Activated Charcoal: Are There Benefits Beyond Poison Control?

 

Another area of research for activated charcoal is the management of intestinal flatus. Since the deodorant action of charcoal was already accepted, researchers explored whether the ingestion of activated charcoal, either routinely or with a known gas-inducing meal, would reduce this common problem. Small-scale human trials failed to show appreciable reduction in sulfuric intestinal gases.⁵

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome also complain of bloating and large amounts of gas, but ingestion of activated charcoal has not proven useful in this population.⁶ Researchers experimenting with charcoal-impregnated undergarments in patients with excess flatus found that the only efficacious design was a brief with a middle layer of charcoal; this garment reduced odor by up to 75%.⁷ 


Activated charcoal is also widely used in water purification. For decades, the process of passing water through progressively fine-particle layers of charcoal was known not only to remove particulate matter but also to dissolve contaminants. This knowledge then became part of standardized water purification for medical uses such as hemodialysis.⁸ 

The typical hemodialysis patient is exposed to more than 300 liters of water in one week. The water passes through the dialyzer cartridge, which is composed of multiple nonselective membrane fibers. Although this procedure has improved dramatically in the last two to three decades, the purity of the water is imperative, since contaminants can pass directly into the bloodstream.

Consequently, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (www.aami.org) established standards for water purity that are also required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.⁹ These approved standards rely heavily on activated charcoal for adequate water purification.


Safety, Cost, How Supplied

Activated charcoal is readily available at health-food stores and in general retail settings. The supplement is usually found as capsules filled with the fine powder. A usual capsule ranges from 500mg to 600mg and may be used one or two times daily.¹⁰ 

A bottle of 100 capsules costs about $10. Many natural-based products such as toothpaste also contain activated charcoal for its odor-neutralization action and possible enamel-whitening action. 


Significant adverse reactions are rare, but users should be advised that their stools will be black. The main consideration is the concomitant consumption of a charcoal supplement and various medications; acetaminophen, oral contraceptives, tetracycline (Sumycin), and anticonvulsants are among the medications that can be rendered inactive by binding with charcoal. Routine use in young children is not recommended. 


Summary

The use of activated charcoal is not mainstream medicine. However, activated charcoal is a relatively benign product and certainly one that has withstood the test of time. With its relatively low risk profile, using this substance would be a neutral decision. 

No well-done clinical trials validate significant health benefits, but the results are not negative. Patients who feel that activated charcoal is helpful should be advised to avoid using it with other medications.

Sherril Sego, FNP-C, DNP, is a staff clinician at the VA Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., where she practices adult medicine and women’s health. She also teaches at the nursing schools of the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas.

This article originally appeared on Clinical Advisor