Have you heard about activated charcoal for food allergies?
Yes, it's a thing!
In our efforts to reduce toxins in our lives, we might use natural personal care products, natural home products, and natural remedies instead of medications as much as possible. Other natural options are essential oils, saline spray, and other alternative methods of healing like these natural allergy remedies. Today let's talk about a Natural Remedy for Food Allergies that might surprise you.
In 1831, the distinguished Professor Touery stood in front of his colleagues at the French Academy of Medicine and drank a dose of strychnine that was several times the amount considered lethal.
Contrary to what you might be thinking, Professor Touery did not have any ill intentions, nor did anyone else wish him harm.
So why was he drinking poison?
He drank poison in order to demonstrate to his colleagues the powerful effect activated charcoal has in binding toxins and removing them from the body.
The professor survived his demonstration unharmed.
Activated Charcoal - An Ancient Remedy
Activated charcoal (sometimes abbreviated as “AC”) has been used for thousands of years by cultures around the world:
- Both the ancient Egyptians and Hindus were known to have used it.
- Native Americans used it mixed with water as a stomach remedy.
- In Victorian England, charcoal biscuits were sold as an antidote to flatulence.
- And many “old wives” will tell you that burnt toast (virtually the same thing) offers excellent relief for an upset stomach.
Today, activated charcoal is available very inexpensively at most pharmacies and in other places that sell natural supplements.
Uses for Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is highly adsorbent (not to be confused with absorbent), which means that other substances bind to its surface.
Because of its power of adsorption, activated charcoal is commonly used in hospitals as a remedy for those who have ingested a poison of some kind.
In addition to being used in cases of poisoning, activated charcoal has been documented as treatment for:
- stomach bugs (binds the bacteria causing the illness)
- gas
- colic
- infant jaundice
- indigestion and heartburn
- tooth pain, and
- stinging bug bites
- It can also be used to whiten teeth because it pulls stain-causing elements from the tooth enamel.
Using Activated Charcoal for Food Allergies
One lesser known use for activated charcoal, which I recently discovered, is helping to deal with reactions from food allergies. The AC binds offending proteins in food that the body can’t break down, such as gluten, dairy, egg, peanut, soy, and other allergens. When the protein is bound to the activated charcoal, it is whisked out of the digestive tract rather than remaining in the body and causing discomfort, therefore reducing or alleviating food allergy symptoms.
This treatment works best in people who have primarily digestive symptoms when reacting to a food allergen (i.e. upset stomach, bloating, gas, diarrhea, etc.), and it should not be relied on as a remedy in individuals who have anaphylactic allergies (although some research shows that using activated charcoal in addition to epinephrine immediately upon ingestion of an allergen could help lessen the severity of anaphylactic reactions).
If an individual suffers from food allergies and accidentally eats a food to which he or she is allergic, it is best to take activated charcoal as soon as it is known that allergen has been ingested, whether symptoms have appeared or not.
The treatment is more effective the sooner it is administered after an offending food is eaten. That way, fewer proteins enter the bloodstream before they can be bound to the activated charcoal.
Of course, it is not always immediately possible to know when you have eaten something that you are allergic to, but taking AC as soon as symptoms start to occur will help to alleviate many, if not all, of the symptoms.
Scientific Evidence About Activated Charcoal and Food Allergies
There is ample anecdotal evidence testifying to the effectiveness of activated charcoal in dealing with accidentally ingested food allergy triggers, especially for people who are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease and have inadvertently eaten gluten.
Scientific research on the subject is still in early stages, but so far studies attest to activated charcoal’s effectiveness for allergens other than gluten, as well. One such study was published in the Journal for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Researchers for the study mixed peanut (a common allergen) protein and activated charcoal in test tubes and swallowed it. They then used various measurement techniques to determine how well the charcoal bound the peanut protein, making it unavailable to the body.
“The data presented herein show that AC removes both IgE-binding and IgG-binding peanut proteins from solution rapidly at both neutral and acidic pH. These data suggest that administration of AC may be useful as an adjunct to slow or to prevent further absorption of peanut protein from the gastrointestinal tract after accidental ingestion by individuals with peanut allergy.” (Source)
Although activated charcoal is effective in reducing or eliminating symptoms from eating foods that might cause allergic reactions under normal circumstances, the treatment should not be used as a way to cheat on a restricted diet in order to eat offending allergens. The AC cannot stop all of the proteins in a food from entering into the body.
