{"id":36396,"date":"2019-12-13T16:52:16","date_gmt":"2019-12-13T16:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevoiceoflondon.co.uk\/?p=36396"},"modified":"2019-12-13T16:52:16","modified_gmt":"2019-12-13T16:52:16","slug":"hot-take-activate-charcoal-is-just-black-milk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/hot-take-activate-charcoal-is-just-black-milk\/","title":{"rendered":"Hot take: charcoal is just edible dirt"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It\u2019s hard not to succumb to the temptation of eating something black. It\u2019s a new colour to consume, a quite popular one that<\/span>\u00a0hit the mainstream recently thanks to the seemingly miraculous activated charcoal. But much like other trends, we\u2019re seeing a useless surplus of charcoal-infused foods at too high a price. Inflation in the food industry, if you will.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I recently happened across a cafe called Muriel\u2019s Kitchen, and upon seeing their sign advertising a charcoal latte, decided to pay it a visit. No, I am none the better than everyone else. Activated charcoal is fun and I am nothing if not self-indulgent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fun to look at, that is. It has almost no taste, but it\u2019s advertised to be chocked full of health benefits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We must keep in mind, however, that like apple cider vinegar or the anti-gluten crusade, activated charcoal is a fad and must be taken with a grain of salt. In order to separate fact from fake news, I consulted Jo Travers, the dietician behind <\/span>The Low Fad Diet<\/span><\/a>, which promotes balance and consistency over the pseudoscience that surrounds fads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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In a few words, how would you sum up your feelings towards fad diets?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Jo<\/strong>: Fad diets drive me mad. Eating well isn’t hard, but everyone is too blinded by the shiny new diets that don’t work to learn how to eat properly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0How many illegitimate fad diets have you seen over the years?\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Jo<\/strong>: Countless. We studied a lot of them at university, but since then there have been too many to keep track of. My favourites are the breatharian diet, which involves only breathing with no food at all, and the sun eating diet, which is similar but suggests looking at the sun to get your energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you think the health benefits of charcoal are accurately presented in the media or are they over-exaggerated?\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Jo<\/strong>: There are some bonafide benefits to activated charcoal. It’s used by hospitals in cases of drug overdose to absorb toxins. It’s also useful for treating bloating and wind in Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but it only works if you take it at the right time. There is little evidence to suggest it is helpful in other situations though. In fact, it may hinder the absorption of important nutrients rather than “detoxing” the body.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the key health benefits of charcoal?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Jo<\/strong>: None really.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Needless to say, Jo most certainly would not recommend charcoal to any of her clients, but back to the latte–<\/span><\/p>\n

The damn thing nearly five quid, for chrissakes!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Naturally, one must wonder what exactly they\u2019re paying for. It’s marketed as a health drink, sure, but is there any coffee in it? No. Anything else? For taste? Also no. Upon asking, all the barista gives me is, \u201cIt\u2019s made with almond milk, so you\u2019ll mostly taste that.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Charcoal\u2019s got a great mouthfeel, the key factor that draws me towards it time and time again. It\u2019s ever so slightly gritty, adding a pleasant texture to any liquids or semi-solids it\u2019s incorporated into. That\u2019s about all you get out of it. It’s milk and sugar– 21st-century snake oil, if you will. Further, the fact you can buy 100 charcoal capsules from Holland & Barrett for <\/span>\u00a36.99<\/span><\/a> and a litre of almond milk at Tesco for \u00a31 proves the product redundant from any angle.<\/span><\/p>\n