NHD Issue 148 Activated charcoal are the nutritional claims justified?

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ACTIVATED CHARCOAL: ARE THE NUTRITIONAL CLAIMS JUSTIFIED?

DIET TRENDS

The craze for ‘activated charcoal’ (AC – also known as activated carbon) took off last year, with health claims making it sound like a miracle detox solution. Here, Alice Fletcher dispels the myths behind AC. The trend for AC appears to have died down a bit of late. Trendy cafes were selling shots of charcoal infused water and Gwyneth Paltrow continues to plug charcoal lemonade on her website describing it as the ‘best detoxifier’ around. You have probably seen charcoal facemasks that are famously very difficult to remove and actually end up waxing your face (trust me), as well as bloggers brushing their teeth with black charcoal powder before showing off a set of pearly white gnashers. If you are super trendy, you may have even stumbled across charcoal infused croissants and burger buns (which yes, look very black – not particularly appetising!). You can even get (black) charcoal ice cream. Imagine spilling that down your tunic. AC capsules can be purchased in health food shops and online, with descriptions including: 'It is important to help your body eliminate toxins to promote a healthy digestive system and brain. Chronic exposure to toxins produces cellular damage, allergic reactions, compromised immunity, and more rapid aging.' and, 'Regular use of activated charcoal is easy on the colon and can leave you feeling renewed and more vibrant.' The claims regarding AC usually come with the pills and powders, not the Instagramable black ice cream cones and burger buns, where the black food is more for photographic effect. Powdered charcoal can be purchased in specialist culinary shops for this purpose. AC is typically made from carboncontaining material, like wood, which is heated at high temperatures to create

charcoal, then oxidised (a process known as ‘activation’). AC is sometimes made by heating up coconut shells to very high heats. This process works to increase the surface area of molecules by giving it lots of pores, in effect, making it act like a sponge.1 Indeed, some ‘super activated’ charcoal preparations have a surface area of up to 175,000m2 per 50g bottle. This allows the ‘adsorption’ of drugs through weak intermolecular forces, with non‐ionized, organic compounds binding more avidly than dissociated inorganic ones.2

Alice Fletcher RD Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust (Community Dietitian) Alice has been a Registered Dietitian for five years, working within NHS community-based teams. She is passionate about evidence-based nutrition, cooking and dispelling diet myths.

DOES AC DETOX THE BODY?

Scaremongering regarding hidden toxins within the food we eat and the air we breathe may push people to purchase AC, or a similar product that promises to help our body to detox itself more effectively. AC is adsorbent (has a high capacity to bind), easily confused with absorbent. For this reason, AC supplements available in health food shops recommend leaving at least two hours between other medications when taking the supplement. Such over-the-counter supplements are commonly recommended to be taken as two to four capsules up to three times per day with food.3 Ironically, AC’s high adsorbency also means that the ‘superfood’ fruit smoothie with added AC may have less of its vitamins and minerals left for your gut to absorb, as they have been mopped up and are no longer bioavailable. Unfortunately, the ‘toxins’ that over-thecounter AC capsules claim to rid us of are not named – a common theme with ‘detox’ products on the whole.

REFERENCES Please visit the Subscriber zone at NHDmag.com

www.NHDmag.com October 2019 - Issue 148

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NHD Issue 148 Activated charcoal are the nutritional claims justified? by NH Publishing Ltd - Issuu