Ten years ago, activated carbon was considered a fairly effective tool in the fight against excess weight. Then it was replaced by appetite suppressants and various dietary supplements. However, these days, when new drugs have become too expensive or have stopped altogether, a serious debate about coal has once again arisen on the Internet. Therefore, let's see how this medicine works and whether it can really help you get rid of extra pounds at home.
Beneficial properties
Activated charcoal is a pharmaceutical product, not a fat burner. And it helps not so much those who want to get rid of extra pounds, but those who need serious body cleansing. Therefore, among the positive manifestations of taking the medicine, it is not the "melted" centimeters of the waist or problems that come to the fore, but:
- Stabilization of the digestive system.
- Removal of toxins and other harmful substances from the body.
- It slightly slows down the aging process of the skin (due to increased fluid intake).
- It lowers blood cholesterol levels and as a result improves brain and cardiovascular function and speeds up metabolism.
- Improving the functioning of the liver, adrenal glands, kidneys and many other internal organs.
- There is no sedimentation, as the active elements of the drug are not absorbed, but are completely eliminated from the body within 8-10 hours after administration.
- It reduces the likelihood of infection with staphylococcus, dysentery and some airborne diseases (such as influenza).
Indications for use
As for all diets (which we will consider in more detail below), taking activated charcoal is justified only when combined with other methods. However, there are many other indications for its use in medical manuals. So those who suffer:
- Metabolic disorders.
- Stomach disorders, fermentation, flatulence, diarrhea.
- Consequences of severe detoxification.
- Poisoning with alkaloids, salts of heavy metals and other harmful substances.
- Poisonings of various etiologies.
And this is just a short list of situations where it will be extremely useful. However, do not forget that you can take the drug not only once, but also in a course only after the approval of your doctor, as there may be contraindications to its use.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that cleaning with activated carbon is practiced everywhere, not everyone should use it. In addition to individual intolerance, the reasons for rejection can be:
- Vitamin deficiency or metabolic disorder.
- The age of the person losing weight is inappropriate (under 14) or too old (over 65).
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding in young mothers.
- Low blood pressure.
- The presence of gastrointestinal problems: colitis, duodenal ulcer or any other.
- The patient is taking certain medications (such as antitoxins).
- Tendency to constipation and bulimia, the presence of intestinal dysbiosis.
- Internal bleeding (regardless of its origin).
As you can see, drinking is not always beneficial. And in some cases, it can even be dangerous to your health. Therefore, if you are planning to start losing weight with activated charcoal, you should definitely consult your doctor first.
Is there a result
Is charcoal effective for weight loss? Looking for an answer to this question, let's turn to the experiences of those who have already tested these tablets on themselves. According to the reviews, in two weeks without using additional methods (effective diet, physical activity), people were able to lose about 2-4 kg. Moreover, the higher the initial weight of the person losing weight, the better the results he was able to achieve.
But let's see if activated carbon really promotes weight loss. Not really. It's just that when you start taking these pills, you increase your water intake accordingly. Having previously filled your stomach with water, you will eat less at the next meal. The result is weight loss. In other words, it is entirely possible to achieve the same results in the same period of time without using activated carbon. It will be enough to drink a cup of still water at room temperature about 20-30 minutes before a meal.
But what the drug really does well is cleanse the body. After a two-week course, many people note:
- The condition of the skin has improved: blackheads and oily shine have disappeared.
- The appearance of lightness in the body.
- Stabilization of bowel function.
However, this only happens if you take the medicine correctly. If you forget about the measure and are guided by the "more is better" principle during consumption, many complications can develop.
Damage to the body
It seems that we all know about charcoal since childhood - as an excellent remedy for intestinal problems and excessive gas formation. So what negative consequences can we talk about? Let's remember that activated carbon is first and foremost a medicinal product. This means that its overdose or improper use can harm the body. This can be expressed as:
Avitaminosis and hypovitaminosis Activated carbon is an excellent adsorbent, but it not only removes toxins from the body, but also nutrients.
External deterioration With long-term use, there is a risk that it will negate all the positive effects of "cleansing": clean skin becomes dull and covered with acne, nails become brittle, and hair begins to fall out.
Constipation Excessive slowing of peristalsis is a sure accompaniment of severe constipation, which is not so far from diarrhea and hemorrhoids.
Damage to the intestinal walls Moderate use of the drug for two weeks does not cause negative consequences. However, if you get too carried away, you are guaranteed to have problems with your gastrointestinal system.
