Herxheimer reactions. One of the banes of my existence as a health consultant. Can they be reduced from activated charcoal absorbing bacterial toxins?
What is a herxheimer reaction? It is the bodies immune system’s reaction to a heavy burden of toxins (mainly endotoxins.)1
What are endotoxins?
So a lot of people that I have coached and people on the internet symptoms worsen once you try to alleviate Gram-negative bacteria dysbiosis. Most of the time this occurs because the overgrowth produce endotoxins or release them when lysis (breaking down of the cell membrane) occurs during protocols or treatments.
So what can be done to reduce endotoxin release? Or at the very least help facilitate their detoxification and clearance from the body?
Is there anything that can be supplemented to absorb the endotoxins in the digestive tract before they overload the liver or enter the bloodstream and cause extensive inflammation if you have leaky gut?
Enter Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal comes from burning a carbon source that yields a blackish porous material. There are many different grades of activated charcoal that differ in their absorption, Fix Your Gut, however, is going to focus on standard food grade or medical grade activated charcoal.2
Activated charcoal is more than just for “detoxing” it serves a medical purpose. There is medical grade activated charcoal that is used for accidental oral overdose and poisoning (depending on the substance) in hospitals across the world.3
Activated charcoal only binds to larger molecules, non-polar molecules, or molecules that have a negative charge since activated charcoal itself has a slight positive charge.4 Some things that activated charcoal cannot bind to include:
- Alcohol (activated charcoal, however, can bind to some impurities found in alcohol)5
- Glycols6
- Strong acids or bases7
- Some heavy metals like lithium and iron.8
We are lucky, though, activated charcoal can bind to endotoxins produced in the gut when ingested. Binding of endotoxins in our digestive tract reduces inflammation, improves liver/kidney function, and helps reduce symptoms of a herxheimer reaction.9 10 11 12
Activated charcoal can also absorb excess gas as well produced by overgrowth that might reduce bloating and abdominal pain.
Finally, it can bind with some of the toxins in the food we ingest including mycotoxins.13
How Much Activated Charcoal Should Be Supplemented and Drawbacks of Activated Charcoal Supplementation
It depends on the severity of your herxheimer reaction.
I suggest one to two activated charcoal capsules an hour after taking your antimicrobial supplements so that it does not interfere with their use if you are having a herxheimer reaction.
In addition, I suggest one to two capsules if you are having strong reactions to food as well if you have overgrowth even if the food does not come from a questionable source.
Do not be surprised if your stool darkens when ingesting activated charcoal, this is normal.
There are drawbacks to supplementing with activated charcoal, though. Activated charcoal can interfere with your intake from food, medications, or supplements. I would take it a few hours away from supplements, medications, and meals if possible.14
If you take too much, there is also a possibility that it can cause gastrointestinal blockages, but most of the time this is only seen in medical emergencies where too much might be accidentally given to try to help someone who overdosed. If you have severe abdominal pains from ingesting normal amounts of activated charcoal, you might want to notify you doctor or go to the emergency room because you might have an intestinal blockage.15
What Brand of Activated Charcoal Do I Recommend?
I recommend Upgraded Coconut Charcoal.
Bulletproof produces their charcoal from coconut shells. It is ultra fine and highly purified. They also use acid washing in its preparation, to help remove heavy metals from the charcoal before you supplement with it. The charcoal is very fine, which increases its absorption.
- https://chronicillnessrecovery.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161 ↩
- http://www.cabotcorp.com/solutions/products-plus/activated-carbon ↩
- http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/charcoal-activated-oral-route/description/drg-20070087 ↩
- https://www.bulletproofexec.com/the-strangest-way-to-detox/ ↩
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3710499 ↩
- http://www.drugs.com/monograph/charcoal-activated.html ↩
- http://www.drugs.com/monograph/charcoal-activated.html ↩
- http://www.drugs.com/monograph/charcoal-activated.html ↩
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3449139 ↩
- http://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/44548 ↩
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/381215 ↩
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3719924 ↩
- http://www.townsendletter.com/July2014/mold0714_2.html ↩
- https://www.bulletproofexec.com/the-strangest-way-to-detox/ ↩
- https://www.bulletproofexec.com/the-strangest-way-to-detox/ ↩
Is it ok to be using activated charcoal every day? I am thinking of taking it before bed every night. I have a lot of toxicity related to gut problems, and find the charcoal really helps.
Thanks a lot to share such valuable information on activated charcoal. I have really impressed with the entire article. I am using Activated Charcoal Drink Recipes for the treatment of gastric disorder and digestion problem. From this blog, I came to know some other medicinal role of activated charcoal and its mode of action.
What do you think about starting with charcoal and/or probiotics to heal some gut-centered depression (as opposed to chest/grief depression)? This depression is characterized by belly fear and thoughts of hurting others. Can probiotics and activated charcoal be used together successfully?
First of all, I thankful for this best information who provided us best knowledge about dysbiosis causing illness try activated charcoal. It’s really helpful for us. Thanks for such a good post.
How long after a main meal (and other supplements) would you take it? I am thinking it may be best to take it before bed as the body detoxes at night ? but concerned it may be too close to dinner time.
It would be optimal to take it three to four hours after a meal if possible.
I’m confused if a person with leaky gut should use activated charcoal. I wasn’t thinking to ask this question when I had some Mercury fillings removed. They gave me activated charcoal & I was extremely sick for two weeks. Does it get into your bloodstream if you have leaky gut?
Possibly, in very minute quantities if any at all. Were you just allergic to activated charcoal or were your symptoms from inflammation from the dental work combined with mercury.
I’ve been taking interfase plus with edta for 15 days. we know that edta is able to remoxe some heavy metals. Some researchers dont recomend to use heavy metal chelators when person has leaky gut.This is due to a possible reabsorption. clorella and charcoal are powerful binders enough to chelate metals? I’ve bought your book but dont specify time to take charcoal after take interfase plus. I follow your orientation above? one hour after take interfase i take clorella and charcoal?
Charcoal and chlorella are strong enough to bind to some metals, but remember the metals are bonded to the EDTA itself already, so it is best to increase detox instead of trying to bind it again. I recommend staying hydrated, using an IR sauna, and maintain motility.
Activated charcoal does have a negative charge, but doesn’t that mean it would bind to positively charged molecules?
It has a slight positive charge, I have no idea why I wrote it has a negative charge twice. Sometimes editing mistakes slip by, haha.
“There are two forms of stimulated active carbon: H-type and L-type (Zelmanov and Semiat, 2014). The H-type carbon adopts positive charges, when introduced into water or treated with strong acids and is characterized as hydrophobic in nature. The L-type carbon is a stronger solid acid than the H-type carbon which assumes a negative charge in water which neutralizes strong bases and is hydrophilic.”
– Water Purification Technologies
Asif Ahmad, Tauseef Azam, in Bottled and Packaged Water, 2019
4.8.8.4 Activated Carbon
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/activated-carbon