- [Narrator] Instagram is blowing with black looking food
and beauty products.
Thanks to this stuff.
It's called activated charcoal or activated carbon.
It's what health trend fanatics claim to be using to detox,
brighten skin and whiten their teeth.
But of course just because you can wash with it, eat it,
and brush your teeth with it,
doesn't mean you necessary should.
(curious music)
The global market for activated charcoal is projected
to reach 6.2 billion dollars by 2022.
It's an impressive feat considering it comes from
the same stuff as your grilling charcoal.
It's a da-da-da-da, burnt wood.
The difference is that activated charcoal is burned
at a higher temperature so it breaks down
into a very fine powder which gives it a larger surface area
than a chunk of charcoal on your grill.
And it's exactly what you want when you're trying to remove
toxins or poison from your body.
How it works has to d with the microscopic structure
of the charcoal itself.
Inside each particle are millions of pores
that act like a tiny trap.
So if you swallow some then it will begin to bind
with other substances in your gut.
Which is helpful if you've just overdosed on drugs
since it can prevent them from entering your system.
And in fact, this is exactly what hospitals will use
to treat certain cases of poisoning before resorting
to pumping the stomach.
But, drugs aren't the only thing that charcoal binds to.
It can also soak up helpful things like minerals,
vitamins, and antioxidants.
So when you drink a charcoal laced lemonade
with a healthy meal, you'll actually absorbing less
nutrients than you otherwise would.
To make matters worse, it can also prevent medications
like anti-depressants and contraceptive pills
from reaching your system.
Which of course makes them less effective.
The key to activated charcoal whether it's saving a life
or depriving you of nutrition, is timing.
It only works if there's something for it to absorb
in the first place.
So bad news, taking charcoal pills in the morning
for a hangover, it's not gonna do anything, pal.
Because the alcohol is long gone from your stomach by then.
So ingesting charcoal for any other reason than treating
a severe case of poisoning isn't a good idea.
It's indigestible.
So after you eat it, your body passes it along
and eventually out the other end.
Along the way, it can have side effects.
Oh, fun.
Like constipation and nausea.
Not to mention there is, sorry, no evidence to support
the claims from charcoal enthusiasts that it will
prevent bloating, boost energy,
brightens skin or whiten teeth.
So hey, if you don't like the idea of eating black
you know, anything, you don't have to.
Your body's probably better off anyway.
(curious music)