Charcoal Significantly Calms My Mind. Anybody Else?

[golder]

I literally feel like this almost each time I take charcoal. Is it too shortsighted to assume that a large amount of my anxiety/stress is endotoxin related? Charcoal is such a useful bandaid here but I’m just a bit wary of taking it all the time.

 

[MSH]

I literally feel like this almost each time I take charcoal. Is it too shortsighted to assume that a large amount of my anxiety/stress is endotoxin related? Charcoal is such a useful bandaid here but I’m just a bit wary of taking it all the time.

I wish I knew the answer to this. I am hesitant to give it to my son often too, but perhaps it is less dangerous than him depending on SSRI’s the rest of his life???

 

[golder]

I hope someone can chime in and help you more here. I definitely think charcoal is a safe short-medium term solution for us at the moment until we can find more sustainable ways of lowering endotoxin. Rays carrot salad and bamboo shoots are also going to help a lot here.

 

[MSH]

I hope someone can chime in and help you more here. I definitely think charcoal is a safe short-medium term solution for us at the moment until we can find more sustainable ways of lowering endotoxin. Rays carrot salad and bamboo shoots are also going to help a lot here.

Unfortunately, we’ve tried the carrot salad and shoots and this makes his symptoms worse.

 

[Digital Samurai]

fyi having a more consistent effect when I combine the activated charcoal (3 tbsp) WITH coconut oil (3 tbsp).

@MSH - pretty awesome to hear about the OCD, I've noticed a reduction in ADHD symptoms as well as negative thoughts.
Gut bacteria def effects the mind.

Curious how we get the bacteria to stop in the first place so we don't have to keep pounding all of these bacterial reducing agents.

 

[David PS]

It is possible to get to much of a good thing.

Ray Peat Email Exchanges - Ray Peat Forum Wiki

raypeatforum.com

 

[Sospian]

Curious how we get the bacteria to stop in the first place so we don't have to keep pounding all of these bacterial reducing agents.

I too would love an answer to this. I'm trying AC with MCT oil before bed tonight. Hoping I can find a way to stop defaulting back into this serotonergic state which is slowly killing me

 

[Daniil]

Unfortunately, we’ve tried the carrot salad and shoots and this makes his symptoms worse.

I agree, I have grated carrots, it seems, causes weakness. Perhaps the coarse fiber itself irritates the sensitive intestines.

 

[LadyRae]

Anybody else have such positive/profound mental clarity from activated charcoal?

Yes, I have been taking Activated Charcoal capsules mid--morning (2 hours away from breakfast and lunch). For about 8 months I became addicted to making anabolic ice cream in a blender, with protein powder and guar gum. The gum was causing a very intense endotoxin reaction, as it was fermenting in my colon. It was so crazy, because I would crave the stuff every evening!

Anyway, I've been taking the activated charcoal to deal with bacterial overgrowth. I've also been doing the carrot salad in the late afternoon by itself an hour before dinner. I have definitely noticed a lifting of brain fog, and I'm not getting as bloated.

I've also experienced great bloating relief and mental Clarity from taking a little bit of cascara sangrata each afternoon. This seems to produce a normal and satisfying bowel movement each morning around 5 a.m. which is perfect for me.

This morning I am going to try oil pulling with a bout one or two tablespoons of coconut oil in my mouth or 10 minutes, followed by activated charcoal. I've always taken the capsules but do you think it's better to open them up or use a loose powder? I'm also going to attempt my first coffee enema this morning.

 

[Waynish]

It is great stuff. I've been hearing about "animal food based charcoal" - but I can't find it anywhere. Perhaps we're supposed to make our own by grilling our meat in the fire?

 

[Waynish]

Yes, I have been taking Activated Charcoal capsules mid--morning (2 hours away from breakfast and lunch). For about 8 months I became addicted to making anabolic ice cream in a blender, with protein powder and guar gum. The gum was causing a very intense endotoxin reaction, as it was fermenting in my colon. It was so crazy, because I would crave the stuff every evening!

Anyway, I've been taking the activated charcoal to deal with bacterial overgrowth. I've also been doing the carrot salad in the late afternoon by itself an hour before dinner. I have definitely noticed a lifting of brain fog, and I'm not getting as bloated.

I've also experienced great bloating relief and mental Clarity from taking a little bit of cascara sangrata each afternoon. This seems to produce a normal and satisfying bowel movement each morning around 5 a.m. which is perfect for me.

This morning I am going to try oil pulling with a bout one or two tablespoons of coconut oil in my mouth or 10 minutes, followed by activated charcoal. I've always taken the capsules but do you think it's better to open them up or use a loose powder? I'm also going to attempt my first coffee enema this morning.

Why not just make the "anabolic ice cream" with better ingrediets?

