unfortunately, is one of the substances on the no-bind list Can a Drink Hurt My Running Performance and People may tout its detox powers, but listen with skepticism. One of those things: drinking activated charcoal. If your friend swears by having a glass of this black liquid to “detox” their system, know that they probably aren’t gaining many benefits—and it might even come with comes risks. Here’s what to know.
What is activated charcoal?
Activated charcoal is a trendy black powder that wellness enthusiasts claim can help you detox. It’s charcoal made from materials such as coconut husks, peat, or bone char. It’s processed at super hot temperatures (much higher than the temps used to make the charcoal for your grill), which makes it highly porous.
Are there any benefits to drinking activated charcoal?
Indeed, the stuff has long been used in emergency rooms as a treatment for poisoning. “Activated charcoal works by binding to drugs and toxic substances located in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby preventing their entry across the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream,” explains Glenn Hardesty, D.O., an emergency room physician based in Texas. The toxin-filled charcoal makes its way through your GI tract, and a day or two later—presto!—you poop the gunk right out.
Maybe that sounds promising for those looking to cure their hangover, considering alcohol is a toxin, and activated charcoal absorbs toxins in the body. But it doesn’t work that way.
overdoses in the E.R alcohol overdoses in the E.R. One study published back in 1986 found that subjects who took activated charcoal just 30 minutes after drinking had the same amount of alcohol in their bloodstream compared to drinkers who didn’t take the charcoal. That’s because activated charcoal absorbs toxins that are still in the stomach, not ones that have already made their way into the blood, Hardesty explains.
Anyway, “a hangover happens many hours after you’ve been drinking. So even if activated charcoal did prevent alcohol absorption, it wouldn’t help with a hangover because a hangover comes on after the alcohol has been absorbed [by your body],” explains Scott Swartzwelder, Ph.D., who studies alcohol’s effects on the brain at Duke University.
Alright, so forget about taking charcoal the next morning. What if you took it before you drink instead? Sorry, but research, also from 1986, shows that that won’t work either. “Activated charcoal does not bind to all drugs, toxins, or chemicals,” Hardesty says. And alcohol, unfortunately, is one of the substances on the no-bind list.
Are there any downsides to taking activated charcoal?
National Institutes of Health runner’s trots. A hangover already predisposes you to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. “Add the stress of charcoal being processed through the GI tract, and I’d expect those symptoms to increase,” says sports nutrition expert Kelly Jones, R.D., C.S.S.D., a registered sports dietitian. It could also lead to more serious bowel issues, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Another thing: Even though activated charcoal won’t absorb alcohol, it might sop up stuff in your stomach that you don’t want to get rid of. “It can block mineral absorption from the digestive tract to the bloodstream,” Jones says. In particular? Iron, which many runners—especially women—have a hard time getting enough of in the first place.
There’s also the potential for serious health risks. Since the combo of alcohol and activated charcoal could make you more likely to puke, it’s possible to experience a pulmonary aspiration—where some vomit ends up in your lungs instead of in your mouth or throat, which is rare but as bad as it sounds. “It can cause injury to the lungs, impair the transfer of oxygen, and ultimately lead to aspiration pneumonia,” Hardesty says.
The bottom line on the benefits of activated charcoal
Taking activated charcoal to ease your hangover symptoms won’t work, and it could actually make you feel even crappier. In short, “it’s one of the worst things you can do,” Hardesty says.
If running with a hangover sounds like something you’d rather avoid, you’re better off beat a hangover, pushing your workout to later in the day, and hey, maybe skipping a few of those extra drinks. “With hangovers, the only really good treatments are fluid and time,” says Swartzwelder. It might be smarter to just grab your favorite electrolyte drink Experts have actually studied this, to see whether activated charcoal could be used to treat sleep.
Your best bet: capping your drinks a little sooner. “The easier thing would be to just not drink as much,” Swartzwelder says.
