Charcoal is one substance that is widely disregarded in many homes. Many only see the need for it when it is time to prepare barbecue or roast food. 

You may be wondering where is charcoal from? Charcoal is usually produced by the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen. According to Wikipedia, Charcoal is the lightweight black carbon and ash residue produced by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. 

The safe product of charcoal is called "activated charcoal". According to Wikipedia, activated charcoal, also called activated carbon, is a form of carbon processed to have small, low-volume pores that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions. 

Do you know charcoal is an element of first aid that you should have on you at all times? If you're previously unaware, charcoal is one of the most medicinal products you should have at home due to its poison extraction ability. Activated charcoal absorbs many toxins, including bacterial endotoxins, and certain pesticides, etc. 

In this article graciously written for you, you'd read about the many other benefits of charcoal. 

1. Prevention Of Odour

Do you have bad smelling shoes? All you need is to get some charcoal and put it in them. Do you have bad smells oozing in your room? Drop some charcoal where you suspect the smell could be emanating from. If your refrigerator or freezer smell bad too, put a piece of charcoal in it. How about strong body odour? Just make a powder out of charcoal and use.

Charcoal is supernaturally good at getting rid of bad smell. Have you ever wondered why your parents always scooped out the ash from the coal pot to pour in the hen coop or toilet before sweeping? That was to get rid of the odour.

2. Keeping Food Fresh

If you want to keep your vegetables fresh all the time, make a solution out of charcoal and leave your vegetables in them. Charcoal is also good in using to keep some type of food fresh for a long time. 

3. Removal Of Toxins From Food

These days, many people complain about the excessive use of fertilizers on plants and vegetables, making them unwholesome and poisonous. If you have charcoal, you can discard this worry. What you need to do is leave the vegetables in a charcoal solution overnight and the toxins will be completely removed. If you suspect that any food contains too many chemicals, just drop them in a charcoal solution for some hours. 

4. Teeth Whitening

If you desire to whiten your teeth, don't pay too much attention to all the numerous adverts on whitening chemicals and new technology. Apply this DIY method of getting some charcoal and a plantain stalk. Make powder out of the charcoal, mash the tip of the plantain stalk, dip it into the charcoal powder and brush your teeth with it for a week.

5. Restoring Soup That Went Sour Or Bad

Ever had your soup or stew or palm go bad and you couldn't save it? No need to worry about disposing your spoilt soup all away. What you need to is put it back on your stove or cooker and drop a piece of charcoal in it. This will extract all the bad taste and smell, and then help restore the soup to its fresh state.

6. Detoxification

Are you experiencing a hangover after been out for a drink with friends the previous night? Chew charcoal and feel better. To make it more effective, make a nice solution out of it and drink. You’re good to go.

7. Neutralizing Alcohol

If you did some wild alcohol mixing and you feel it can knock you out, just add some charcoal to the mixture and your problem is solved. Also, if you took in too much alcohol, just drink some charcoal solution. This will make you feel better.

8. Healing Wounds

There are situations where some injured people's wound become so infected to the extent that doctors say they have to amputate the affected area. Many lose hope in many of this situations, but do you know by pouring a large amount of charcoal powder on the wound can actually help? 

By applying this method, it will extract all the poison from the wound an also help it heal faster. If you have a cut you want to treat it quickly, just get some powdered charcoal and place it on it.

9. Water Filtration

If the water you use in your home is always contaminated, you don’t need all these expensive products in the market. Charcoal can do a lot better, just drop some amount of it in it. Do not worry about the colour - it is safe - and you can even chew on charcoal ordinarily. It is far safer than eating chicken from fast food. 

10. Skin Cleansing

It is now becoming popular that charcoal helps with skin care. If you have pimples, acne or any skin disease you really want to get rid of or do you desire a very smooth skin and face, worry no more. All you need is charcoal. Make a thick solution out of it and smear it on all the affected skin area, leave it for some hours before washing away. It will leave your skin smooth and fresh if you continue to apply for some time. 

11. Stain Removal

Do you have usually encounter stubborn stain in your kitchen, washroom or on your tiles? You can actually use charcoal to get rid of these stains. You may be wondering how this black substance can actually remove stains, but just give it a trial and see how it works like magic.

12. Getting Rid Of Bloated Stomach

If you ate or drank too much and you feel bloated, charcoal is the best solution to get rid of the bloating swiftly.

13. Cholesterol Reduction

Do you have excessive cholesterol in your body? We a know bad this is for the human body health. Make a solution out of charcoal and by drinking this help you eliminate all the bad cholesterol you have stored in your body.

14. Ulcer Treatment

Charcoal is known to treat all types of ulcers. All you need to do is make it an habit to always chew some.

According to WebMD, Activated charcoal is safe for most adults when used short-term. constipation and black stools are known side effects of activated charcoal. More serious, but rare, side effects are a slowing or blockage of the intestinal tract, regurgitation into the lungs, and dehydration.

Conclusion: 

We all can now see charcoal that many homes see as a waste substance or just a barbecue item is much more important in our lives - though the safe charcoal for use is "activated charcoal" that was produced well. Also, there are side effects of this product is used excessively and for long-term. 

Disclaimer: Please, before you use charcoal, please do consult medical practitioners close to you. We at Ink & Pen's Blog - Rapport Naija hasn't recommended the use of this product, as this is just an informational article.