Food Poisoning Vs. Endotoxin

[shepherdgirl]

Hi everyone, just wondering about whether there's a difference between food poisoning and endotoxin? Could things that kill off Endotoxin possibly help with food poisoning too? Thx!

 

[theLaw]

Activated Charcoal

From 4peatssake:

I have been doing some research on activated charcoal having just ordered some (not planning to use it yet) and came across this article by Richard Kaufman a few days ago.

There seems to be some good information but also some recommendations we know are incorrect - PUFAs and supplementing tryptophan to mention two.

His findings also indicated using activated charcoal will assist the liver.
Weird though your experience as it is known to cause constipation, not the opposite and is often take with cascara for this reason.

JOURNAL OF THE MEGAHEALTH SOCIETY
MegaHealth Society - July 1989

THE UNIVERSAL ANTIDOTE AND DETOXIFIER THAT EXTENDS LIFE: ACTIVATED CHARCOAL
by Richard C. Kaufman, Ph.D.

Activated Charcoal is a highly absorbent gritty black material that is commonly found in air and water filters. Activated Charcoal is created by carbonizing organic matter in a kiln under anaerobic conditions and activating the material with oxidizing gases like steam or air at high temperatures. This oxidative process erodes the charcoal's internal surfaces and increases its adsorption capacity by creating an internal network of very fine pores. Usually bone char, coconut shells, peat, coal, petroleum coke, and sawdust are the starting materials for making Activated Charcoal.

EARLY USE OF CHARCOAL
The medical uses for charcoal date back to the Egyptian Papyrus of 1550 B.C. During the time of Hippocrates (400 B.C.) physicians treated epilepsy and anthrax with charcoal. In the 1700's charcoal was often prescribed for bilious problems (excessive bile excretion). After the development of the charcoal activation process (1870 to 1920), many reports appeared in medical journals about Activated Charcoal as an antidote for poisons and a cure for intestinal disorders.

CONTEMPORARY CHARCOAL USE
Modern research has validated most of the early uses for charcoal and discovered exciting new applications. This article will discuss the many important therapeutic uses for Activated Charcoal;
1. Universal antidote for drugs, chemicals and poisons.
2. Systemic clearance of drugs and intoxicants.
3. General detoxification.
4. Anti-aging and life extension.
5. Reducing cholesterol, coronary disease and arteriosclerosis.
6. Counteracting pathogens.
7. Intestinal complaints.

ANTIDOTE FOR DRUGS, CHEMICALS AND POISONS
Activated Charcoal has the well-earned reputation of being a universal antidote. It can adsorb most organic chemicals, many inorganic chemicals and countless poisonous substances before they can cause harm. The table below lists different examples of the types of substances that Activated Charcoal can counteract.
How well Activated Charcoal really works in practical situations depends on several different factors:
1. The type of toxicant (its chemical structure and physical properties).
2. The amount and type of charcoal ingested.
3. The length of time from toxin ingestion to Activated Charcoal ingestion.
4. The contents of your intestinal fluids and intestinal transport efficiency.
As a general rule, a single large dose of Activated Charcoal should be taken as soon as possible after ingesting a poison. The amount of Activated Charcoal should exceed the toxic substance by a factor of eight (a ratio of 8:1). In other words, if you're poisoned with 5 grams of a chemical, you need to take at least 40 grams of Activated Charcoal.
Other researchers recommend different dosages. Some experts believe a 10 to 1 ratio is correct. Still other experts recommend a fixed amount of 50 to 100 grams.
I recommend ingesting a minimum of 50 grams of Activated Charcoal as a counterpoison, because ingesting large amounts of Activated Charcoal is harmless, and taking too little is ineffective. Besides, how often in the case of an emergency can you precisely determine the amount of the poison. The actual effectiveness of the Activated Charcoal will vary, so take more than you think you require.
Activated Charcoal should be taken within 30 minutes of ingesting the poison. The longer the delay, the less effective Activated Charcoal will be. On some poisons delaying more than 30 minutes decreases the effectiveness of the Activated Charcoal as an antidote by up to 60%.
The bottom line is plain and simple. Keeping Activated Charcoal in your medicine cabinet and taking it if you are poisoned could save your life, and money as well. It has been estimated that use of Activated Charcoal for treating poisonings could reduce the stay in intensive care from 3 or 4 days to one, saving over $100,000,000 in health care costs and preventing unnecessary disability and death.

