Black food is food that is colored black with activated charcoal. Nutrition experts warn that eating too much black food is harmful. Coal disrupts the absorption of many beneficial substances and worsens overall well-being.
The dangers of activated carbon, or why it is better to avoid black foods
Burgers, pizzas, smoothies, and more products are blackened with activated charcoal. Consumer advocates warn against so-called black food. The use of such products can sometimes be harmful to health and affect the effect of drugs.
Activated carbon is a substance consisting mainly of elemental carbon. It is characterized by a very large surface area per unit mass (up to more than 3300 ² / g).
For medical purposes, activated charcoal is used to eliminate toxic substances from the gastrointestinal tract.
The main purpose of the gastrointestinal tract is to digest and absorb nutrients: fats, carbohydrates and proteins, as well as vitamins and minerals.
Digestion includes both mechanical and enzymatic degradation of food. Mechanical processes - chewing, gastric arousal and constant mixing of the small intestine.
Enzymatic processes - the breakdown of food to digestible components. The final digestion products are absorbed by the intestinal epithelial cells.
Malabsorption is a violation of the absorption of nutrients due to various disorders in the digestive tract. According to clinical studies, prolonged use of activated carbon can cause malabsorption.
Black burgers and pizza - what's the danger?
On social networks, numerous images of carbon black products circulate. The exhibition features black cocktails, hamburgers, pizza, croissants, ice cream and waffles or just black water.
The trend comes from Japanese grocery stores. Now black food has reached Russia. Black color is obtained by adding activated carbon to food. Consumer advocates find these products problematic.
Isn't it that bad?
Activated carbon is formed by the partial burning of carbon raw materials - wood, peat or coconut shells. In food, it is approved as an additive, which is indicated by code E153.
A feature of activated carbon is that it binds substances to itself. Because of this property, charcoal tablets are an effective remedy for diarrhea and poisoning.
Coal adsorbs pollutants, viruses, bacteria and their toxins. The body releases pollutants associated with activated carbon through the intestines.
Due to the positive effect, black smoothies are advertised as a means of cleansing not only the stomach or intestines, but also other organs.
Black foods impair the absorption of vitamins and minerals
There is no scientific evidence that activated carbon in foods cleanses the blood or other organs.
According to consumer advocates, activated charcoal in foods causes serious stomach upsets.
It binds not only toxins, but also valuable vitamins, minerals or phytochemicals. Therefore, beneficial substances are no longer available to the body.
Black food greatly disrupts drug absorption
The absorption of drugs from the intestines or stomach is also disrupted by a high dose of activated carbon. In people who do not suffer from diarrhea, consumption of activated carbon in high doses leads to constipation. In the worst case, bowel obstruction develops, which sometimes develops into peritonitis.
The amount of activated carbon used in food seems small at first glance.
However, some homemade black cocktails sometimes use more than 1 teaspoon of activated charcoal per 100 ml of drink. This corresponds to up to 12 charcoal tablets.
At a high dosage, there is a risk of severe abdominal pain. There is nothing wrong with trying an activated carbon meal once. It also makes no sense to completely refuse to eat black food. However, experts categorically do not regularly recommend consuming large quantities of such products.
