There is a folk remedy that helps you lose excess weight in a short time. Activated charcoal has been used for weight loss for a long time. Already at the end of the 19th century, some English doctors advised overweight patients to swallow charcoal to purify the stomach and reduce the feeling of hunger. Nowadays, people are increasingly turning to traditional white or black charcoal tablets not only to eliminate toxins from the body, but also to lose weight. A large number of fans of this method of weight loss 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 of those who have heard about this unusual method are wondering 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 originally activated carbon was not 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 help you 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 to lose 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. The researchers point out that, indeed, charcoal is able to absorb 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 charcoal, 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 dampen your appetite. This occurs due to the fact that activated charcoal inhibits intestinal motility. Therefore, a person eats much less, which helps to lose 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 your health.
It is difficult to talk about how many kilograms it is possible to lose weight with the help of activated carbon, since this is not why this 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 toxins, food degradation 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 carbon also contains microcrystalline cellulose. Once in the stomach, it swells, absorbs and cleans 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 dose. Otherwise, this is fraught with problems with the intestine: due to long-term use of activated charcoal, the intestinal muscles may lose the ability to contract normally. As a result, this will result in constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
At first glance, consuming activated charcoal during a diet can have some positive aspects. 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 charcoal to lose weight
By adhering to a diet system or fasting days and simultaneously using this remedy it is possible to lose weight. Some experts believe that with this approach the chances of success in weight loss improve by half compared to the results initially 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 dosage of the medicine by one tablet. | First weigh yourself. The classic scheme for using charcoal to cleanse the stomach is 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 a day. |
| According to the second approach, during the day you need to drink the amount of activated charcoal tablets prescribed by your weight (using the same formula). | A person weighing 80 kg must take 8 tablets per day. |
| But according to the third method, it is not necessary to take into account a person's weight. | 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 obtain 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 beverages.
Also, during the period of the coal diet, it is necessary to take vitamin complexes. This is due to the fact that, together with harmful elements, activated carbon will absorb all the useful substances in your body. Therefore, they must 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.
To lose weight with the help of activated carbon, you can resort to a non-long-term diet, designed for just 3 days. The three-day nutritional system resembles fasting days or a mono-diet, since the list of what is allowed in it is minimized. 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 the daily consumption of as many black charcoal tablets 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, with which you will have to swallow the tablets. On the second day of the diet you will have to sit on apples. You can eat two large fruits for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The third day, which aims to gradually distance the body from the diet, includes a vegetable menu. You will be able to eat about a kilogram of vegetables in the form of a salad or steamed. On the third day the vegetables can be lightly flavored with vegetable oil.
A three-day fasting cycle involves taking as many black charcoal tablets per day as prescribed, based on the person's weight: 1 tablet for every 10 kg of body weight. In the case of white carbon the dosage will be slightly different. To calculate it correctly, refer to the instructions for the drug. If your weight is between 45 and 60 kg, five tablets a day will be enough. 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 drug, has many side effects and contraindications. Their list is quite extensive and can definitely stop some people from taking charcoal for the purpose of losing weight. A number of those who are contraindicated to use activated carbon for a long time include:
- pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers;
- suffer from peptic ulcer;
- people with intestinal obstruction;
- those who suffer from chronic constipation;
- suffers 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 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 long-term reckless use of this drug can stimulate the transition of the disease to the acute stage, which is fraught with unpleasant consequences.
Activated charcoal absorbs absolutely everything in your body, including amino acids, digestive enzymes, vitamins and trace elements. Therefore, its long-term use can lead to vitamin deficiency. In the mildest case, you will notice that your hair looks dull and has started to actively fall out, and your nails have broken and become brittle. Additionally, a handful of pimples may appear on your skin, and the skin itself will take on an earthy tint. Activated charcoal 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.
Additionally, 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 is not repeated frequently, the risk of side effects is reduced. But on the instructions of the medicine itself you can read that when taken for more than two weeks, disturbances in the absorption of fats, proteins, hormones and calcium occur. 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 charcoal you cannot take other drugs, as it completely neutralizes their effect on the body. This applies in particular to the contraceptive pill and special suppositories.
In addition to the great benefits brought by activated charcoal, weight loss with its use can be fraught with disruptions to the normal functioning of the body. In this case, you can give preference to a short three-day diet. But, you must admit, not all people can tolerate too little menu. As a result, this will result in a spoiled mood and a depressive state. Again, due to poor nutrition, the kilograms lost during the monodiet can quickly return.
Many nutritionists advise that it is better to turn your attention to such a simple thing as natural fiber. It is found in large quantities in many fruits and vegetables, easily available at any time of the year. In its effect on the gastrointestinal tract, it resembles activated charcoal. 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 also bring with it many vitamins and microelements - coal can only envy this property.
Study the beneficial qualities of the medicine carefully, but do not lose sight of its numerous side effects, to evaluate whether losing weight with this method is worth the possible health problems.