One of the common life hacks to protect yourself from a hangover and rapid intoxication during the holiday period is to eat a handful of activated charcoal before drinking or after drinking alcohol.
Activated carbon can bind to toxic substancesbut not all. It is often used for poisoning. Charcoal acts as a kind of sponge, quickly absorbs and binds substances, such as drugs or toxins. The idea that coal can bind to alcohol and prevent it from entering the bloodstream seems logical. But there is no scientific evidence for this effect.
There is little clinical research that, on the contrary, indicates the absence of any effect. Study participants took the same dose of ethanol twice. For the second time before drinking alcohol, they took 60 grams of activated carbon.
Interestingly, after consuming coal, the concentration of alcohol in the blood remained the same as without it. That is, in fact, the use of coal does not change anything.
This happens because alcohol is absorbed very quickly in the stomach, and in general, coal does not adsorb it. Therefore, seizing alcohol with a bunch of activated charcoal is ineffective.
There are more effective ways to reduce the harm from alcohol consumption:
- Drink water. This will help keep you hydrated and potentially reduce the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach. By the way, carbohydrate foods can help reduce body intoxication.
- Do not mix alcohol with carbonated drinks. Alcohol in combination with them is absorbed faster into the bloodstream, so you can get drunk faster.
Remember that no pill will relieve you of the effects of excessive alcohol consumption.