Some will still enter the blood stream, causing the immune system to over-react, triggering inflammation, and exacerbating leaky gut issues. Anyone with food allergies should make all efforts to avoid the foods they are allergic to, but, as we are all human, activated charcoal can be helpful for the occasional instance where a mistake is made and an allergen is accidentally ingested.
My Family’s Experience with Activated Charcoal for Food Allergies
My own son has had food allergies since he was an infant, mainly to gluten, dairy, eggs, and some nuts. Before we figured out that he had allergies, we spent months watching him squirm, cry, and scrunch up his legs in obvious distress.
As many of you probably know, it is a horrible feeling to see your child in pain and not be able to do anything about it. Nothing we tried worked and we couldn’t find any doctors who could help us. He was actually misdiagnosed as having acid reflux. Thankfully we were able to take things into our own hands and figure out the root of the problem.
Since we discovered my son’s food allergies, we have had very few incidents of stomach pain and other digestive discomfort, but occasionally, especially when eating food not prepared at home, he accidentally ingests one of his trigger allergens and has a bad night.
The first time that I thought to try activated charcoal for food allergies was after he had unknowingly eaten dairy. We put him to bed, but he woke up several times within the first two hours of sleep. I could tell he was uncomfortable, and he kept telling us his stomach was “hot.”
Of course, I wanted to do something to help ease his pain, so I tried giving him a blend of herbal tea formulated to calm the stomach.
It didn’t help.
While wracking my brain for another option, I saw activated charcoal in our kitchen. I knew that it was often used for stomachaches and that it wouldn’t hurt him to try it, even if it didn’t alleviate his symptoms.
I emptied 1 ½ capsules of the AC into water and put it in a sippy cup so my son couldn’t see the black color (I was afraid he wouldn’t drink it if he saw it). He drank the water quickly without protest and fell back asleep. He slept soundly for six hours and then woke up saying his stomach was hot again. I gave him more of the activated charcoal and water, and he slept the rest of the night, waking up without symptoms in the morning. Every other time that my son has accidentally eaten dairy or another of his food allergens, he has woken up two to three times per hour throughout the night. Sometimes the discomfort from his symptoms has been so great that he hasn’t been able to sleep at all. I was shocked at how well the activated charcoal had worked to alleviate his symptoms and help all of us get a good night’s sleep.
(Note: There is some research that says that taking activated charcoal with dairy will actually make it less effective, but we have successfully used it to treat the symptoms of a dairy allergy.)
Activated Charcoal for Food Allergies Dosage
There is a wide variety in the recommended dosage of activated charcoal for non-poison related use, most likely because the amount of charcoal needed to be effective varies from person to person.
A general guideline is to take 500 to 1040 mg of activated charcoal with water up to 4 times daily, as needed.
Adults can start by taking two to three capsules and repeat as needed until symptoms subside. For small children it would be wise to start with a smaller amount, such as ½ or 1 capsule of activated charcoal, adding more gradually as needed.
Contraindications and Side Effects
- Activated charcoal can cause constipation and dehydration, so it should always be taken with plenty of water.
- Because of its adsorptive nature, AC binds everything, not just toxins, so it shouldn’t be taken regularly or long term.
- If used too often, it could cause nutrient deficiencies.
- Activated charcoal will interfere with absorption of prescription and over-the-counter medications into the body, so it should always be taken separately (wait three to four hours in between using AC and taking medication), and a doctor should be consulted before using activated charcoal in the case of being on long-term prescription medication.
- Finally, activated charcoal will often turn stools black, but this is due only to its own black color and is no cause for concern.
- Of course, as with anything, if you feel "off" while taking activated charcoal, contact your physician. Some have apparently reported feeling nausea and vomiting.
Source: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/activated-charcoal-uses-risks#1
Activated charcoal is one of the safest and most cost-effective remedies to keep around the house. If you or a family member suffers from food allergies or sensitivities, it could very easily be the difference between hours of pain and discomfort or a regular day.
Please note: Neither Adrienne nor Erin are doctors and we don't pretend to be so. Please consult with your physician before changing your diet, supplement, or exercise protocol. Thanks!
Do you have food allergies?
Have you ever used activated charcoal for food allergies or any other use?
