There is one popular remedy that helps you lose excess weight in a short time. Activated charcoal has been used for weight loss for quite some time. Even at the end of the 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 weight loss method is explained by the availability and low price of activated carbon. It is sold without prescriptions, which inspires people to believe that it is safe for health.
Many who have heard about this unusual method wonder whether 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, because activated charcoal was not originally intended for weight loss. Everyone knows it as an indispensable remedy for 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 quickly?
The effects of activated carbon for weight loss
In fact, you shouldn’t expect any magic from using this remedy. Indeed, it helps in losing weight, but only if it is used as an aid. Initially, activated carbon is not able to burn fat cells or, in some intricate way, absorb large amounts of them and remove them from the body naturally. Researchers note that, indeed, charcoal is capable of adsorbing a small amount of fat cells, but no better than common dietary supplements. That is, without diet and physical activity, its effect on weight loss will be zero.
The property of activated carbon, which helps you quickly lose a few extra pounds, is the suppression of hunger. If you drink charcoal on an empty stomach, it will significantly dull your appetite. This occurs due to the fact that activated charcoal inhibits intestinal motility. Thus, a person eats much less, which helps to lose weight. At the same time, other herbal remedies, such as chamomile or mint teas, 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 weight 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 in the stomach, it will bind all the toxins there, food breakdown products, poisons 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 cleanses from the walls of the stomach and intestines: the remains of gastric juice and bile, as well as cholesterol. In a natural way, all these harmful substances are eliminated from the body.
Whatever one may say, coal is still a medicine, which means it should be taken in a limited manner. Try to follow the instructions so as not to exceed the maximum allowable dosage. Otherwise, this is fraught with problems with the intestines: as a result of long-term use of activated carbon, the intestinal muscles may lose the ability to contract normally. As a result, this will result in constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
At first glance, there will be some positive aspects from consuming activated carbon during a diet. But do not forget that, first of all, this is a drug, which means it can harm your body if used for a long time.
How to take activated carbon for weight loss
By adhering to a dietary system or fasting days and at the same time using this remedy, you can lose weight. Some experts believe that with this approach, the chances of success in losing weight improve by half the results initially promised by diets.
There are several methods for taking activated carbon tablets:
| The essence of the approach | Quantity calculation |
|---|---|
| According to the first method, every day you increase the dosage of the medicine 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 a person’s weight. For example, you have 80 kg. On the first day you should take three tablets - one before each meal. The next day you will have to take four tablets, then five, and so on until you reach eight per day. |
| According to the second approach, throughout the day you need to drink the number of activated carbon tablets that is prescribed by your weight (using the same formula). | A person weighing 80 kg needs to take 8 tablets per day. |
| But according to the third method, a person’s weight does not need to be taken into account. | During the day you need to take ten tablets. |
In all cases, taking this medicine for the purpose of losing weight should not exceed 10 days. After a ten-day course, you should 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 foods;
- fried foods;
- spicy seasonings;
- mayonnaise;
- alcoholic drinks.
In addition, during the period of the coal diet, you must take vitamin complexes. This is due to the fact that, along with harmful elements, activated carbon will adsorb all useful substances in your body. Therefore, they need to be constantly replenished to avoid health problems. Also, do not forget that you need to regularly drink one and a half to two liters of clean water, which also stimulates cleansing of the body.
In order 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 carbon 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. The tablets will need to 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, which you need to wash down the tablets with. On the second day of the diet you will have to sit on apples. You are allowed to eat two large fruits 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, vegetables can be slightly flavored with vegetable oil.
A three-day fasting cycle provides for as many black coal 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, refer to 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 carbon, like any other medication, has many side effects and contraindications. Their list is quite extensive and can certainly stop some people from taking coal for the purpose of losing weight. A number of those who are contraindicated from using activated carbon for a long period include:
- pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers;
- suffering from peptic ulcers;
- 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 do not fall into any of the listed categories, still be sure to consult a doctor for advice, as long-term use of charcoal can be harmful to your health. Many diseases of internal organs for the time being go unnoticed by a person, and he does not even know about the existence of the problem. But thoughtless long-term use of this medication can stimulate the transition of the disease to the acute stage, which is fraught with unpleasant consequences.
Activated carbon adsorbs absolutely everything in your body, including amino acids, digestive enzymes, vitamins and microelements. Therefore, its long-term use can lead to vitamin deficiency. In the mildest case, you will notice that your hair looks dull and has begun to actively fall out, and your nails have split and become brittle. Also, a scattering of pimples may appear on the skin, and the skin itself will take on an earthy tint. 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 deadly.
In addition, if you regularly take charcoal for the purpose of losing weight, you may experience an allergic reaction to it. And if it’s only ten days and not repeated frequently, then the risk of side effects is reduced. But on the instructions for the medicine itself you can read that when taken for more than two weeks, there are disturbances 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. Also, with prolonged use, charcoal will begin to damage the walls of the stomach and intestines. Another important point is that when consuming activated carbon, you cannot take other medications, 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 carbon brings, losing weight with its use can be fraught with disruption of the normal functioning of the body. In this case, you can give preference to a short three-day diet. But, you must admit, not every person can withstand a menu that is too meager. 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 advise it is better to turn your attention to such a simple thing as natural fiber. It is found in large quantities in many vegetables and fruits, which can be easily obtained at any time of the year. In its effect on the gastrointestinal tract, it resembles activated carbon. Fiber also absorbs harmful substances and cleanses them from the walls of the stomach and intestines. At the same time, it will not only help cleanse the body, but will also bring with it a lot of vitamins and microelements - coal can only envy this property.
Carefully study the beneficial qualities of the medicine, but also do not lose sight of its many side effects, in order to assess whether losing weight using this method is worth the possible health problems.