the formula: 1 tablet per 10 kg of full weight. In other words, if you weigh 50 kg, you should take 5 tablets a day, if you weigh 113 kg, 11 tablets.
- The drug should be introduced gradually into the daily menu. If your norm is 7 tablets, then in the first 2-3 days it is better to take no more than 5 tablets and gradually increase the dose. The same applies when completing the course.
- The dose is taken one hour before or after meals. However, you should not drink it in the morning (when the stomach is still empty), it is better to do it an hour after breakfast.
- After completing the course, be sure to take a break of at least 2 weeks.
- Take the tablets with boiled still water at room temperature. This will prevent all types of bacteria from entering the body and will help the medicine start to work faster.
- At the end of your appointment, be sure to contact your doctor to prescribe a multivitamin treatment (to restore the balance of vitamins in the body).
Additionally, if you want to get the most benefits from taking activated charcoal, try following the following recommendations:
- Reduce consumption of flour products and those that contain sugar.
- Avoid alcohol completely.
- Eliminate dishes rich in sugar, fats and harmful elements from your daily menu.
- Drink water (at least 1 liter per 30 kg of weight, but up to 2. 5 liters in total).
- Switch from coffee to mild tea without additives.
- Increase your physical activity by making sure that exercise (such as morning exercise, afternoon jogging, or swimming in the pool) gives you a burst of energy and strength, rather than draining you completely.
Follow these simple rules and losing weight with activated charcoal will definitely benefit you. Although not all the extra kilos will disappear, you will feel much better than before the start of the course.
Reception Variations
As already mentioned, many people begin to actively take the drug in an attempt to lose weight. Therefore, let's look at the most popular methods and evaluate their effectiveness:
Option #1: Soft
Essence:The diet of the person who is losing weight remains unchanged and additional efforts to lose weight are not taken into account. Tablets should be taken in an amount of 2 pieces 1. 5 hours, one hour before meals. The duration of the course ranges from 10 days to two weeks.
Result:There will be no significant weight loss (maximum: 3-4 kilograms in 14 days). However (if other conditions remain unchanged), the lost centimeters will disappear forever, lightness will appear in the body, intestinal function will stabilize, and daily activity will increase significantly.
Option #2: Three-day diet
Essence:For 3 days, the person who loses weight follows a certain diet. Additional physical activity is not taken into account, but is not prohibited.
- Day 1
During the day, you can only eat activated charcoal with kefir and water. Additionally, you first need to take a couple of tablets (depending on weight), wash them down with a glass of warm still water, and after half an hour - with a glass of kefir. If you are used to eating more than three times a day, you should reduce the portion size and number of tablets. In this case, the break between meals should be at least 2-3 hours.
- Day 2
The current "dish list" is completely the same as the previous day's menu, but with one difference. Kefir is replaced with apples at the rate of one apple for each glass.
- Day 3
On this day the diet remains the same, but instead of kefir you will eat a vegetable salad with olive oil dressing or steamed vegetables without salt.
Result:This diet is one of the express diets and therefore, as a result, you can lose up to 5 kg. However, the menu provides for a rather abrupt and radical rejection of products, which is not suitable for everyone. As you lose weight, you may experience severe headaches, weakness, and bouts of uncontrollable appetite (which may even cause your weight to increase). Therefore, you should not follow this diet during your period or when you are doing things that require increased attention and concentration.
If this diet was easy for you, you can continue the course and extend it up to 15 days. However, it is advisable to stop taking activated charcoal and, at the end of the diet, be sure to take a multivitamin.
Option #3: Two-week diet with activated charcoal
Essence:For 14 days, the person losing weight eats according to a certain pattern, designed to gradually dull the feeling of hunger. At the same time, 30-60 minutes before meals (except the second breakfast), take activated charcoal (2 tablets) with a glass of warm still water. When evaluating effectiveness, additional physical activity is not taken into account.
Day 1:
- Breakfast: a serving (0. 2 kg) of oatmeal cooked in water and a glass of green or black tea without additives. If you wish, you can season the porridge with raisins and with tea you can eat some bread with a thin piece of cheese.
- Second breakfast: a glass of skimmed kefir.
- Lunch: lean meat broth (beef or chicken) and 0. 2 kg of boiled vegetables.
- Dinner: fresh fruit salad, dressed with a spoonful of sour cream or homemade yogurt.
Day 2:
- Breakfast: buckwheat cooked in water, plus a hard-boiled egg and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: apple, kiwi or small banana.
- Lunch: vegetable broth and 0. 15 kg of pollock, baked in its own juice without adding spices.
- Dinner: apple and 0. 2 kg of cottage cheese whose fat content does not exceed 7%.
Day 3:
- Breakfast: a bowl of freshly cooked rice and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: two small fruits of your choice.
