Nutritional Supplement
Charcoal
Heart and Circulatory Health
High Cholesterol
Activated charcoal has the ability to attach (adsorb) cholesterol and bile acids present in the intestine, preventing their absorption.High CholesterolActivated charcoal has the ability to adsorb (attach to) cholesterol and bile acids present in the intestine, preventing their absorption.1,2 Reducing the absorption of bile acids results in increased cholesterol breakdown by the liver. In controlled studies of people with high cholesterol, activated charcoal reduced total- and LDL-cholesterol levels, when given in amounts from 4 to 32 grams per day. Larger amounts were more effective: reductions in total and LDL cholesterol were 23% and 29%, respectively, with 16 grams daily, and 29% and 41% with 32 grams daily.3 Similar results were reported in other controlled4 and preliminary5 studies using 16 to 24 grams per day, but one small double-blind trial found no effect of either 15 or 30 grams per day in patients with high cholesterol.6Digestive Support
Indigestion, Heartburn, and Low Stomach Acidity
Supplementing with charcoal may help relieve gas.Indigestion, Heartburn, and Low Stomach AcidityActivated charcoal has the ability to adsorb (attach to) many substances, including gases produced in the intestine.7,8 In a small, controlled trial, people were given a meal of gas-producing foods along with capsules containing 584 mg of activated charcoal, followed by another 584 mg of activated charcoal two hours later. Using activated charcoal prevented the five-fold increase in flatulence that occurred in the placebo group. Another, small controlled study found that taking 388 mg of activated charcoal two hours after a gas-producing meal normalized flatulence by the fourth hour.9 However, a preliminary human study found no effect on flatulence or abdominal symptoms when healthy volunteers took 520 mg of activated charcoal four times per day for one week.10