By Calvin Thrash, M.D. From Ucheepines counselling sheets.
www.ucheepines.org
Many old-fashioned remedies have fallen by the wayside, because close scrutiny has revealed them to be no more than old wives tales, or worse, even harmful to the body. Witness "a little whisky for a cold," or using cigarette smoke to control babies' coughs. However, in the mad scientific rush to abandon nonpharmaceutical therapies, some remedies that had a basis in physiology were also deserted, being too time-consuming (or simply too unsophisticated) to continue their practice. Charcoal seems to fit in this category. In bygone days, people understood that cleansing the body systems assisted in prevention and treatment of disease. Now we have come full circle to realize the importance of the elimination of toxins and polluting chemicals in regaining of normal health.
The secret of charcoal's power is adsorption. Through an electrostatic charge, the charcoal granule draws poisons to it, attaching them to its surface - bound, as it were - so they can be safely removed. Thus the body can proceed with the healing process uninhibited by noxious chemicals or drugs. Since the action of charcoal is to adsorb, and it adds no "drug" to the blood, it is ideal for use as a poison control agent. In fact, most hospital emergency rooms use a charcoal solution for overdoses and accidental poisonings. The F.D.A. has found charcoal effective in adsorbing many poisons, gases, and drugs. In fact, it has been called "The Universal Antidote." Since charcoal works by adsorption (as opposed to absorption) a discussion of just what the term means is merited. The definition of adsorption is the attachment of a substance to the surface of another. This "binding" prevents the subsequent release of the toxin at a later time, which could occur if the material were simply "soaked up," or absorbed. Of course, activated charcoal is not the only adsorbent material in the world, , it simply is one of the most powerful - certainly for the money.
Most other adsorbents available have a price tag at least a third more, if not double the cost of activated charcoal. Because charcoal is nearly pure carbon, the risks in using it are practically non-existent. Numerous studies both with animals and results in humans have shown that regular ingestion of even large quantities of charcoal have produced no detectable side effects. Equally important, studies of toxicity regarding skin contact and inhalation also have shown no side effects. This means, then, that the possibilities for "detox," poison control, clearing intestinal problems, and allergic reactions are enormous. It is also possible, as a Soviet study suggests, that the reduction of pollutants and toxins, as well as cholesterol-reducing tendency by activated charcoal, may be a factor toward anti-aging and life extension. While no one is suggesting that activated charcoal is a "cure-all," it has certainly proven amazing in its results… Next edition we shall look at uses and testimonials of effects of Charcoal.