Activated Charcoal for IBS: My Friend and Savior

In the past couple of years, I have become more and more interested in natural remedies for my IBS. Between herbs, supplements, and a less processed diet in general, I have rarely taken actual medication for my symptoms. However, to feel as good as I possibly can, I’ve always paid very close attention to everything I eat.

That is until I rediscovered activated charcoal. While traveling over the summer, I have started using activated charcoal to prevent flares. Yes, prevent – something I have never been able to do before. But let’s start at the beginning.

Previous uses: a bloating remedy

I have previously talked about my experience with activated charcoal, and I’ve always used it for bloating. Whenever I started to feel that the food I ate didn’t agree with me and my stomach was becoming distended and uncomfortable, I’d reach for a capsule of activated charcoal. Or two, and sometimes three. Sometimes, they’d make the bloating disappear entirely. Other times, it was just reduced.

But while I’ve known that activated charcoal can help with gas, I’ve never been able to use it as a preventative measure. Mostly because I’ve been doing it all wrong.

Timing is everything

In the past, I have tried taking activated charcoal before big meals, and this never worked. It didn’t help at all. Not even a little bit.

Then, I read online that some people take it regularly, like every morning. I tried this as well, but the effects weren’t there either.

Finally, I accidentally discovered the right timing while on holiday.

An ice cream incident

During a hot summer day in the mountains, my husband had the glorious idea to treat our kids to some ice cream. Being in Germany, we took advantage of the ice cream cafés that serve giant, decorated ice cream creations. My kids loved them but weren’t able to finish. And after looking at the delicious treat for long enough, I couldn’t stop myself from eating the rest.

Now, I can have dairy in the form of cheese or butter. But ice cream isn’t great. So, I almost immediately regretted my decision and started waiting for the flare to come. And then I thought: what if I take some activated charcoal now? Will it absorb everything I just ate, thus saving me the flare-up?

Well, I tried. And it worked. Instead of my usual bloating, discomfort, and multiple trips to the bathroom I experience after eating too much dairy, I got...nothing. No symptoms, no flare. I was perfectly fine.

Testing my theory

Naturally, I was very excited. Who doesn’t love a flare-free day? But, despite getting away once, I never planned to put activated charcoal to the test so soon after. But things didn’t go according to plan.

Firstly, our family travels led us back to my hometown in Germany where I got together with childhood friends. And what do Germans do on warm summer days, especially when kids are around? Right, they go to ice cream cafés. Which we did, multiple times. The activated charcoal saved me.

Then, I got invited to dinner with friends. A very, very spicy dinner. Despite trying to eat as little as possible, I started feeling sick soon after. Mentally preparing myself to be nauseous and flaring all night, I swallowed two capsules of activated charcoal. Lo and behold, I was feeling better an hour later, and back to normal by the end of the evening! While the dinner wasn’t a success either way, I was glad that the flare didn’t get as bad as it could have.

How to take activated charcoal, in my experience

Taking activated charcoal before meals or daily doesn’t do anything, at least for me. However, a carefully timed capsule after eating a trigger food can do absolute wonders.

In my experience, it works best when taken as soon as possible after a meal. While it still helps me later, it might not prevent or stop a flare, so I don’t even wait for symptoms to appear. Basically, I just imagine the charcoal soaking up everything I ate and helping the food pass through my digestive system undetected by my IBS.

A final word of caution: activated charcoal can interfere with the absorption of medication, and I’m also unsure how well nutrients are absorbed when you take it. Therefore, I wouldn’t personally use it regularly and still prefer eating a safe diet. But when I accidentally eat something wrong, this will be my rescue of choice!

Have you had success with activated charcoal to prevent flares?