September 16, 2019
6 min read
Whitening your teeth with activated charcoal has become really popular lately. There are lots of products on Amazon from charcoal infused toothpaste to jars of pure charcoal powder (complete with a toothbrush) to brush onto your teeth. Even the big toothpaste brands like Colgate and Crest now have charcoal toothpaste versions for sale. But does it really work?
Read More August 21, 2019
3 min read
When Francisco (Eddie) Ramirez, MD first got bit by a brown recluse spider while doing yard work in Oklahoma, he barely felt it. But within hours, his feet swelled to a massive size, turned purple, and was so painful that he couldn't walk. Knowing this was a serious bite, what did he do? Dr. Ramirez opted to try charcoal therapy in the form of Black Ice patches.
Read More August 19, 2019
2 min read
By mixing activated charcoal with water (and a binding agent like ground flaxseed), charcoal can be made into a poultice and put directly on the skin to help treat infections, burns, rashes, mosquito and ant bites, bee stings, even venomous spider and snake bites. Charcoal poultices for the skin can also be used for musculoskeletal injuries like sprains, muscle tears, arthritis and backaches.
Read More October 26, 2018
2 min read
Grandma doesn’t know where the tradition started but before they would light the fire, she said everyone would grab handfuls of charcoal from the fire (cooled from the night before) and rub it over their wounds and all over their feet and hands. Grandma stated that the charcoal had a soothing effect on the pain and everyone believed it helped with healing.
Read More October 26, 2018
2 min read
It used to be, a simple infection could kill you. Before antibiotics, a surgical procedure like an abortion or cesarean section, or even just the act of giving birth, had a high mortality rate due to infections that started within the uterus, away from easy irrigation and treatment. Endometritis, the medical term for uterine infection, is easily treatable today, but used to be deadly.
Read More October 26, 2018
2 min read
In the steam-activation process, all volatile compounds are removed, and at the same time layer after layer of carbon atoms are pealed off, enlarging the existing internal pores, and leaving behind a carbon skeleton.
Read More October 26, 2018
5 min read
Nobody has fully understood the mechanism by which charcoal works, from either a physical or chemical standpoint. The capillary attraction is felt to be one mechanism, the electrostatic forces another, and perhaps other forces are also involved.
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