There is a popular remedy that will help you get rid of extra pounds in a short time. Activated charcoal has long been used for weight loss. Even in the late 19th century, some British doctors advised their overweight patients to swallow coal to cleanse the stomach and relieve the feeling of hunger. Nowadays, people are increasingly turning to white or traditional black charcoal tablets not only to remove toxins from the body, but also to lose weight. The large number of fans of this method of losing weight is explained by the availability and low price of activated carbon. The fact that it is available without a prescription inspires people to believe that it is safe for health.
Many who hear about this unusual method wonder whether it is possible to lose weight with the help of activated carbon and what kind of extreme weight loss this can be. People's skepticism isn't surprising because activated charcoal wasn't 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 drug make it possible to lose weight quickly?
Effects of activated carbon on weight loss
In fact, you shouldn't expect any magic using this drug. It actually helps with weight loss, but only when used as an aid. Initially, activated charcoal cannot burn fat cells or complexly absorb large amounts of fat and eliminate them from the body naturally. Researchers note that charcoal can actually adsorb a small amount of fat cells, but it is no better than ordinary nutritional supplements. So, without diet and physical activity, the effect on weight loss will be zero.
The feature of activated carbon that helps you quickly lose a few extra kilos is the suppression of hunger. If you drink coal on an empty stomach, it will significantly dull your appetite. This occurs because activated charcoal inhibits intestinal motility. Thus, a person eats much less, which helps in losing weight. At the same time, other herbal remedies such as chamomile or mint teas can have similar effects on humans. However, they do not harm health.
It is difficult to say how many kilograms of weight it is possible to lose with the help of activated carbon, because this still happens. Focus on the indications of certain methods of nutrition. The positive effect of consuming black activated carbon during the diet is that, when it enters the stomach, it binds all toxins, food breakdown products, poisons there and removes 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, is absorbed and cleared through the walls of the stomach and intestines: cholesterol, as well as gastric juice and bile residues. Naturally, all these harmful substances are eliminated from the body.
No matter what one says, coal is still a medicine, which means it should be taken in moderation. 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 cause constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
At first glance, consuming activated carbon during a diet will have some positive aspects. However, remember that first of all, this is a drug, so it can harm your body when used for a long time.
How to take activated carbon for weight loss
You can lose weight by adhering to a diet system or fasting days and at the same time using this medicine. Some experts believe that the chances of success in losing weight with this approach increase by half the results originally promised by diets.
There are several methods of taking activated carbon tablets:
| The essence of the approach | Quantity calculation |
|---|---|
| According to the first method, you increase the dosage of the drug by one tablet every day. | Weigh yourself first. The classic scheme of using coal 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 need to take four tablets, then five tablets, and so on until you reach eight tablets per day. |
| According to the second approach, you need to drink the prescribed number of activated carbon tablets according to your weight throughout the day (using the same formula). | A person weighing 80 kg needs to take 8 tablets per day. |
| However, according to the third method, the person's weight does not need to be taken into account. | You need to take ten tablets throughout the day. |
In any case, taking this medication for weight loss should not exceed 10 days. After a ten-day course, you should take a break for two weeks. To achieve a good result, this cycle must be repeated three times with breaks.
During the diet you should not eat:
- desserts;
- Cooking;
- salted, canned and smoked foods;
- fried foods;
- spicy spices;
- mayonnaise;
- alcoholic beverages.
You also need to take vitamin complexes during the coal diet period. This is because activated carbon adsorbs all the beneficial substances in your body along with the harmful elements. Therefore, they need to be constantly renewed to avoid health problems. Also remember that you need to regularly drink one and a half to two liters of clean water, which promotes cleansing of the body.
To lose weight with the help of activated carbon, you can resort to a not very long-term diet, designed for only 3 days. The three-day nutrition system is reminiscent of fasting days or 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 is an extremely important factor in the case of taking activated carbon for weight loss. 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 consuming the prescribed amount of black coal tablets per day according to the person's weight. Divide this amount into three meals. Each tablet will need to be taken half an hour before meals. Your entire diet on the first day will consist of a liter of kefir and water, with which you need to wash down the tablets. On the second day of the diet, you will need to sit on apples. You are allowed to eat two large fruits for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A vegetable menu is given on the third day, when the aim is to gradually remove the body from the diet. You will be able to eat approximately one kilogram of vegetables in the form of a salad or steamed. On the third day, vegetables can be lightly seasoned with vegetable oil.
A three-day fasting cycle provides the prescribed amount of black charcoal tablets per day based on the person's weight: 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight. In case of white coal the dosage will be slightly different. To calculate correctly, see the instructions for the drug. If your weight is between 45 and 60 kg, five tablets a day will be enough for you. If you weigh 60-70 kg, take eight tablets, up to 80 kg - 10 tablets and above - 12 tablets.
You must be very careful
Remember that activated carbon, like any other medicine, has many side effects and contraindications. Their list is quite extensive and may definitely prevent some people from taking charcoal for weight loss purposes. Some of the contraindications for long-term use of activated carbon include:
- pregnant women and nursing mothers;
- suffering from peptic ulcer;
- people with intestinal obstruction;
- Those with chronic constipation;
- suffering from intestinal atony;
- prone 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, 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 are not noticed by the person for now and he is not even aware of the existence of the problem. But thoughtless long-term use of this drug can provoke 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, long-term use may lead to vitamin deficiency. In the mildest case, you will notice that your hair looks dull and begins to actively fall out, your nails break and become brittle. Also, a scattering of acne may appear on the skin, and the skin itself acquires an earthy color. Activated carbon quickly removes important elements such as potassium and calcium from the human body. They are vital for people with heart problems. Deficiencies can even be fatal.
Additionally, if you regularly use charcoal for weight loss purposes, you may experience an allergic reaction to it. And if it lasts only 10 days and is not repeated frequently, the risk of side effects decreases. But in the instructions for the drug you can read that when used 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, the person may experience stomach discomfort in the form of nausea, diarrhea or constipation. In addition, with long-term use, coal will begin to damage the stomach and intestinal walls. Another important point is that you cannot take other medications while consuming activated carbon, because it completely neutralizes the effects of these drugs on the body. This is especially true of birth control pills and special suppositories.
In addition to the great benefits that activated charcoal brings, losing weight with its use can cause disruption of the normal functioning of the body. In this case, you can choose a short three-day diet. But you must admit that not every person can withstand a very meager menu. As a result, this will result in a spoiled mood and a depressed state. Again, due to malnutrition, the weight lost during a mono diet can quickly return.
Many nutritionists say that it is better to turn your attention to something simple like natural fiber. It is abundant in many vegetables and fruits and can be easily obtained at any time of the year. Its effect on the gastrointestinal tract is similar to activated carbon. Fiber also absorbs harmful substances and clears them from the walls of the stomach and intestines. At the same time, it will not only help cleanse the body, but also bring many vitamins and microelements - coal can only envy this property.
Carefully study the beneficial properties of the drug, but at the same time do not overlook its many side effects to evaluate whether losing weight using this method is worth the possible health problems.