Compound or practice · Nutrition
Activated Charcoal
A genuine poison-control adsorbent misused as a 'detox' and gas remedy — and it binds your medications.
- Overall grade
- Grade C
- Last revised
- 2
- graded outcomes
- 0
- references listed
A structured monograph in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the monograph's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
1 at grade A · 1 at grade C — 2 graded rows
What is known
Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.
- Poisoning (acute)Evidence grade A
Medical use
Largehigh
- Intestinal gasEvidence grade C
Modest
Smallmixed
What is uncertain
Read off the same rows as above. Nothing here is added that the entry does not itself record.
- Thin evidence: Intestinal gas (grade C).
Interactions
Documented pairings with supplements and medicines. A medicine on this list is a conversation for whoever prescribes it.
Oral contraceptivesMind the timing
Adsorbs oral drugs — separate by hours to avoid failure.
The evidence in words
What it is
Activated charcoal is a highly porous carbon that adsorbs many substances in the gut.
How it works
Its enormous surface area binds toxins, gases, and — indiscriminately — drugs and nutrients.
What the evidence shows
It is a real emergency treatment for certain poisonings and has some evidence for intestinal gas. The wellness 'detox' and hangover uses are unsupported, and its non-selective binding can inactivate medications and reduce nutrient absorption.
Safety & interactions
Binds oral drugs (including contraceptives) — separate by hours; not for routine use. oral-contraceptives — Adsorbs oral drugs — separate by hours to avoid failure.
Bottom line
A legitimate poisoning antidote, not a daily detox. Routine use mainly risks binding your medications and nutrients.
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- Activated Charcoal for Intestinal gasEvidence grade C — ModestEvidence grade C
- Activated Charcoal for Poisoning (acute)Evidence grade A — Medical useEvidence grade A
- Activated Charcoal: side effects, safety & interactionsBinds oral drugs (including contraceptives) — separate by hours; not for routine use.Evidence grade C
- Aloe VeraTopical aloe helps minor burns; oral aloe has modest glucose and IBS signals but a laxative/safety caveat.Evidence grade C
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.