Should You Try the Charcoal Detox Diet?

With the change of the seasons (in this case, summer to fall), it always seems like people feel the need to detox their bodies. What one has to do with the other, I don't know -- maybe it's similar to my need to clear the clutter from my closets, but in any event, it is what it is. Unfortunately, though, many of these detox program and supplements are way more harmful than me simply organizing my shoes.

A lot of the recent detox buzz is around activated charcoal. Charcoal, however, isn't really new -- it's been around since long before the 19th century, when both the ancient Egyptians and Greeks used it as a multi-purpose poison and disease antidote. Today, it's most commonly used in emergency settings to treat accidental poisonings or drug overdoses. Well, that's until someone decided it would make a great supplement for a detox program, anyway.

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Activated charcoal is created when carbon is treated with an oxidizing agent, resulting in a superfine dust with millions of pores and an immense surface area. Supposedly, anything in your gut will stick to the surface like a magnet and get carried out through your bowel movements.

The claims on what charcoal can help achieve in your body are definitely numerous (and a little far-fetched). They include:

-- All-purpose "detoxification."

-- Better heart health, including lowering cholesterol.

-- Digestive benefits, including reduction of gas and bloating.

-- Anti-aging properties.

-- Ridding your body of bad breath and body odor.

-- Improving skin ailments.

-- Helpful for jet lag.

-- Ability to bind toxins during pregnancy.

-- Take it with bad coffee -- it won't fix the problem, but it helps.

-- Take it when you eat out at restaurants or eat low-quality foods like processed junk foods.

-- It's particularly helpful to take when drinking alcohol.

-- Take it if you suddenly feel moody or tired.

-- Opening a capsule on your toothbrush does amazing things for stained teeth.

Hopefully, anyone reading this long list realizes that anything that makes so many promises couldn't possibly be true. Not a single one of these claims can be substantiated by scientific research. We don't need to take anything to "detox" our bodies, and that's especially true for pregnant woman. Our bodies are already designed to do that for us, which is why we have a liver. If we focused on eating healthy, getting regular exercise and getting adequate sleep, this would all be a moot point. If you're having digestive issues or heart problems, you should be consulting with your doctor, not non-reputable sources on the Internet. And if you don't like your coffee, go buy it somewhere else.

[Read: Should You Spring Clean Your Colon? ]

With any supplement, it's important to look at the associated risks. Activated charcoal can cause constipation or diarrhea (if your charcoal tablets contain sorbitol).

And according to Linda Fan, an attending physician in the department of emergency medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, "It's not a very specific absorber of substances. It will absorb anything in your gut, good and bad." That includes any medication you're taking. "I wouldn't use it without a medical professional's advice," she says.

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I especially love the "caution" that comes with it: "Activated charcoal will cause your stools to turn black, so don't panic." Really? Why would anyone want to buy something that tells you not to "panic"? That, to me, is a sure sign that you should.

Bottom line: Charcoal supplements should only be taken in an emergency medical situation. If you think you'll benefit from it otherwise, please think again.

Keri Gans, MS, RDN, CDN, is a registered dietitian/nutritionist, media personality, spokesperson, and author of The Small Change Diet. Gans's expert nutrition advice has been featured in Glamour, Fitness, Health, Self and Shape, and on national television and radio, including The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America, ABC News, Primetime, and Sirius/XM Dr. Radio.