A fine, porous carbon made from coconut shells.
Why it’s used: Activated charcoal contributes to reducing excessive flatulence after eating (1 g at least 30 minutes before and 1 g shortly after a meal).
Activated charcoal is a very fine, black carbon powder. It is made by heating carbon-rich material, often coconut shells, to high temperatures and then exposing it to steam or gas. This activation process creates a vast network of tiny pores, giving each gram an enormous surface area.
That surface is what makes it useful. Activated charcoal works by adsorption, meaning gases and other substances stick to its surface as it passes through the gut, rather than being absorbed into it. It is not absorbed by the body and leaves in the stool. In hospitals, a medicinal form is used in some cases of poisoning, which is a very different use from a food supplement.
As a food supplement it is sold in capsules and tablets. It carries one authorised health claim: activated charcoal contributes to reducing excessive flatulence after eating, with the effect obtained from 1 g taken at least 30 minutes before and 1 g shortly after a meal. Coconut shell is a popular source, and you may see it labelled as activated carbon.
3 findings behind this ingredient. Hover a card for the detail and the source.
Double-blind trial in 99 people in the United States and India given lactulose as a gas-producing substrate. Activated charcoal significantly reduced breath hydrogen and symptoms of bloating and abdominal cramps versus placebo.
Placebo-controlled study measuring flatus events and breath hydrogen after a gas-producing meal. Oral activated charcoal stopped the large increase in both that was seen with placebo.
Multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial in 132 general practice patients with dyspeptic symptoms, taking it for 3 months with a commercial activated charcoal and simethicone product. More patients improved by at least two points on symptom intensity, and bloating and fullness fell significantly versus placebo.
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The authorised claim is based on taking 1 g at least 30 minutes before a meal and another 1 g shortly afterwards. Drink plenty of water, and keep it well apart from any medicines, since charcoal can bind to them in the gut.
It can. Activated charcoal binds substances in the gut, which may reduce how much of an oral medicine, including the pill, is absorbed. Leave at least two hours between them, and ask your pharmacist about the right timing for your specific medicines.
This is expected and harmless. Activated charcoal is not absorbed, so it passes straight through and colours the stool black. However, black stools can also signal bleeding in the gut, so see your GP if they continue after you stop taking charcoal.
Information only, not medical advice. If you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to your GP or pharmacist first.
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