Monday, April 4, 2011

The use of activated charcoal for gas and bloating.

A listener called today and asked if there was a cancer risk to the use of activated charcoal. I wasn't sure, but thought not. When we grill, the risk (if any!) is in the complicated organic compounds that occur when high heat and meat are exposed to each other. Having said that, I looked it up. In general: Charcoal may or may not be helpful for gas and bloat, such as that caused by IBS. Studies are all conflicting and old


No where did I see anything about a long term cancer risk from the use of activated charcoal. Having said that, there appears to be no studes.


There are enough scary side effects, such as black stools...that I would and do not routinely recommend charcoal use for gas and bloat.

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