4 Life Saving Ways To Use Activated Charcoal
4 Life Saving Ways To Use Activated Charcoal
Not a lot of people know this, but there is a lot more uses for activated charcoal then what you might think. Yes, we all know that charcoal works great when used in a grill to help start a nice fire to cook some food, but what if I told you that there are a few survival uses as well? In this article I’m going to show you the top four survival uses for activated charcoal. I hope you find the information useful.
1. Poison Antidote
On a molecular level; activated charcoal attaches itself to any organic particles. When ingested, activated charcoal will hold all of the toxins and chemicals without harming the lining of your intestinal tracts. This makes activated charcoal the perfect medium for getting some poisons out of your body. You can read more about activated charcoal here.
2. Air and Water Purification
Have you you ever used those fancy Brita filters? Then you have probably seen little black specs floating around inside of your water glass before. Don’t be alarmed, that’s activated charcoal! That only means that your Brita filter is actually working. Having access to pure water is a big deal in a survival situation. You might not have access to all the materials to make a water filter out of activated charcoal, but there are some great tutorials out there for you to do some research on.
Activated charcoal also works great for air filtration as well. If you have ever changed out the filter that is in your house, you can buy special air filters that have activated charcoal inside of them. All of these methods work for the same reason that activated charcoal works to cure poisons.
3. Digestive Aid
Just like I’ve said before, you can ingest activated charcoal without harming the lining of your intestine. Now I’ve heard people ingesting activated charcoal out in the backwoods when they have a sour stomach, so if you have mild stomach symptoms, give activated charcoal a try. If you read here; however you will find out that there has been no proof that activated charcoal actually helps when you have diarrhea or vomiting. As always, consult a doctor before ingesting activated charcoal.
4. Bites and Stings
Do you have a bite or sting? Try mixing some activated charcoal with water. That will draw any poisons from snakes or insects out of your body. If you apply this ointment within a short time after your injury, it can even reduce pain and swelling. Make sure that you’re always staying on top of this injury by observing it every few hours. Remember, none of this is in lieu of real medical attention and should only be used as a last resort.
