There is a popular medicine that helps you lose excess weight in a short time. Activated charcoal has been used for weight loss for quite some time. Even at the end of the 19th century, some English doctors advised their overweight patients to swallow coal to cleanse the stomach and quench the feeling of hunger. Nowadays, people are increasingly turning to white or black charcoal tablets, not only to remove toxins from the body, but also to lose weight. A large number of fans 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 excess weight loss it can be. People's suspicions are not surprising, because activated charcoal was not 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 rapid weight loss possible?
Effects of activated charcoal for weight loss
In fact, you should not expect any magic from using this medicine. Indeed, it helps in weight loss, but only if used as an adjunct. Initially, activated carbon is unable to burn fat cells or, in a complicated way, absorb large amounts of them and remove them from the body naturally. The researchers note that, indeed, charcoal is able to absorb a small amount of fat cells, but no better than the usual dietary supplements. That is, without diet and physical activity, its effect on weight loss will be zero.
The property of activated carbon, which helps you quickly lose a few extra pounds, is hunger suppression. If you drink charcoal on an empty stomach, it will significantly suppress your appetite. This is due to the fact that activated charcoal inhibits intestinal motility. Thus, a person eats much less, which helps to lose weight. At the same time, other herbal remedies, such as chamomile or mint teas, 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 is not because of it that it still happens. Focus on the indications of specific diet methods. The positive effect of consuming activated carbon black during a diet is that, after entering the stomach, it will bind all the toxins there, food decay 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 coal 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. Naturally, all these harmful substances are eliminated from the body.
Whatever may be said, charcoal is still a medicine, which means it should be taken in moderation. Try to follow the instructions so as not to exceed the maximum allowed dose. Otherwise, this is fraught with intestinal problems: as a result of long-term use of activated carbon, the intestinal muscles can lose the ability to contract normally. As a result, this will result in constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
At first glance, there would be some positive aspects to consuming activated carbon during a diet. But remember 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 adhering to a diet or fasting days and at the same time using this medicine, you can lose weight. Some experts believe that with this approach, the chances of success in losing weight are improved by half the results originally promised by diets.
There are several ways to take activated carbon tablets:
| The essence of the approach | Quantity calculation |
|---|---|
| According to the first method, every day increase the dose of the drug by one tablet. | First, weigh yourself. The classic scheme of using charcoal for cleaning the stomach says 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, and so on until you reach eight tablets a day. |
| According to the second approach, throughout the day you should drink the number of tablets of activated carbon that is described by your weight (using the same formula). | A person weighing 80 kg should take 8 tablets per day. |
| But according to the third method, a person's weight should not be taken into account. | During the day you need to take ten tablets. |
In all cases, taking this medicine 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 should be repeated three times with breaks.
During the diet you should not eat:
- sweets;
- roasting;
- salty, canned and smoked foods;
- fried foods;
- spicy spices;
- mayonnaise;
- alcoholic drink.
In addition, during the coal diet period, you should take vitamin complexes. This is due to the fact that, along 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 should regularly drink one and a half to two liters of clean water, which also stimulates body cleansing.
To lose weight with the help of activated carbon, you can turn to a not so long-term diet, designed for only 3 days. The three-day nutrition system is reminiscent of fasting days or a 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 in the case of taking activated carbon for weight loss is an extremely important factor. Charcoal causes 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 black charcoal tablets per day as 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 down the tablets. On the second day of the diet you will have to sit on the apple. You are allowed to eat two large pieces of fruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the third day, which is aimed at gradually removing the body from the diet, a vegetable menu is offered. 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 slightly flavored with vegetable oil.
A three-day fasting cycle provides as many black coal tablets per day as prescribed, based on a person's weight: 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight. In the case of white coal, the dosage will be slightly different. To calculate it correctly, refer to the instructions for the medicine. If your weight is between 45 and 60 kg, then five tablets a day will suffice. 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
Remember that activated carbon, like any other drug, has many side effects and contraindications. The list of them is quite extensive and may certainly stop some people from taking charcoal for weight loss purposes. A number of those who are contraindicated for the use of activated carbon for a long period include:
- pregnant women and nursing mothers;
- suffers from peptic ulcer;
- people with intestinal obstruction;
- those who have 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, 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 at the moment go unnoticed by a person, and he does not even know about the existence of the problem. But the thoughtless long-term use of this drug can stimulate the transition of the disease to the acute stage, which is fraught with unpleasant consequences.
Activated carbon 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 are cracked and become brittle. Also, a scattering of pimples may appear on the skin, and the skin itself will take on an earthy hue. Activated carbon quickly removes important elements such as potassium and calcium from the human body. They are vital for people with heart problems. Their absence can be deadly.
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 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 drug use is exceeded, a person may experience nausea, stomach discomfort in the form of diarrhea or constipation. Also, with prolonged use, coal 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 medications, as it completely neutralizes their effect on the body. In particular, this applies to birth control 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 normal functioning of the body. In this case, you can give priority to a short three-day diet. But, you have to admit, not every person can resist a very poor menu. As a result, this will result in a broken mood and a depressed state. Again, due to a poor diet, the pounds lost during the mono-diet can quickly return.
Many nutritionists advise that it is better to pay attention to such a simple thing as natural fiber. It is found in large quantities in many vegetables and fruits, which can be easily obtained 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 with it a lot of vitamins and trace elements - coal can only envy this property.
Carefully study the useful qualities of the drug, but also do not forget about its many side effects, in order to evaluate whether losing weight using this method is worth the possible health problems.