Charcoal is one of the most disregarded products at home. We only see the need for it when it is time to set fire for Banku.
However, if you really need first aid, charcoal is something you need to have on you all the time, you might not know this but it is one of the most medicinal products you can have at home due to its poison extraction ability.
In case you never gave it much attention, this is the time to do so.
Here are 14 benefits of charcoal you never thought about.
Odour Prevention
Does your shoe smell bad? just get some charcoal and put it in them. Do you have any bad smell in your room? Drop some charcoal where you suspect the smell could be coming from. Does your fridge or freezer smell? Put a piece of charcoal in it. Do you have strong body odour? Just make a powder out of charcoal and use, thank me later.
Charcoal is very good at getting rid of bad smell. Ever wondered why your parents always scooped out the ash from the coal pot to pour in the hen coop or toilet before sweeping? That was to get rid of the odour.Keeping Food Fresh
If you want your vegetables to be fresh all the time, just make a solution out of charcoal and leave your vegetables in them.Toxins Removal from Food
These days, people complain about the use of fertilizers on plants and vegetables, making them unwholesome and poisonous. If you have charcoal, you don’t need to worry about this, all you need to do is leave the vegetables in a charcoal solution overnight and it’ll take care of the toxins. If you suspect any food contains too many chemicals, just drop them in a charcoal solution for some hours and you’re good to go.Teeth Whitening
If you want to whiten your teeth, pay no attention to all these adverts on whitening chemicals and technology, just get yourself some charcoal and grab hold of a plantain stalk, make a powder out of the charcoal, mash the tip of the plantain stalk, dip it into the charcoal powder and brush your teeth with it for a week.Restoration of Soup That Went Bad
Did your groundnut soup or palm nut soup go bad? No need to worry about pouring it all away. Just put it back on fire and drop a piece of charcoal in it. This will extract all the bad taste and smell and restore the soup to its fresh state.Detoxification
Do you have a hangover out of a drink out with friends the previous night, just have some charcoal with you and chew on it. To make it more effective, make a nice solution out of it and drink, you’re good to go.Neutralization of Alcohol
If you mistakenly did some wild mixing and feel it can knock you out, just add some charcoal to the mixture and your problem is solved. Or if you took in too much alcohol, just drink some charcoal solution and you’re good to go.Healing Wounds
Do you have a situation where someone’s wound has become so infected to the state doctors are saying they have to cut the affected area? Don’t stress over it, get a large amount of charcoal powder and pour it on the wound. This will extract all the poison from the wound and also help it heal faster. If you have a cut and you want to treat it fast, just get some powdered charcoal and pour on it.Water Filtration
Do you feel your water is contaminated? You don’t need all these products on the market, charcoal can do better, just drop some amount of it in it. Don’t worry about the colour, it is safe, you can even chew on charcoal. It is far safer than eating chicken from KFC.Skin Cleansing
Do you have pimples, acne or any skin disease you really want to get rid of or do you want a very smooth face or skin? All you need is charcoal. Make a thick solution out of it and smear it on your body and leave it on for some hours before taking your bath. It will leave your skin smooth and fresh.Stain Removal
Do you have some stubborn stain in your kitchen, washroom or on your tiles? You actually need charcoal to get rid of it. I know you’re imagining how this black stainy product can actually remove stains right? Just try it, it works like magic.Getting Rid of a Bloated Stomach
If you ate or drank something and feel bloated, charcoal is the best solution to get rid of the bloating.Getting Rid of Bad Cholesterol In You
Making a solution out of it and drinking helps eliminate all the bad cholesterol you have stored in you.Ulcer Treatment
Charcoal can treat all the ulcers out there you can think of including stomach ulcer. Just make it a habit to always chew on some.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is also useful but the above benefits are from using simple charcoal.
You cannot make activated charcoal at home. It is a manufactured product. It is actually a drug and available in tablets to deal with poisoning in clinics. Luckily, the best type is derived from coconut shell. Bioresources Institute of Nigeria (BION) at Umuna, Imo State has initiated the processing of food and drug grade activated charcoal under GMP conditions, to be realized as soon as the target specifications are met.
Activated charcoal can interfere with the absorption nutrients, supplements and prescription medications. Take activated charcoal 90 minutes to two hours prior to meals, supplements and prescription medications. Potential adverse interactions with the following drugs can occur: naltrexone (used for alcohol and opioid dependence), acrivastine, bupropion, carbinoxamine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, meclizine, morphine, methadone, morphine sulfate liposome, mycophedone, oxymorphone, suvorexant, tapendol, unexlidinium, acetaminophin, tricyclic antidepressants, theophylline. When selecting activated charcoal, it's vital that you know what it's made from. Not all activated charcoal supplements are created equally. Look for activated charcoal made from coconut shells or identified wood species that have ultra-fine grains. In the powdered from, many products have added artificial sweeteners to make them more palatable; avoid these. Artificial sweeteners are loaded with chemicals and frankly speaking, it doesn't make sense to take activated charcoal to get your body rid of chemicals and toxins if it's loaded with chemicals. Sweeten it naturally if desired with fresh juice or of natural sweetener.