Can You Take Activated Charcoal with Supplements? (YES!! with Vitamins & Minerals: Here’s Why …)

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Can You Take Activated Charcoal with Supplements? The surprising answer is, Yes! While many sources say just the opposite, we’ll look at the one study that misled us, and the multiple Pub Med studies that show us: Activated Charcoal does not deplete supplemental nutrients in the human body when taken at the same time as those supplements.

Activated charcoal also does not deplete nutrients from the food we eat. So yes, AC can be taken with meals.

Great news and so freeing.

So if you like to take AC daily, like I do, for its regular detox benefits, go for it.

I even take mine nightly with my magnesium, potassium and zinc. And … I regularly have my mineral levels tested.

Based on my lab results and how good I feel with my proper mineral dosage, I know my levels are not being depleted with this practice.

Do sources discouraging AC use with supplements link to studies

As I introduce evidence, I think it’s helpful to point out: Websites that claim it’s not okay to take activated charcoal with your supplements do NOT link to studies proving their assertion.

No human studies exist wherein activated charcoal shows a reduction in vitamins or minerals.

Studies that show Activated Charcoal does not adsorb to minerals

What’s seen in over 100 studies on animals is that activated charcoal improves animal health and nutrient uptake.

Study #1 — Activated charcoal used with fish to improve nutrition and fish health

We see this fact demonstrated beautifully in an aquaculture study on fish health.

It refers to charcoal as char and concludes, “Existing research shows that char products can improve fish health, growth, nutrient uptake, and removing pollutants from fish in aquaculture” (emphasis mine).

Study #2 — Charcoal does not adsorb certain minerals at all

One medical study states, “It is important to note that activated charcoal does not effectively adsorb alcohols, metals such as iron and lithium, electrolytes such as magnesium, potassium, or sodium, and acids or alkalis due to the polarity of these substances.”

As mentioned, I take my AC specifically with Mg, potassium and zinc.

Study #3 — Activated charcoal will not adsorb minerals in a human setting

Another study that tried to use charcoal to adsorb heavy metals and minerals from water found: AC preferred the toxic heavy metals, and after that needed really specific requirements before it would adsorb scant zinc: It needed 2 hours, a high dose of AC and a high temperature — all criteria that our guts and digestive process do not support.

Also, as we see in the second study linked to and quoted here, AC isn’t actually considered a good adsorber of most heavy metals. So even that had to be forced by certain criteria.

Study #4 — Activated charcoal balances minerals when they’re too high

On the other hand, activated charcoal actually improves and balances other minerals, as we see with phosphorus in one study.

High levels of phosphorus in the blood are a common symptom of chronic kidney disease.

In this eight week study of Iraqi patients, phosphorus levels improved with oral administration of activated charcoal.

Study #5 — Cows fed activated charcoal with feed thrive

In this study on cows, the cows had better physiques, digested protein and fiber better, and had better appetites — when their food was combined with AC.

Study #6 — Sheep given 5% charcoal in their diet had no reduction of nutrients

In his 1980 book, Activated Charcoal, author David O. Cooney, says: “Charcoal added to the diet of sheep for six months did not cause a loss of nutrients, as compared with sheep not receiving charcoal. … A level of 5 % of the total diet was given as charcoal. It did not affect the blood or urinary levels of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, inorganic phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, creatinine, uric acid, urea nitrogen, alkaline phosphatase, total protein or urine pH.”

Can You Take Activated Charcoal with Supplements?

The above sources are more accurate and reliable than websites spewing advice that do not source at all, right?

It seems from the evidence that it is safe to take charcoal with nutrient dense foods or supplements.

If you are in any doubt, sure space them by one hour.

But the studies show us animals eating charcoal with their food.

Why then do sources say you can’t take activated charcoal with food or supplements

No human studies exist wherein activated charcoal shows a reduction in vitamins or minerals.

Study #1 — One misleading study doesn’t prove anything

One misleading study (bad science) perhaps then caused all the confusion. (Thanks to my doctor who shared this link on his forum.) In this study, activated charcoal reduced the quantity of certain compounds in apple juice alone. This was a weird experiment for two reasons:

• A glass of apple juice was the medium, not the human body.
• The nutrients that reduced (B6, for example, that we now know is neurotoxic) are ones there is some confusion about anyway (partially in terms of how they interact with one another): not important minerals like zinc, for example. We can’t fully understand the actions that occurred or draw any major conclusions from this one test.

Conclusion on the study that started the rumors:

This study was not done on humans and doesn’t prove in any way that nutrients in humans are reduced when they are taken with activated charcoal.

Study #2 — Multiple animal studies show improved health with AC but a reduction in two toxins still considered vitamins

Interestingly, this study (of 112 publications on the topic), shows that activated charcoal adsorbs vitamin A and vitamin E. As you already know if you read my blog with any regularity, heaps of evidence has surfaced in recent years that both “vitamins” are actually toxins.

I myself have been on a low vitamin A and E diet for 5 years, and have all kinds of dramatic health improvements as a result.

The fact that activated charcoal adsorbs these “vitamin” toxins only further enhances the evidence that they are toxins. That’s what AC grabs!

In the 112 studies mentioned above, farmers gave their cows activated charcoal (called carbon or biochar) to improve their health. And that’s what happened!: “The literature analysis shows … positive effects on different parameters such as toxin adsorption, digestion, blood values, feed efficiency, meat quality and/or greenhouse gas emissions could be found when biochar was added to feed.”

Only health improvements even though vitamins A and E were affected

So while there was certainly confusion about how AC affected vitamins A and E (because their toxic status hasn’t yet been established in the scientific community), otherwise, the experiments showed only improvements!

The overarching study concludes, “Our review demonstrates that the use of biochar as a feed additive has the potential to improve animal health, feed efficiency and livestock housing climate, to reduce nutrient losses …” (emphasis mine).

Here‘s one more similar study on chickens, with the same findings.

Conclusion: Can You Take Activated Charcoal with Supplements

Activated charcoal added to animal feed caused improved animal health, in animal studies.

Vitamins that are now being discovered to be toxic are the only vitamins that reduced. (Activated charcoal’s heroic and discerning behavior is impressive!)

A British Dietetic Association spokesperson, Elaine Allerton, says, “Through absorption of toxins, activated charcoal is a natural gut cleanser. Nutrients, vitamins and minerals are either too large or don’t bond with charcoal.”

What kind of charcoal to use

This section is important.

Always choose HARDWOOD activated charcoal, not coconut-based. This article shares why.

You can Pin Can You Take Activated Charcoal with Supplements here:

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