Sand_Issue_September-2018

What Do You
Think Of The
Charcoal Foods
Trend?
wellness
debate
Against
For
45
Are you For or Against?
For – Anannya Subirama, Student of Nutrition
Activated charcoal is a potent detoxifier, able to trap toxins in the body to help
flush them out so that they’re not absorbed. It has long been used to prevent
poisons and drug overdoses from being absorbed by the body. It has also
been used in Ayurveda to whiten teeth and cleanse toxins from the body. Like
everything else, if you have charcoal in excessive amounts, it can cause some
adverse health reactions. In small doses, however, it is completely harmless.
Make sure you use it after consulting your doctor or nutritionist, because if it
is taken with a prescription medicine, it can render the medicine ineffective.
A study by the ‘American Journal of Gastroenterology’, says that activated
charcoal prevents intestinal gas following a typical gas-producing meal. You
can take 500mg an hour before the meal with a full glass of water. Have an
additional glass of water immediately after, which will help get the charcoal
into your system where it will be able to bind with the gas-producing
elements. Activated charcoal also assists in reducing bloating and abdominal
cramps. More than anything else, the appeal of food lies significantly in its
colour. I feel, the beautiful black dishes look really cool.
The craze for pitch black
foods is growing: Black
latte, black breads, black
ice creams…charcoal
foods seem to be very
Instagramworthy. But
are they safe and do
they add any real value
to our nutrition?
Against – Roxana Shaw, Foodie
This is just a fad. I’m a foodie and always on a lookout for new food trends.
I’ve tried black burgers and smoothies. The feel of charcoal is grainy and
crunchy and, frankly, charcoal itself is fairly tasteless. The drink or the food
tastes good because of the other ingredients in it. You just find the experience
of eating a black ice cream or a pitch-black burger unique. I feel that people
are always looking for something new and different in terms of experience.
The last couple of years were all about rainbow foods and the black foods
trend has come up just to be unique and to attract attention. Yes, activated
charcoal is a great detox agent, which means that it can also flush out healthy
nutrients from the body. Overuse and cleansing your system too often puts
you at risk of dehydration and constipation. Today, in the pursuit of wellness,
people are spending huge amounts of money on alternative medicines and
fad foods and once something attracts attention, simply following the trend
becomes cool. We are also seeing charcoal being used in toothpastes, face
cleansers and masks etc. It’s great marketing, no doubt, but I’m sure the
charcoal trend will burn out pretty quick!
What Do You Think Of The Charcoal Foods Trend?
Visit www.yourwellness.com to register your vote!
yourwellness.com