- Lunch: steamed chicken (0. 2 kg) and vegetable salad dressed with low-fat sour cream.
- Dinner: vegetable casserole and a glass of tea.
Day 4:
- Breakfast: a bowl of oatmeal cooked with skimmed milk, a glass of tea and a handful of raisins.
- Second breakfast: cucumber and two hard-boiled eggs.
- Lunch: a bowl of soup based on lean fish. You cannot eat more than 0. 1 kg of the fish.
- Dinner: a serving of cottage cheese and a banana.
Day 5:
- Breakfast: 1 medium tomato, a sandwich (bread + thin slice of cheese) and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: 0. 05 kg of cottage cheese and a cup of skimmed milk. If you wish, you can add a couple of loaves of bread.
- Lunch: vegetable soup cooked in meat broth and 0. 1 kg of boiled lean meat.
- Dinner: fresh vegetable salad.
Day 6:
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge cooked in water (without additives), a hard-boiled egg and cucumber.
- Second breakfast: a cup of skimmed kefir and a small fruit of your choice.
- Lunch: lean meat broth (0. 2 kg) and cucumber.
- Dinner: cottage cheese (0. 1 kg), seasoned with a spoonful of homemade yogurt (without additives).
Day 7:
- Breakfast: oatmeal cooked with milk, 0. 1 kg of homemade yogurt and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: a cup of kefir.
- Lunch: vegetable casserole and 0. 1 kg of boiled lean meat.
- Dinner: vegetable salad dressed with homemade yogurt.
Day 8:
- Breakfast: two cucumbers, two sandwiches with low-fat cheese and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: two small fruits of your choice.
- Lunch: chicken broth and 0. 1 kg of vegetable casserole.
- Dinner: two cucumbers and a portion of cooked mussels.
Day 9:
- Breakfast: rice cooked in water and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: a glass of kefir and an apple.
- Lunch: a portion of low-fat borscht and 0. 1 kg of boiled chicken breast.
- Dinner: cucumber and tomato salad and 0. 2 kg of boiled shrimp.
Day 10:
- Breakfast: 2 roasted apples, a portion of cottage cheese and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: a glass of kefir and bread.
- Lunch: a bowl of lean fish soup.
- Dinner: steamed vegetables.
Day 11:
- Breakfast: cucumber, sandwich (bread + thin slice of boiled chicken breast) and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: a glass of fermented baked milk and an apple.
- Lunch: a bowl of low-fat chicken broth.
- Dinner: vegetable salad and 0. 1 kg of cottage cheese.
Day 12:
- Breakfast: a portion of cottage cheese, two cucumbers, a hard-boiled egg and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: two small fruits of your choice.
- Lunch: a plate of low-fat borscht and 0. 1 kg of stewed mushrooms.
- Dinner: boiled chicken breast (0. 1 kg) and vegetable salad.
Day 13:
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge cooked in water, a hard-boiled egg and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: small fruit of your choice.
- Lunch: a plate of vegetable broth and 0. 15 kg of pollock, baked in its own juice without adding spices.
- Dinner: apple and 0. 2 kg of cottage cheese whose fat content does not exceed 7%.
Day 14:
- Breakfast: a portion of oatmeal boiled in water and a glass of tea. If you wish, you can season the porridge with raisins and with tea you can eat some bread with a thin piece of cheese.
- Second breakfast: a glass of skimmed kefir.
- Lunch: a serving of lean meat broth and 0. 2 kg of stewed vegetables.
- Dinner: fruit salad, dressed with a spoonful of sour cream or homemade yogurt.
Result:Since this diet is classified as moderate, you can follow it even with increased daily activity. In two weeks, with its help you can lose 5-7 kg, which (if you follow a similar menu, but without charcoal) will not return in the future.
White or black: choosing the "right" charcoal
Today the range of medicines is enormous. So, if earlier in the pharmacy you could only buy black activated charcoal, today, along with it, pharmacists offer white charcoal tablets. Advertising for a new fashionable product promises buyers a softer effect, the elimination of only toxins from the body and the possibility of long-term courses (more than 2 weeks).
The only thing is that the instructions for use of both drugs are almost identical and nanorobots (which could reliably determine which element harms the body and which helps) are not included in white carbon. In addition, if traditional black coal costs a penny, for white coal you will have to pay several times more. Whether such a "game" is worth it, decide for yourself.
Let's summarize the above. As practice shows, activated carbon for weight loss will be ineffective. Without the help of other solutions (diet, exercise), with their help you can lose a maximum of 2-3 kilograms. In this case, an overdose of the drug threatens serious problems in the body. However, if you need to cleanse your body quickly, for example after a big feast, you won't find a better solution. Plus, it's always available and affordable.