There is one popular remedy that can help you lose excess weight in a short time. Activated charcoal has been used for weight loss for quite some time. As far back as the late 19th century, some English doctors advised their overweight patients to swallow charcoal to cleanse the stomach and suppress feelings of hunger. Nowadays, people are increasingly turning to white or traditional black charcoal tablets to not only remove toxins from the body, but also to lose weight. The large number of fans of this method of weight loss 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 their health.
Many who have heard about this unusual method are wondering whether it is possible to lose weight with the help of activated carbon and what kind of excess weight loss it can be. People's doubts are not surprising, because activated charcoal was not originally intended for weight loss. Everyone knows it as an indispensable remedy for poisoning, because these small black or white tablets with a porous surface perfectly absorb all the toxic substances contained in the stomach. So how does this popular remedy help you lose weight fast?
The effect of activated carbon for weight loss
In fact, you should not expect any magic from using this remedy. Indeed, it helps to lose weight, but only if it is used as an aid. Initially, activated carbon is not able to burn fat cells or, in any difficult way, absorb them in large quantities and remove them naturally from the body. The researchers note that, indeed, charcoal can absorb a small amount of fat cells, but no better than conventional dietary supplements. That is, without diet and physical activity, its effect on weight loss will be zero.
A property of activated carbon that helps you quickly lose a few extra pounds is to suppress hunger. If you drink charcoal on an empty stomach, it will significantly suppress your appetite. This is because activated charcoal inhibits bowel movements. Thus, a person eats much less, which helps to lose weight. At the same time, other herbal remedies, such as chamomile or peppermint tea, may have similar effects on humans. However, they will not harm your health.
It is difficult to talk about how many kilograms it is possible to lose weight with the help of activated carbon, because it has not yet happened because of it. Focus on specific dietary guidelines. The positive effect of black activated carbon consumption during the diet is that when it gets into the stomach, it binds all the toxins, food decomposition products, poisons 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. When it enters the stomach, it expands, absorbs and cleans from the walls of the stomach and intestines: wastes of gastric juice and bile, as well as cholesterol. In a natural way, all these harmful substances are removed from the body.
However, coal is still a medicine, which means that its intake should be limited. Try to follow the instructions so as not to exceed the maximum permissible dose. Otherwise, it is fraught with intestinal problems: as a result of long-term use of activated carbon, intestinal muscles may lose their ability to contract normally. As a result, it will cause constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
At first glance, there would be some positive aspects from the consumption of activated carbon in the diet. But we must not forget that, first of all, it 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 following a dietary system or fasting days and at the same time using this remedy, you can lose weight. Some experts believe that with this approach, the chances of success in losing weight will be improved by half of the results originally promised by the diet.
There are several methods of taking activated carbon tablets:
| The essence of the approach | Calculation of quantity |
|---|---|
| According to the first method, you increase the dose of the drug by one tablet every day. | First, weigh yourself. The classic scheme of using coal to clean the stomach says that one tablet corresponds to ten kilograms of human 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 have to take four tablets, then five, and so on until you reach eight a day. |
| According to the second approach, throughout the day you should drink the number of activated carbon tablets, which is determined by your weight (using the same formula). | A person weighing 80 kg should take 8 tablets per day. |
| But according to the third method, it is not necessary to take into account the weight of the person. | During the day you should take ten tablets. |
In any case, taking this drug for weight loss should not exceed 10 days. After a ten-day course, you should take a two-week break. To achieve good results, this cycle should be repeated three times with breaks.
You should not eat during the diet:
- sweets
- baking
- salted, canned and smoked food;
- fried food
- spicy spices;
- mayonnaise;
- alcoholic beverages.
In addition, you must take vitamin complexes during the charcoal diet. This is due to the fact that along with harmful elements, activated carbon absorbs 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 the cleansing of the body.
To lose weight with the help of activated carbon, you can resort to a not very long diet, which is intended for only 3 days. The three-day food system is reminiscent of fasting days or a mono-diet, since the list of what is allowed is kept to a minimum. At the same time, all these products have a calming effect, which is an extremely important factor when taking activated carbon for weight loss. Charcoal causes constipation and this food will help maintain normal bowel function so your metabolism doesn't slow down.
The three-day diet is based on taking as many black coal tablets per day as prescribed by 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 consists 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 an apple. You are allowed to eat two large pieces of fruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the third day, which aims to gradually remove the body from the diet, a vegetable menu is provided. You will be able to eat about one kilogram of vegetables in the form of a salad or steamed. On the third day, vegetables can be slightly flavored with vegetable oil.
A three-day fasting cycle involves taking as many black coal tablets per day as prescribed by human 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, see the instructions for the drug. If your weight is between 45 and 60 kg, then five tablets a day will be enough. If the weight is 60-70 kg, take eight tablets, up to 80 kg - 10 tablets, and above - 12.
You have to be very careful
Do not forget that activated carbon, like any other medicine, has many side effects and contraindications. The list of them is quite extensive and can certainly stop some people from taking charcoal for weight loss. Among those who are contraindicated for long-term use of activated carbon include:
- pregnant women and nursing mothers;
- suffers from peptic ulcers;
- people with intestinal obstruction;
- who have chronic constipation;
- suffers from intestinal atony;
- tendency to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract;
- patients with ulcerative colitis;
- Patients with chronic low blood pressure.
But even if you don't fall into the listed category, still be sure to consult your doctor for advice, because long-term use of charcoal can harm your health. Many diseases of internal organs remain unnoticed by a person at the moment, and he does not even know about the existence of a problem. But reckless long-term use of this medicine can lead to the transition to the acute stage of the disease, which is full of unpleasant consequences.
Activated charcoal absorbs absolutely everything in your body, including amino acids, digestive enzymes, vitamins and trace elements. Therefore, its long-term use can cause vitamin deficiency. In the mildest case, you will notice that the hair becomes smooth and begins to actively fall out, and the nails become split and brittle. Scattering of acne may also appear on the skin, and the skin itself will take on an earthy hue. Activated carbon quickly removes important elements from the human body, such as potassium and calcium. They are vital for people with heart problems. Their lack can even be fatal.
In addition, if you regularly take charcoal for weight loss, 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 on the instructions of the drug itself, you can read that when taking it for more than two weeks, there is a violation of the absorption of fats, proteins, hormones and calcium. In case of exceeding the duration of use of the drug, a person may develop nausea, stomach upset in the form of diarrhea or constipation. Also, with long-term use, charcoal will begin to damage the walls of the stomach and intestines. Another important point is that you cannot take other medications while consuming activated carbon, as it completely neutralizes their effects on the body. In particular, this applies to birth control pills and special suppositories.
Along with the great benefits of activated carbon, weight loss using it can be fraught with disruption of the body's normal functioning. In this case, you can give preference to a short three-day diet. But, you have to admit that not everyone can stand a menu that is too meager. As a result, it will lead to a broken mood and a depressed state. Again, due to improper nutrition, the pounds lost during a monodiet can quickly return.
Many nutritionists recommend 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 consumed at any time of the year. In its action 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 to cleanse the body, but also bring a lot of vitamins and trace elements - coal can only envy this quality.
Carefully study the useful properties of the drug, but also do not forget about its many side effects, in order to evaluate whether losing weight with this method is worth the possible health problems.