 

[Bluemachine]

Yes, I have been taking Activated Charcoal capsules mid--morning (2 hours away from breakfast and lunch). For about 8 months I became addicted to making anabolic ice cream in a blender, with protein powder and guar gum. The gum was causing a very intense endotoxin reaction, as it was fermenting in my colon. It was so crazy, because I would crave the stuff every evening!

Anyway, I've been taking the activated charcoal to deal with bacterial overgrowth. I've also been doing the carrot salad in the late afternoon by itself an hour before dinner. I have definitely noticed a lifting of brain fog, and I'm not getting as bloated.

I've also experienced great bloating relief and mental Clarity from taking a little bit of cascara sangrata each afternoon. This seems to produce a normal and satisfying bowel movement each morning around 5 a.m. which is perfect for me.

This morning I am going to try oil pulling with a bout one or two tablespoons of coconut oil in my mouth or 10 minutes, followed by activated charcoal. I've always taken the capsules but do you think it's better to open them up or use a loose powder? I'm also going to attempt my first coffee enema this morning.

You would crave the guar gum specifically?

 

[LadyRae]

Why not just make the "anabolic ice cream" with better ingrediets?

It doesn't work without the gum...it doesn't thicken and get creamy without it...

 

[golder]

You would crave the guar gum specifically?

Exactly what I was thinking. The craving is surely the food not the fillers?

 

[LadyRae]

Exactly what I was thinking. The craving is surely the food not the fillers?

I suspect my gut bacteria craved the guar gum, yeah. After a couple weeks avoiding it entirely, and using charcoal and oil of oregano, I completely lost my desire for it, thank goodness

 

[Bluemachine]

Exactly what I was thinking. The craving is surely the food not the fillers?

This is not actually what I was thinking, it was more along the lines of LadyRae's response to you.. That the gut bacteria are actually craving this nice starchy food source that's not digested very well by the human they're inhabiting. I feel like this is something I deal with & it's a bummer not knowing whether the food you're craving is helping or hindering you

 

[Waynish]

It doesn't work without the gum...it doesn't thicken and get creamy without it...

Even with an ice cream machine? I'm sure there's a way to thicken ice cream haha

 

[FitnessMike]

Cascara Sagrada seems to give me diarrhea way to often so i've stopped taking it regularly, but i did notice calm mind slightly after taking it, but not super noticeable digestion effects. Maybe slightly reducing bloating, idk.

Charcoal dosage = 3 tbsp's before bed.
Lately it hasn't been giving me this same effect like it used to, not sure why. This seems to be the case with just about everything. Almost wonder if placebo is playing into all of this.

no no no, I felt this unusual sense of calmness too after charcoal, maybe a bit like dopaminergic

 

[AinmAnseo]

I've experimented with just about everything but the number 1 Peat approved supplement/food that I keep coming back to has been activated charcoal.

Why?

In the morning, the day after taking the charcoal, my mind has a sense of calmness, stability, quietness that i've not felt in years (if ever).

It feels like ADHD symptoms are gone, addictive impulses are gone, depression is gone, anxiety is gone and instead my mind is clear, empty and ready to engage with the world, rather than being stuck in my own head circling round and round.

I can only guess that I have very high levels of LPS (endotoxin) which contributes highly to the mental issues I struggle with.

Gut bacteria are related in all sorts of things including addiction, adhd, dopamine production, serotonin, etc.

Activated charcoal is literally more powerful than any other nootropic i've tried in terms of mental clarity.

It works so well that I want to take it everyday so I can live life in this calm/quiet/clear perspective, rather than the chaotic mind I normally wake up to everyday. But I'm aware that it can prevent absorption of other nutrients, so I'm not quite sure of the best dosing protocol.

Ideally it would be nice to not have to take this stuff so often and PREVENT the bacteria from growing in the first place. Unfortunately I react poorly to almost all foods except for meat. So for now, will keep relying upon activated charcoal for mental relief.

Thanks for listening and if anybody else out there has severe digestive issues, give activated charcoal a try as it's been super enlightening for me in terms of self health discovery.

Questions:
Why is this happening to me?
Anybody else have such positive/profound mental clarity from activated charcoal?
Anybody else rely on AC often? If so, what's your dosing protocol? (able to sustain it long term?)

When do you take your charcoal?

 

[Ismail]

“A famous Russian Gerontologist, Dr V.V Frolkis and his colleagues claimed to have discovered that activated charcoal is a potent life-extending agent. Accordingly, they mentioned that activated charcoal has been found to increase the mean lifespan of older test animals by approximately 40% and their mean life span by approximately 34%. Interesting!
Interestingly, activated charcoal seems to remove synthetic, artificial or toxic substances from the digestive tract but not rob our bodies of vital food nutrients, minerals, etc. Activated charcoal fed to sheep as a level of 5% of the total diet did not affect the blood or urinary levels of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, etc., compared to sheep not given the charcoal.”

https://issuu.com/themillwatermag/docs/aug_2018/s/12106763