Erin Ter Beest lives and blogs in Alto, Wisconsin. She takes care of her son, Sawyer, while dabbling in traditional foods, alternative health, raising chickens and milk goats, and building a small, sustainable house with her husband, Casey. More of Erin’s thoughts on all things food, nutrition, farm, and home can be found at her website, Natural Wonderer.
Thank you.
You are so welcome!
This is so interesting, my 6 year old son has the same reaction to dairy. I would have to hold him all night. Yesterday there were Christmas cookies to decorate that were cooked with butter, I haven't really trialed how much he can get away with so I was going to let him try it. But he decided to use a lot of food coloring which makes him emotionally distressed for 2 days usually so I gave him AC in his water bottle and he didn't react to either thing. Throughout yesterday or last night or today he was okay. I asked him how he felt yesterday evening being and he said "bored" which I was thrilled to hear.
Wow. Amazing story! Merry Christmas!
This makes so much sense to me and I have wondered about it for years. My fear is that it might interfere with epinephrine. There definitely should be more research done on the subject. While reading the article, the thought did occur to me that it might be wise to rinse the mouth and brush the teeth with AC in the suspected case of possible ingestion.
My guess is that it wouldn't since epi goes to the bloodstream and charcoal goes to the digestive system, but of course check w/ your physician.
Any idea how much more water one should drink when taking the charcoal caps.
Also the 'dosage article' you link to, in one of the comments, at the Mayo clinics website, suggests 50-100g for teens and adults I know this is for straight up real drug or alcohol poisoning, cause it seems like too much and kinda unrealistic to have to take for allergies/sensitivities, it would be more than a bottle and more like 4?, my bottle for example, has 60 caps at 230mg each, that's only 13. 8 g in the whole bottle, and just even having to take 1g shows how few servings the bottle holds.
So I hope the article here shows a more realistic dose.. Suggesting 1-2 caps or 500-1040mg which would be more like 2-5caps for me with the dosage in my caps, and up to 4 times daily.
Thanks in advance
Best regards
Bischa
Hi there. Sorry but I don't see any real information on this other than "drink plenty of water" and that's because it can make you get constipated. Really 50-100 grams?? That's a lot! But capsules don't hold that much.
wow...unbelievable. you're probably an anti vaxxer as well.
Hi Deborah. In fact, I am not. You might be interested in pubmed about food allergies and activated charcoal. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12847495
or this: https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(04)01145-5/fulltext
or this about poisoning: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482294/
or this. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4767212/
Hope that is helpful.
I use activated charcoal for indigestion, since I cook only with healthy fats when eating out sometimes I get discomfort and continuous burping so if I don’t have lime juice around I take to caps of activated charcoal it works wonders.
Only downfall are those who are allergic to activated charcoal ?
Of course that wouldn't be a good option then. I wonder if quercetin might be of help in this situation.
My daughter is 28. She has suffered with acne since she was a teen. She has tried just about everything from going to dermatologists to do it yourselfers. Any suggestions?
I'm so sorry! Have you tried this? And how about internal work as in a healthier diet? https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/diy-acne-cream/
Could it be her diet plays apart also?
I was suffering from horrible glutening symptoms all morning and afternoon today. I found this info (on another site) and my husband ran out to get some for me. Within an hour of taking it I was feeling a significant reduction in symptoms!
Hi there,interesting post.I have ac around the house, and wondering if I could use it for my son's eczema that is due to food allergies (lots of them).Can this be used for that?He gets rashes on his hands ,between his fingers and around his mouth.He is on a diet but sometimes he begs for foods he can't have,and willing to pay the price for a small piece of apple,or an egg ,a piece of salmon....He is 7 1/2,so old enough to understand.He's been on this diet for 3 years now.We were able to cure his eczema in just 4 days after finding out all the foods he can't have,and there are sooo many unfortunately for him.
Hi there.
I have never used it for that but I know many who have used it for reactions that are not life threatening. I would do research on the product and if you are comfortable with it (you could ask your physician) then try and see how it goes. I hope that is helpful.
The same thing happens to me except it's around my mouth and around my eyes...
After successfully avoiding it for a couple years I just unknowingly ate something that had peanuts in it. I have a serious allergy but not life threatening--at least not yet. I usually try to gag and eliminate it that way, but this time tried AC. I will see how it goes.
Please do not lean on the charcoal if you have a potentially serious or life threatening issue. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for putting this together, Erin. Very interesting. I never thought to use it for allergies. I'll be sure to pick some up and have on hand in case of allergy "emergencies" -- really curious to see if it works!
