Activated Charcoal

Its the new food fad among the insta crowd, but are its health benefits so black and white?

Photos of black-tinged burgers, coal-coloured smoothie bowls and inky-toned ice cream quickly drum up likes on social media, but what is this dark powdery stuff that has everyone talking? It’s called activated charcoal, and it’s burst onto the wellness scene with gusto. Black and sandy with an icing sugar consistency, activated charcoal isn’t just appearing in our food. It’s now on the shelf at your local health shop, and it’s also turning up in the toiletries aisle, in products including toothpaste and face masks.

Whether you choose to eat it in a burger or squeeze it on your toothbrush, the idea is the same – that the charcoal binds to toxins, either in the gut or on the body, which in theory can assist with our natural detoxing processes. It’s typically made from coconut shells, bamboo or other materials containing carbon, heated to a high temperature to transform it to charcoal, and then oxidised, or ‘activated’. In its raw form before it’s ground into the powder we see in health stores, activated charcoal has a porous, sponge-like texture, and it’s these tiny holes that are thought to boost its filtration effects.

Despite the recent attention, activated charcoal as a modern health aid isn’t exactly new – it’s long been used in medical settings to treat drug overdoses and poisoning, as the binding properties of the charcoal hinder the absorption of certain toxins in the gut. But its latest incarnation as a wellness product isn’t without its critics. Here, we look at both sides of the story.