Reducing the effect of taking other medicines Instead of having a restorative effect on the body, the beneficial substances and antibodies in the pills can be actively removed along with the toxins.
Reduction of blood pressure and thromboembolism
And all this is true only for completely healthy people. One can only guess what effect self-medication or "grandmother's" recipe based on activated carbon will have on those already suffering from chronic diseases. But obviously there is no need to talk about improvements.
Of course, the above does not mean that it is harmful to health. The benefits will only be noticeable if taken correctly. And it might be completely different from what you expect.
Dosage and application rules
So which method of application ensures the optimal effect and does not cause irreparable damage? The exact course can only be prescribed by a doctor 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 cannot exceed 2 weeks (the same applies to diets that include taking the drug).
- The number of tablets to be taken per day (at least 3 approaches) is calculated using the following formula: 1 tablet for every 10 kg of total body weight. In other words, if you weigh 50 kg, you should drink 5 tablets a day, if you weigh 113 kg - 11 tablets.
- The drug should be gradually introduced into the daily menu. If your norm is 7 pieces, in the first 2-3 days it is better to take no more than 5 tablets, gradually increasing the dose. The same applies to completing the course.
- The dose should be taken within one hour before or after a meal. However, you should not drink it in the morning (when your stomach is still empty), it is better if you do it an hour after breakfast.
- Be sure to take a break of at least 2 weeks after completing the course.
- Take the tablets with boiled, non-carbonated water at room temperature. This prevents all kinds of bacteria from entering the body and helps the drug to work faster.
- At the end of the appointment, be sure to contact your doctor so that he can prescribe you a multivitamin course (to restore the body's vitamin balance).
Also, if you want to get the most out of your activated carbon intake, try following these recommendations:
- Reduce the consumption of products containing flour and sugar.
- Avoid alcohol completely.
- Remove foods high in sugar, fat and harmful elements from your daily menu.
- Drink water (at least 1 liter for every 30 kg, but no more than 2. 5 liters in total).
- Switch from coffee to weak tea without additives.
- Increase your physical activity by making sure that exercise (such as morning exercise, evening jogging or swimming in the pool) gives you energy and strength, rather than completely exhausting you.
Follow these simple rules, and losing weight with activated charcoal will definitely benefit you. Even if all the extra pounds don't go away, you will feel much better than before the start of the treatment.
Betting Variations
As already mentioned, many people actively start taking the drug in order to lose weight. Therefore, let's look at the most popular methods and evaluate their effectiveness:
Option 1: Gentle
Essence:The weight loss diet remains the same, and additional efforts to lose weight are not taken into account. Tablets should be taken in 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 disappear forever, clarity appears in the body, bowel function stabilizes, and daily activity increases significantly.
Option 2: Three-day diet
Essence:A person who is losing weight follows a certain diet for 3 days. Further physical activity is not taken into account, but it is not prohibited.
One day During the day, you can only eat activated carbon with kefir and water. Also, first take a few tablets (based on weight), wash them down with a glass of warm non-carbonated water, and half an hour later with a glass of kefir. If you eat more than three times a day, you should reduce the size of the portions and the number of tablets. In this case, the break between meals should be at least 2-3 hours.
2 days The current "menu" is exactly the same as the previous day's menu, but with one difference. We replace the kefir with apples with one apple per glass.
3 days On this day, the diet remains the same, but instead of kefir, a vegetable salad with olive oil dressing or steamed vegetables without salt.
Result:This diet is one of the express diets, so you can lose up to 5 kg. However, the menu prescribes a rather sudden and radical rejection of products, which is not suitable for everyone. As you lose weight, you may experience severe headaches, weakness, and uncontrollable hunger pangs (which may even cause you to gain weight). Therefore, do not follow this diet during menstruation or when doing activities that require increased attention and concentration.
If such a diet was easy for you, the course can be continued, extended to 15 days. However, you should stop taking activated charcoal, and you should definitely take a multivitamin at the end of the diet.
Option 3: Two-week diet with activated charcoal
Essence:The diet consists of eating according to a certain pattern for 14 days, which aims to gradually suppress the feeling of hunger. At the same time, 30-60 minutes before a meal (except for the second breakfast), you take activated carbon (2 tablets) with a glass of warm non-carbonated water. Additional physical activity is not taken into account when evaluating effectiveness.
