Nature's Way Activated Charcoal, Binds Unwanted Materials and Gas in the Digestive Tract*, 560 mg per 2-Capsule Serving, 100 Capsules (Packaging May Vary)

This stuff works great. I give it to my kids when they have an upset stomach and it always seems to work. I have also used it to prevent a hangover. It really does help. I will continue to buy as needed.

These work perfectly and anytime I have an upset stomach, 2 of these and 30 minutes back to normal

Activated charcoal has many uses. Below are my comments.1) I tend to have acid issues along with potential gastric distress. I travel for work, as well, so I need to have a more calm GI system2) I use the charcoal to help with digestion leading up to the business travel. I begin taking the charcoal about 3 days before my trip. I'll take anywhere from 4-6 pills per day in either 2 or 3 doses.3) The charcoal first helps with bloating and trapped gas removal. Then, because the gas and bloating are out of the way, the body can do some evacuation where the GI system is now moving again. Then, because you've removed the trapped gas and bloating and had some bowel movements, your GI system is calmer and more predictable.Suggestions:1) Use a good digestive enzyme in combination with the charcoal. The enzymes help to fully break down your food, and then if your body has any reaction to the food, the charcoal will help the reaction. Example: If you have a yeast infection and you eat sugary/starchy foods, the sugars from these will feed the candida. The charcoal will help capture the candida as well as the toxins from the die-off effect which will help keep the GI system calmer.2) You have to time the taking of the charcoal approximately 3 hours before and after you take other medications. Charcoal absorbs everything--medications, nutrients, etc. So, if you're taking charcoal in larger doses long-term, you will need to monitor your medication usage even more, and when it comes to vitamins, you may need to double up on your vitamins.3) I've read some suggestions for candida treatment where they recommend huge amounts--like 25 grams per day. This would be a huge influx of charcoal, and if you take a lot of any product that binds, I think you could risk creating blockage. So, if you plan on taking larger doses daily, I highly recommend 1) slowly building up, and 2) taking the doses throughout the day. And, if you are taking larger doses daily, chances are there is something going on inside that you need to also focus on an elimination diet whereby you eliminate most trigger foods and slowly reintroduce one at a time to determine if a particular food or food group is causing the distress (ex.: dairy, gluten, lactose, eggs, etc).NOTES:1) This review is not intended to diagnose or treat anyone's issues. If you are reading this and possibly realizing you may have an issue, I recommend you seek out a qualified licensed physician or nurse practitioner who can order proper tests. Before taking extreme measures, definitely have your stool examined for any and as many bacteria/parasites as possible as the over-processed American diet can lead to inflammation and provides a great host for all kinds of bugs!2) I first discovered charcoal as a treatment for diarrhea because I was tired of taking Immodium which seemed to make the issues worse. I would have several days of diarrhea, take the Immodium, and then I would be lucky if I had a bowel movement for five (5) days! I didn't like the extreme opposite reactions. Also, as it was taking five days to have the next bowel movement, it seemed like I was getting more and more bloated and a bigger belly. Keeping waste in your body that long just seemed to make me feel worse.

I bought this for one purpose and one purpose only and that was to try it as a tooth whitener. Here's my story. First my teeth were pretty yellow, cigars, wine (every day), black coffee (lots, every day) had done its toll. So I gave activated charcoal a whirl and bought the capsules specifically for this chore as they seemed easier to manage. Before I get into the process, I will tell you that it works! The immediate results are very impressive. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that after a 10 minute application and brush, my teeth were 5X whiter (sorry, I won't post pictures). It doesn't last though... I was applying once a week or so and by the seventh day, I was seeing the yellow again. Not as bad as it was before I started. I could stop coffee and wine I suppose but that's not going to happen!. It is so very time consuming that the only opportunity that I had 20-30 minutes to commit to the process was over the weekend. I do feel that if you could go through the process twice a week or more, you might start to get more cumulative results. I would also go through the steps if I had a big presentation or meeting. My job has been conducting a number of video taped interviews of me lately and this has been a godsend. Now the biggest drawback...it is VERY MESSY! You certainly need a plan...through trial and error, here's what I do:First what you'll need (keep in mind I am admittedly obsessive about this stuff):Two Capsules of Activated Charcoal (use dry hands or tumble two out into you ceramic bowl)Small glass or ceramic bowl (I use my shaving bowl but the key is use something that will be easy to clean)Small implements to cut open the capsules (I use small scissors and tweezers from my shaving kit)Small in-between teeth cleaners (in between my lower front teeth are always tough to reach)Cotton swab (to apply the charcoal)Separate tooth brush (that will get black- so keep away from other teeth cleaning supplies)Tongue scraper (your tongue will get black)Soap and water (and cloth) to clean upOk - Here we go. Don't forget this stuff has the consistency of powder and wants to get everywhere. What I do is:Tumble two capsules into your clean and dry mug. Put the bowl in the sink and carefully cut open the capsules. It is a little like playing the game Operation! Hold the capsule with the tweezers and gently snip with scissors. I do this in the sink because I have had more than one instance where the capsule exploded and dust went, well, everywhere. Empty the capsules into the bowl... careful as the charcoal dust will want to cling and hide in the capsule's nooks and grannies. Throw away the capsules...again carefully. It is a good time to note that although quite messy... the charcoal can be cleaned up with soap and water. Now, take your cotton swap and get it wet and start to stir up the charcoal... you'll probably need another drop or two of water. I get my hand slightly wet, then let one maybe two drops into the bowl. You want the consistency of thin peanut butter, a charcoal paste if you will. Now use the cotton swap to apply to your teeth. I try to put all the charcoal paste on my front upper and lower teeth as far back as my smile will go. Making them "all black" as much as possible. Don't fret if you swallow a little, most people are purchasing this as a supplement not a tooth whitener! Now, let it sit for a few minutes... my experience indicated that the more it "steeped" on my teeth, the better the results. Stay over the sink for obvious reasons. After a few minutes is where I get my "in-between" cleaner and get those hard to reach spots. Now it is time to brush.. I use my tooth brush reserved for this purpose and focus on the front teeth (obviously!). Now you will look a fright at this point with black liquid on your lips chin and everywhere else, don't worry it will come off!After brushing a minute or two, I start to clean up. Not to be gross but you'll be spitting some pretty dark liquid down your sink. Rinse and rinse until things are pretty clear then work on cleaning your teeth (and flossing!) normally. Wash your face and hands, clean your implements, clean your sink...and your done. One more thing, look at your tongue! It's black, right? Time to scrape that baby!For me start to finish is about 20 - 30 minutes. As I said the results are amazing...it is just a big commitment in time.Good luck!