Ten years ago, activated carbon was considered a fairly effective means of combating excess weight. It was later replaced by appetite suppressants and various nutritional supplements. However, today, when new drugs have become too expensive or have stopped altogether, a serious discussion has developed again about anthrax on the Internet. So let's understand how this drug works and whether it can really help you get rid of extra pounds at home.
Beneficial features
Activated charcoal is a medicinal product and not a fat burning agent. And it helps not so much those who want to get rid of extra pounds, as those who need a serious cleansing of the body. Therefore, among the positive manifestations of taking the drug, what comes to the fore are not "melted" centimeters in the waist or problems, but:
- Stabilization of the digestive system.
- Removal of toxins and other harmful substances from the body.
- It slightly slows down the aging process of the skin (due to increased fluid intake).
- Lowering blood cholesterol and, as a result, improving brain and cardiovascular system function and speeding up metabolism.
- Improving the functioning of the liver, adrenal glands, kidneys and some other internal organs.
- There is no precipitation, since the active components of the drug are not absorbed, but are completely eliminated from the body within 8-10 hours after administration.
- Reducing the likelihood of infection with staphylococcus, dysentery and some airborne diseases (for example, influenza).
Indications for use
As for all types of diets (which we will consider in more detail below), taking activated carbon is justified only when combined with other methods. However, in medical reference books you can find many other indications for its use. Those who suffer from:
- Metabolic disorders.
- Stomach upset, fermentation, flatulence, diarrhea.
- Consequences of severe detoxification.
- Poisoning with alkaloids, heavy metal salts and other harmful substances.
- Poisoning of various etiologies.
And this is just a short list of situations in which it will be extremely useful. However, do not forget that you can take the drug not only once, but in a course only after your doctor's approval, as you may have contraindications to taking it.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that activated carbon cleaning is practiced everywhere, not everyone should use it. In addition to individual intolerance, reasons for refusal may include:
- Vitamin deficiency or metabolic disorder.
- Insufficient (under 14) or excessive (over 65) age of the person losing weight.
- Pregnancy and lactation in young mothers.
- Low blood pressure.
- The presence of problems in the gastrointestinal tract: colitis, duodenal ulcer or any others.
- The patient receives certain drugs (for example, antitoxins).
- Predisposition to constipation and bulimia, presence of intestinal dysbiosis.
- Internal bleeding (regardless of its origin).
As you can see, its consumption is not always beneficial. And in some cases it can even be dangerous to health. Therefore, if you plan to start losing weight with activated charcoal, be sure to consult your doctor first.
There is a result
Is charcoal effective as a weight loss agent? Looking for an answer to this question, let's turn to the experience of those who have already tried these pills on themselves. According to reviews, in two weeks without the use of additional methods (effective diets, physical activity), people managed to lose about 2-4 kg. In addition, the greater the initial weight of the person losing weight, the better results he was able to achieve.
However, let's understand if activated charcoal really promotes weight loss? Not really. Simply, when you start taking these tablets, increase your water intake accordingly. Having previously filled the stomach with water, a person eats less during the next meal. The result is weight loss. In other words, it is very possible to achieve the same result in the same period without taking activated carbon. It will be enough to drink a cup of water at room temperature about 20-30 minutes before meals.
But what the drug really does well is cleanse the body. After a two-week course, many people note:
- Improved skin condition: disappearance of black spots and oily shine.
- The appearance of lightness in the body.
- Stabilization of intestinal function.
However, all this happens only if you take the medicine correctly. If you forget the measure and when consuming you are guided by the principle "the more, the better", you can develop a number of complications.
Damage to the body
It seems that we all know charcoal from childhood - as an excellent remedy for intestinal problems and excessive gas formation. So what negative consequences can we talk about? Let's remember that activated carbon is, first of all, a medicinal product. This means that an overdose or improper use of it can cause harm to the body. This can be expressed in:
Devitaminosis and hypovitaminosis Activated carbon is an excellent adsorbent, but it removes not only toxins from the body, but also nutrients.
External wear With prolonged use, you risk canceling all the positive effects of "cleansing": clean skin will become dull and covered with pimples, nails will become brittle, and hair will begin to fall out.
Constipation Excessive slowing of peristalsis is a sure companion of severe constipation, which is not so far from diarrhea and hemorrhoids.
Damage to the intestinal walls Two weeks of moderate use of the drug will not cause negative consequences. However, if you get too carried away, you are sure to have gastrointestinal problems.
Reducing the effect of taking other drugs Instead of having a restorative effect on the body, the beneficial substances and antibodies contained in the tablets will be actively removed along with the toxins.
Reduction of blood pressure and thromboembolism
And all this applies only to perfectly healthy people. How self-medication or "grandmother's" recipe based on activated charcoal will affect those already suffering from chronic diseases, one can only guess. But there is clearly no need to talk about improvements.
