Why Charcoal Detoxing is Complete BS
If you’ve turned on the TV, opened a magazine, or basically just been remotely conscious the past month, you’ve probably heard this popular word being tossed around: detox.
New Year’s detox diets are all the rage right now with health and wellness “experts” pushing their plans that will supposedly purify your desperately soiled system by cleansing the body of harmful “toxins” that you’ve somehow picked up over the holiday season.
No one is really clear about what these substances are or how our bodies became so riddled with them (candy canes perhaps?) but apparently the cure is flushing the body with massive doses of juice, raw foods, alkaline water, or today’s topic: charcoal.
Yup, today we’re talking about charcoal detoxing.
Have you heard of this before?
Supposedly taking charcoal supplements or drinking activated charcoal will help you get rid of all those sinister toxins that are jamming up your system.
If it sounds like a bunch of wack pseudo-science, that’s because it is.
Find out more — and why it is actually pretty dangerous — in the first video of my new YouTube series: The Sitch in Whit’s Kitch.
So, what do you think? Will you be chugging dirty black water this “detox season” or have I sufficiently scared you away from this ludicrous practice?
Want to know how to really get your body in tip top shape and functioning at its fullest capacity?
Feed it real foods. Avoid processed junk. Go easy on the sugar, alcohol, and fatty meat products.
If you need a little help getting started, try my free 3-Day Meal Plan. It’s a great example of a well-balanced, healthy diet — no “detoxing” necessary.
If you liked the video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel. I’ve got a ton of great content coming up on “The Sitch” along with workout videos and recipe tutorials!
Patti Cakes says:
Interesting! I will not be indulging in this purifying process. Thanks for the information!
Whitney English says:
Good call :)
Elisse says:
Hi Whitney, thanks for this post and video! You are spot on here and the recent push for regularly ingesting charcoal has had me pretty concerned. My first experience with activated charcoal was when a friend gave me some before a trip to Southeast Asia in case we got food poisoning. I only had to take it once, but Whoa! I definitely think it can be beneficial in those cases. I could feel it working in my stomach. But you’re right in that it removes a lot of good stuff along with it. Keep the sane and informative videos coming!
Whitney English says:
Thanks so much for the feedback Elisse. I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I’d never heard of taking it for food poisoning but now I’m intrigued. I suppose I could have used it on my honeymoon when I got “Bali Belly” haha!
Amanda Howard says:
I’m with you Whitney, not a fan of detoxes but all about cutting out the crap I eat and up the amount of fresh and home made meals! Loving ‘The Sitch in Whit’s Kitch & looking forward to more great and informative posts!
Whitney English says:
Absolutely – that’s the way to go! Thanks for the feedback girl :) xo
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says:
I am so not a fan of detoxes in general and especially this one! People often have no idea what they are ingesting and are just looking for quick fixes. Our bodies do a great job of detoxing themselves if we just let them.
Whitney English says:
Seriously – it’s pretty scary the things people will try after simply reading about them on the internet!
dixya @ food, pleasure, and health says:
great video..new to your site and already loving it :)
Whitney English says:
Thank you so much! That’s really nice to hear. I hope you’ll be back! xo
Erin @ The Almond Eater says:
I love this!! I worked at a cold pressed juicery a few months ago and we sold the lavender-charcoal drink and, though the taste was pretty good, I always struggled to talk up the benefits to customers. Like…”…uhhhhh supposedly it’s good lolol I’m not sure why heehhhhhh” awkward laugh. Thanks for clearing things up!
Whitney English says:
I can see how that would be pretty awkward! The lavender does make it sound appealing though haha!
Melissa Burton says:
PREACH! No one needs a detox! We have a liver, lungs, skin and a GI tract to help detoxify our bodies as needed.
Thanks for sharing and for taking one for the team with the charcoal mouth, Whitney!
Spread the RD knowledge, girlfriend!
Whitney English says:
Thanks for the support Melissa!! I knew you’d have my back on this one :)
Lauren says:
Definitely not good for a detox. I use activated charcoal frequently however in case of food poisoning and when I get really bad stomach pain it relieves it.
Whitney English says:
Interesting. I hadn’t heard of its use for food poisoning but I suppose that makes sense since it can bind most things in the stomach!
laura says:
Wow! I was totally wrapped up in the hype of the charcoal detoxifying nonsense. Thanks for setting the record straight
Whitney English says:
You got it girl!! Glad you found it helpful!
Cindy Hoffman says:
Hi Whitney, thanks for sharing the post and the video, really loved it. I am not a big fan of detox and have been hearing lots of people talking about the charcoal thing. As usual I have been skeptic about this and wanted to know more first. It is now clear to me that it isn’t going through my mouth. Heard someone mention that it can be used for food poisoning though. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work.
Cindy
Whitney English says:
Hi Cindy, thank you so much for feedback! I’m really glad you found it helpful and that it prevented you from falling for the BS out there. Keep on being an informed consumer!!
may loc nuoc kiem says:
I drink alkaline water every day because it is good for health. Cost is also cheaper
Daniel says:
This is the most ridiculous “health advice” I’ve ever heard. “You have a liver” to detoxify your body, are you saying we don’t need to exercise because we have a metabolism too? Why would we need to brush our teeth, doesn’t our saliva has antimicrobial enzymes?? Albeit a large majority of the charcoal movement is marketing hype there are undeniable benefits to using organic compounds to rid the body of any and ALL chemicals in excess, regulate blood/stomach pH, and most importantly support a healthy gut microbiome.
Jack Scott says:
Furthermore, the initial approval is contingent on the sincerity of the chosen issue, its social ramifications, and the proposed https://bit.ly/3Jqa0wH practical worth. A defined format is necessary, which is outlined below and must be rigorously adhered to.