- Breakfast: a portion (0. 2 kg) of oatmeal boiled in water and a glass of green or black tea without additives. If desired, the porridge can be flavored with raisins, and with tea you can eat a little bread with a thin piece of cheese.
- Second breakfast: a glass of low-fat kefir.
- Lunch: broth made from lean meat (veal or chicken) and 0. 2 kg of boiled vegetables.
- Dinner: fresh fruit salad, flavored with a tablespoon of sour cream or homemade yogurt.
- Breakfast: buckwheat boiled in water, a hard-boiled egg and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: apple, kiwi or small banana.
- Lunch: vegetable soup and 0. 15 kg of pollock, fried in its own juice, without adding spices.
- Dinner: apple and 0. 2 kg of cottage cheese, the fat content of which does not exceed 7%.
- Breakfast: a plate 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 with low-fat sour cream.
- Dinner: vegetable casserole and a glass of tea.
- Breakfast: a plate of oatmeal cooked with low-fat milk, a glass of tea and a handful of raisins.
- Second breakfast: cucumber and two boiled eggs.
- Lunch: a bowl of lean fish soup. No more than 0. 1 kg of the fish itself can be consumed.
- Dinner: a portion of cottage cheese and a banana.
- Breakfast: 1 medium-sized 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 low-fat milk. You can add some bread if you like.
- Lunch: vegetable soup cooked in broth and 0. 1 kg of lean cooked meat.
- Dinner: fresh vegetable salad.
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge boiled in water (without additives), a boiled egg and cucumber.
- Second breakfast: a cup of low-fat kefir and some fruit of your choice.
- Lunch: low-fat broth (0. 2 kg) and cucumber.
- Dinner: cottage cheese (0. 1 kg), flavored with a tablespoon of homemade yogurt (without additives).
- 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 lean boiled meat.
- Dinner: vegetable salad with homemade yogurt.
- Breakfast: two cucumbers, two sandwiches with low-fat cheese and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: two small fruits of your choice.
- Lunch: chicken soup and 0. 1 kg of vegetable casserole.
- Dinner: two cucumbers and a portion of boiled mussels.
- Breakfast: rice boiled 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-tomato salad and 0. 2 kg of boiled shrimp.
- Breakfast: 2 baked apples, a portion of cottage cheese and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: a glass of kefir and bread.
- Lunch: a plate of lean fish soup.
- Dinner: steamed vegetables.
- 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 soup.
- Dinner: vegetable salad and 0. 1 kg of cottage cheese.
- Breakfast: a portion of cottage cheese, two cucumbers, a 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 steamed mushrooms.
- Dinner: boiled chicken breast (0. 1 kg) and vegetable salad.
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge boiled in water, hard-boiled egg and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: any small fruit.
- Lunch: a plate of vegetable soup and 0. 15 kg of pollock, fried in its own juice, without adding spices.
- Dinner: apple and 0. 2 kg of cottage cheese, the fat content of which does not exceed 7%.
- Breakfast: a portion of oatmeal boiled in water and a glass of tea. If desired, the porridge can be flavored with raisins, and with tea you can eat a little bread with a thin piece of cheese.
- Second breakfast: a glass of low-fat kefir.
- Lunch: a portion of low-fat broth and 0. 2 kg of steamed vegetables.
- Dinner: fruit salad, flavored with a tablespoon of sour cream or homemade yogurt.
Result:Since this diet is considered moderate, you can follow it even with increased daily activity. With its help, you can lose about 5-7 kg in two weeks, which (if you stick to a similar menu, but without carbon) will not come back in the future.
Black or white: choosing the "right" carbon
Today, the range of medicines is huge. So, if previously you could only get black activated carbon in the pharmacy, today pharmacists also offer white charcoal tablets alongside it. Advertising a trendy new product promises customers a milder effect, only the removal of toxins and the possibility of long-term (over 2 weeks) courses.
The only thing is that the instructions for use of both drugs are almost the same, and nanorobots (which can reliably determine which element harms the body and which helps) are not included in white carbon. Moreover, if conventional black coal costs a penny, you will have to pay several times that for white coal. Whether such a "game" is worth the candle is up to you.
Let's summarize the above. As practice shows, activated charcoal will be ineffective for weight loss. Without other solutions (diet, exercise), you can lose a maximum of 2-3 kilograms with its help. In this case, an overdose of the drug threatens serious problems in the body. However, if you need to clean your body quickly, for example after a big feast, you won't find a better solution. Plus, it's always available and cheap.