HI Audrey -I've used it on occasion for this very thing. And for other "toxic exposures". And for my teeth :).
Is it safe for kids? If yes how can you get them to take it? Mine would not swallow a vegetable capsule 🙁
I have a bunch of friends who use it w/ their kids and I have as well - here is some dosing info on mayo clinic's page: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/charcoal-activated-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20070087 Hope that helps!
I LOVE activated charcoal! My boyfriend woke up in the middle of the night, throwing up profusely with a severe stomach ache. I managed to slip him 2 charcoals, and he was back in bed, asleep, within ten minutes. I also use it for stomach aches, even without nausea. Another good one is if you're sensitive to a certain medicine and take too much. Doctor told me to be on ibuprofin around the clock, and I ended up with crippling stomach pain because of it. Took 2 charcoal pills, then 2 more about 4 hours later, and was fine within 6 hours without having to throw up. Best purchase I have made.
Totally agree! We using during a stomach virus in our house. It worked for me when I was on bedrest, vomiting, and started having contractions. I just took two, and I didn't throw up anymore. Now we take about 6 caps at the onset of nausea, and it CAN prevent the vomiting (then 2 caps every hour till nausea is gone). The large dose at first matters! We use it for our children, all six and under as well--just mix into raw honey (3-4 caps on 1st dose). I have a bottle in my purse and car just in case! I am glad to see that it can be used for allergies, as I haven't tried that, and need to. Thanks for the insightful post!
I have a question regarding UTI's. My daughter gets them every 3 months and when she urinates she bleeds every time she gets them. This has been going on for a year and the doctor is not concern just says you can take antibiotics daily. Is there something you can suggest?
Depending on her age, perhaps some kind of cranberry extract and probiotics would be helpful? I'm not a dr., just someone who's had a UTI and don't want to get one again! =)
Hi Sarah, you may know this already, but after doing this we've never had a UTI again...make sure that your daughter always wipes from front to back after going pee..every time. Hope this helps. If not, try eliminating sugar from her diet especially when she gets one.
Sorry, I meant to address my comment to Mary, not Sarah.
Thanks will let her know, especially about the sugar.
She is 25. Thanks for the imput.
Has she tried D-mannose?
I would highly recommend D-Mannose for urinary tract infections. My mother had been suffering with them for a year or so and had terrible side effects from antibiotics. I found this supplement and has worked wonders for her. No infections and she feels like herself again. I don't understand why Drs. don't let patients know about these supplements instead of writing a script for an antibiotic. Good luck!
please note that you have to use charcoal ONLY when you are in absolute need of it....for toxins or illness etc......charcoal cannot distinguish between the good stuff and the bad stuff in our body and absorbs whatever is there......if you add it to your daily diet you will also be losing all your nutrition.....
Be careful.....
Thanks, Prema. That is definitely an important thing to note. As I mentioned in the post, the activated charcoal will bind nutrients as well as toxins, so it is definitely only a "use as needed" supplement!
We use AC all the time! I've read that it's good for food allergies, even reversing wheat intolerance.
Wow! I've never heard of it as helping to reverse wheat allergies. I would be very interested in learning more about that!
How is charcoal - - - activated?
Activated charcoal is made one of two ways. The charcoal can be activated either with steam at extremely high temperatures or with certain chemicals, which are then washed out. I prefer the steam method, as it has less chance of contamination, but due to its binding properties, even if there was a tiny residue in the activated charcoal it would likely not pass into your body.
Thank you for helping me to understand that, Erin.
Just a quick question... if the charcoal isn't supposed to be taken with other meds because it interferes with absorption... how is it OK to take in combination with Epinephrine? We have food allergies in our family, unfortunately a severe peanut one... and I was just curious! 🙂
Hi Devon- Epinephrine is injected directly into the bloodstream, so it bypasses the digestive tract and goes directly to work. If AC is taken it stays in the digestive tract and doesn't enter the bloodstream. Although I can't verify this, I would guess that it's usefulness in the case of severe anaphylactic allergies would be in binding up as much of the offending food as possible before it enters the bloodstream and really has a chance to cause an effect. As I said in the post, I definitely would not rely on AC to stop an anaphylactic reaction, but it could be helpful in alleviating symptoms (as the research in the peanut study I mentioned suggests).
This is amazing!!!