There is a popular drug that helps you lose excess weight in a short period of time. Activated charcoal has been used for weight loss for quite some time. Even in the late 19th century, some English doctors advised their overweight patients to swallow charcoal to cleanse the stomach and alleviate 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 followers of this weight loss method 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 who have heard about this unusual method wonder if it is possible to lose weight with the help of activated carbon and what kind of excessive 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, as these small black or white tablets with a porous surface perfectly absorb all toxic substances that enter the stomach. So how does this popular drug make rapid weight loss possible?
The effects of activated carbon on weight loss
In fact, you should not expect any magic from using this remedy. It does indeed help with weight loss, but only if used as an aid. To begin with, activated carbon is not able to burn fat cells or, in some complicated way, absorb large amounts of them and remove them from the body in a natural way. The researchers note 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 some extra pounds, is to suppress hunger. If you drink charcoal on an empty stomach, it will significantly reduce your appetite. This is due to the fact that activated charcoal inhibits intestinal motility. Thus, a person eats much less, which helps in weight loss. At the same time, other herbal medicines, such as chamomile or peppermint tea, can have a similar effect on humans. However, they will not harm health.
It is difficult to talk about how many kilograms it is possible to lose weight with the help of activated carbon, since it does not happen because of it. Focus on the indications of specific dietary methods. The positive effect of consuming black activated carbon during a diet is that, once it enters 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 carbon also contains microcrystalline cellulose. Once in the stomach, it expands, absorbs and cleans from the walls of the stomach and intestines: the remains of gastric juice and bile, as well as cholesterol. Naturally, all these harmful substances are eliminated from the body.
No matter what anyone says, charcoal is still a drug, which means it should be taken in a limited way. Try to follow the instructions so as not to exceed the maximum allowable dose. 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 lead to constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
At first glance, there would be some positive aspects to consuming activated charcoal during a diet. But do not forget that, first of all, this is a drug, which means that it can harm your body if used for a long time.
How to take activated carbon for weight loss
By following a diet or fasting days and at the same time using this drug, you can lose weight. Some experts believe that with this approach, the chances of success in losing weight are improved by half the results that diets originally promised.
There are several methods for taking activated charcoal tablets:
| The essence of the approach | Quantity calculation |
|---|---|
| According to the first method, every day you increase the dose of the drug by one tablet. | First, weigh yourself. The classic plan for using charcoal to cleanse the stomach states that one tablet corresponds to ten kilograms of a person's weight. For example, you weigh 80 kg. On the first day you should take three tablets - one before each meal. The next day you should take four tablets, then five and so on until you reach eight a day. |
| According to the second approach, during the day you should drink the number of tablets of activated carbon prescribed by your weight (using the same formula). | A person weighing 80 kg should take 8 tablets per day. |
| But according to the third method, the weight of a person need not be considered. | During the day you need to take ten tablets. |
In all cases, taking this drug for weight loss 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:
- sweet;
- baking;
- salted, canned and smoked foods.
- fried foods?
- hot spices;
- mayonnaise;
- alcoholic beverage.
In addition, during the period of the carbon diet, you need to take vitamin complexes. This is due to the fact that, along with harmful elements, activated carbon will adsorb all the useful substances in your body. Therefore, they must be constantly replenished to avoid health problems. Also, do not forget that you should regularly drink one and a half to two liters of pure water, which also stimulates the cleansing of the body.
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 nutritional system is reminiscent of fasting days or mono-diet, since the list of what is allowed in it has been 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. Carbohydrates cause 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 carbon black tablets per day as are prescribed based on the person's weight. Divide this amount into three meals. Tablets should 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 must wash the tablets. On the second day of the diet you should sit on apples. You are allowed to eat two large fruits for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the third day, which aims to gradually remove the organism from the diet, a vegetable menu is provided. You will be able to eat about a kilo 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 provides as many carbon black tablets per day as prescribed, based on a person's weight: 1 tablet per 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, 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 more - 12.
You have to be very careful
Do not forget that activated carbon, like any other drug, has many side effects and contraindications. Their list is quite extensive and it can definitely deter some people from taking charcoal for weight loss. Some of those in whom long-term use of activated charcoal is contraindicated include:
- pregnant women and nursing mothers;
- suffer from peptic ulcers;
- people with intestinal obstruction.
- those with chronic constipation.
- suffer from intestinal atony;
- susceptible to gastrointestinal bleeding.
- patients with ulcerative colitis.
- patients with chronic low blood pressure.
But even if you do not fall into any of the listed categories, 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 currently go unnoticed by a person and he does not even know about the existence of the problem. But reckless long-term 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 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 may take on an earthy hue. Activated carbon quickly removes important elements such as potassium and calcium from the human body. It is vital for people with heart problems. Their lack can even be fatal.
In addition, if you regularly take charcoal to lose weight, you may experience an allergic reaction to it. And if it is only ten days and it is not repeated often, then the risk of side effects is reduced. But in the instructions for the drug itself you can read that when it is 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 you consume activated carbon, you cannot take other drugs, as it completely neutralizes their effect on the body. In particular, this applies to contraceptive 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 body's normal functioning. In this case, you can prefer a short three-day diet. But, you have to admit, not every person can afford a menu that is too meager. As a result, this will result in a broken mood and a depressed state. Again, due to a poor diet, the pounds lost while dieting can quickly come back.
Many nutritionists advise that it is better to turn your attention to such a simple thing as natural fibers. It is found in large quantities in many vegetables and fruits, which you can easily obtain at any time of the year. In its effect on the gastrointestinal tract, it resembles activated carbon. Fiber also absorbs harmful substances and cleans them from the walls of the stomach and intestines. At the same time, it will not only help cleanse the body, but also bring a lot of vitamins and trace elements - coal can only envy this property.
Carefully study the beneficial properties of the drug, but also do not miss its many side effects, in order to evaluate whether losing weight using this method is worth the possible health problems.