Of course, the above does not mean that it is harmful to health. It's just that the benefits will be noticeable only if taken correctly. And it may turn out to be completely different from what you expect.
Dosage and rules of administration
So, which method of application will give the best result and not cause irreparable damage? The exact course can be prescribed only by the attending physician who is familiar with the characteristics of your body. In general, the entry rules are as follows:
- The duration of the course starts from 3 days and should not exceed 2 weeks (the same applies to diets that include taking this drug).
- The number of tablets to be taken per day (at least 3 approaches) is calculated using the formula: 1 tablet for every full 10 kg of weight. In other words, if you weigh 50 kg you need to drink 5 tablets a day, if you weigh 113 kg - 11 tablets.
- The drug should be introduced into the daily menu gradually. If your norm is 7 pieces, in the first 2-3 days it is better to take no more than 5 tablets, gradually increasing the dose. The same applies to the completion of the course.
- The dose is taken within one hour before or after meals. However, you should not drink it in the morning (when your stomach is still empty), better to do it an hour after breakfast.
- After completing the course, be sure to take a break for at least 2 weeks.
- Take the tablets with boiled water at room temperature. This will prevent all kinds of bacteria from entering the body and help the medicine start working faster.
- At the end of your appointment, be sure to contact your doctor so that he can prescribe you a series of multivitamins (to restore the balance of vitamins in the body).
In addition, if you want the most benefits from taking activated charcoal, try to adhere to the following recommendations:
- Reduce consumption of flour products and those containing sugar.
- Avoid alcohol altogether.
- Eliminate dishes with a high content of sugar, fat and harmful elements from your daily menu.
- Drink water (at least 1 liter for every 30 kg of weight, but up to 2. 5 liters in total).
- Switch from coffee to weak tea without additives.
- Increase your physical activity by making sure that exercise (such as morning exercise, evening jogging or swimming in the pool) provides a burst of energy and strength, rather than completely exhausting you.
Follow these simple rules and losing weight with activated carbon will definitely benefit you. Even if all the extra pounds are not gone, you will feel much better than before the start of the course.
Reception Variations
As already mentioned, many people begin to actively take the drug in an attempt to lose weight. Therefore, let's look at the most popular methods and evaluate their effectiveness:
Option #1: Gentle
Substance:The diet of the person losing weight remains unchanged, and additional efforts to lose weight are not considered. Tablets should be taken in the amount of 2 pieces 1. 5 hours - one hour before meals. The duration of the course varies from 10 days to two weeks.
Result:There will be no significant weight loss (maximum - 3-4 kg in 14 days). However (if other conditions remain unchanged), the lost centimeters will go away forever, lightness will appear in the body, intestinal function will stabilize and daily activity will increase significantly.
Option #2: Three Day Diet
Substance:For 3 days, the person losing weight follows a specific diet. Additional physical activity is not considered, but not prohibited.
Day 1 During the day, you can only eat activated carbon with kefir and water. In addition, first you take a few tablets (by weight), washing them down with a glass of warm water, and after half an hour - a glass of kefir. If you are used to eating more than three times a day, the portion size and the number of tablets should be reduced. In this case, the break between meals should be at least 2-3 hours.
Day 2 The current "dish list" is exactly the same as the previous day's menu, but with one difference. Kefir is replaced with apples at the rate of one apple for each glass.
Day 3 On this day, the diet remains the same, but instead of kefir you will eat a vegetable salad with olive oil dressing or steamed vegetables without salt.
Result:This diet is one of the express diets and therefore you can lose up to 5 kg. However, the menu provides for a rather sharp and radical refusal of products, which is not suitable for everyone. As you lose weight, you may experience severe headaches, weakness, and bouts of uncontrollable appetite (which may even cause you to gain weight). Therefore, you should not do this diet during your period or when doing things that require increased attention and concentration.
If such a diet was easy for you, the course can be continued, extending it to 15 days. However, you should stop taking activated charcoal, and at the end of the diet, be sure to take a multivitamin.
Option #3: Two-Week Activated Charcoal Diet
Substance:For 14 days, the person losing weight eats according to a specific pattern, designed to gradually alleviate the feeling of hunger. At the same time, 30-60 minutes before meals (except for the second breakfast), he takes activated charcoal (2 tablets) with a glass of warm water. When evaluating effectiveness, additional physical activity is not taken into account.
- Breakfast: a serving (0. 2 kg) of oatmeal cooked in water and a glass of green or black tea without additives. If you want, you can season the porridge with raisins, and with tea you can eat some bread with a thin piece of cheese.
- Second breakfast: a glass of low-fat kefir.
- Lunch: broth from lean meat (beef or chicken) and 0. 2 kg of boiled vegetables.
- Dinner: fresh fruit salad, seasoned with a tablespoon of sour cream or homemade yogurt.
- Breakfast: buckwheat cooked in water, as well as a boiled egg and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: apple, kiwi or small banana.
- Lunch: vegetable broth and 0. 15 kg of pollen, cooked in its own juice without adding spices.
- Dinner: apple and 0. 2 kg of cottage cheese, the fat content of which does not exceed 7%.
- Breakfast: a plate of freshly cooked rice and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: two small fruits of your choice.
- Lunch: steamed chicken (0. 2 kg) and vegetable salad dressed with low-fat sour cream.
- Dinner: vegetable casserole and a glass of tea.
- Breakfast: a plate of oatmeal cooked with low-fat milk, a glass of tea and a handful of raisins.
- Second breakfast: cucumber and two boiled eggs.
- Lunch: a bowl of lean fish soup. You can eat no more than 0. 1 kg of the fish itself.
- Dinner: a portion of cottage cheese and a banana.
- Breakfast: 1 medium-sized tomato, a sandwich (bread + thin slice of cheese) and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: 0. 05 kg of cottage cheese and a cup of low-fat milk. If you want, you can add two loaves of bread.
- Lunch: vegetable soup cooked in meat broth and 0. 1 kg of lean boiled meat.
- Dinner: fresh vegetable salad.
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge cooked in water (without additives), a boiled egg and cucumber.
- Second breakfast: a cup of low-fat kefir and a small fruit of your choice.
- Lunch: low-fat meat broth (0. 2 kg) and cucumber.
- Dinner: cottage cheese (0. 1 kg), seasoned with a tablespoon of homemade yogurt (no additives).
- Breakfast: oatmeal cooked with milk, 0. 1 kg of homemade yogurt and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: a cup of kefir.
- Lunch: vegetable casserole and 0. 1 kg of lean boiled meat.
- Dinner: vegetable salad dressed with homemade yogurt.
- Breakfast: two cucumbers, two sandwiches with low-fat cheese and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: two small fruits of your choice.
- Lunch: chicken broth and 0. 1 kg vegetable casserole.
- Dinner: two cucumbers and a portion of boiled mussels.
- Breakfast: rice cooked in water and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: a glass of kefir and an apple.
- Lunch: a portion of low-fat borscht and 0. 1 kg of boiled chicken breast.
- Dinner: salad with cucumber and tomato and 0. 2 kg of boiled shrimps.
- Breakfast: 2 apples in the oven, a portion of cottage cheese and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: a glass of kefir and bread.
- Lunch: a plate of lean fish soup.
- Dinner: steamed vegetables.
- Breakfast: cucumber, sandwich (bread + thin slice boiled chicken breast) and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: a glass of baked fermented milk and an apple.
- Lunch: a bowl of low-fat chicken broth.
- Dinner: vegetable salad and 0. 1 kg of cottage cheese.
- Breakfast: a portion of cottage cheese, two cucumbers, a boiled egg and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: two small fruits of your choice.
- Lunch: a plate of low-fat borscht and 0. 1 kg of boiled mushrooms.
- Dinner: boiled chicken breast (0. 1 kg) and vegetable salad.
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge cooked in water, a boiled egg and a glass of tea.
- Second breakfast: small fruit of your choice.
- Lunch: a plate of vegetable broth and 0. 15 kg of pollen, cooked in its own juice without adding spices.
- Dinner: apple and 0. 2 kg of cottage cheese, the fat content of which does not exceed 7%.
- Breakfast: a portion of oatmeal, boiled in water and a glass of tea. If you want, you can season the porridge with raisins, and with tea you can eat some bread with a thin piece of cheese.
- Second breakfast: a glass of low-fat kefir.
- Lunch: a portion of low-fat meat broth and 0. 2 kg of boiled vegetables.
- Dinner: fruit salad, seasoned with a tablespoon of sour cream or homemade yogurt.
Result:Since this diet is classified as moderate, you can follow it even with increased daily activity. In two weeks, with its help you can lose about 5-7 kg, which (if you stick to a similar menu, but without charcoal) will not return in the future.
Black or white: choosing the "right" carbon
Today the range of medicines is huge. So, if previously only black activated carbon could be bought at the pharmacy, today, along with it, pharmacists offer white carbon tablets. Advertising for a trendy new product promises buyers a milder effect, the removal of only toxins from the body and the possibility of long-term (more than 2 weeks) courses.
The only thing is that the instructions for use for both drugs are almost identical, and nanorobots (which could reliably determine which element harms the body and which helps) are not included in white carbon. In addition, if traditional black coal costs a penny, you will have to pay many times more for white coal. Whether such a "game" is worth the candle, decide for yourself.
Let's summarize the above. As practice shows, activated carbon for weight loss will be ineffective. Without the help of other solutions (diet, exercise), with its help you can lose a maximum of 2-3 kg. In this case, an overdose of the drug threatens serious problems with the body. However, if you need to quickly cleanse your body, for example, after a big celebration, you will not find a better solution. Plus, it's always available and cheap.