SYSTEMIC CLEARANCE OF DRUGS AND INTOXICANTS
Nowadays, Activated Charcoal is often used to clear drugs and intoxicants that can enter the body through the intestinal tract, and even by injection and other routes. The systemic clearance of toxic substances or detoxification by Activated Charcoal is accomplished by taking multiple daily doses.
Activated Charcoal detoxifies the body in several manners.
1. Purifies the 6-8 liters of digestive fluids that are secreted daily which in turn helps remove foreign substances from the blood.
2. Adsorbs the intoxicant substance and its metabolites that are excreted into the small intestine from the biliary (bile) tract, preventing their reabsorption.
3. Adsorbs drugs that diffuse back into the stomach and intestines.
4. Decreases the detoxification work load of the liver.
Activated Charcoal shortens the time it take an intoxicant to leave the system and decreases the duration and intensity of symptoms. I have found that people who take Activated Charcoal after drinking alcohol or taking recreational drugs such as cocaine or amphetamines recover quicker. I recommend Activated Charcoal as part of a drug recovery program to ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce drug craving. Other nutrients that help are the neurotransmitter precursors: L-Tyrosine, [strike]L-Tryptophan,[/strike] L-Phenylalanine, Choline and DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol).
Even experts disagree on the best way of using multiple doses of Activated Charcoal to remove intoxicants. Most protocols are based on experience with drug overdosages. In actual clinical situations, the Activated Charcoal regimen is optimized to the patient. The doctor considers the type of toxic substance, severity of intoxification, digestive functions and electrolyte balance.
For mild overdoses and intoxification, I suggest up to 80-100 grams divided into 4-6 daily doses of Activated Charcoal until the symptoms are eliminated. Consult an expert who can optimize your regimen.
For a dangerous overdosage call your physician or hospital immediately.

GENERAL DETOXIFICATION
Very few health practitioners realize that Activated Charcoal is the best single supplement for enhancing detoxification. Detoxification is an on-going biological process that prevents toxins (from infectious agents, food, air, water, and substances that contact the skin) from destroying health. Chronic exposure to toxins produces cellular damage, diverse diseases, allergic like reactions, compromised immunity and premature aging.
There are 2 ways of using Activated Charcoal in a daily detox plan that I have found work well and recommend:
1. Use Activated Charcoal on 2 consecutive days each week. Take 20-35 grams each day divided into 2 or 3 doses. Take in the morning, at midday and before bed on an empty stomach. Avoid excessive calories or unhealthy foods on those days.
2. Take about 20 grams a day of Activated Charcoal in divided doses for several months. Follow Activated Charcoal usage by a 1 month break and resume the cycle. If you plan on using Activated Charcoal daily, consult your physician.
In addition to Activated Charcoal, the ideal detoxification prescription includes sauna baths, exercise, a special diet, and supplements ([strike]unsaturated fatty acids[/strike], vitamin C, niacin, proteolytic (protein digesting) enzymes, and a comprehensive multiple nutrient formula.

thread : Activated Charcoal Experience

 

[aguilaroja]

...Could things that kill off Endotoxin possibly help with food poisoning too?...

There’s a pretty wide variety of food “poisonings”:
Foodborne illness - Wikipedia

“Fortunately” I have only experienced short term ones, quick onset and fairly quick recovery. These incidents matched the timing and symptoms of consuming infected food, and I was clearly able to identify the offending meal. Since incidents can involve considerable vomiting and/or diarrhea, a big question is how to get some of the Peat-style remedies on board.

I have found that, for instance, grated carrot or charcoal seemed to settle incidents that seemed like the beginning of food poisoning. I was at a point where I could manage to do a remedy by mouth. My impression is that mostly Dr. Peat is discussing chronic endotoxic burden, rather than an acute incident. In travel, for instance, I have seen people with cholera, or parasites, and don’t know the extent to which Peat-style remedies are applied in those severe situations.

 

[shepherdgirl]

Thanks @theLaw and @aguilaroja for your helpful responses. I guess that since not all cases of food poisoning are bacterial, endotoxin might not always be the problem. But still i imagine that many common types of fp involve bad bacteria. In these cases, I am still kind of unclear as to whether the problem is the actual bacteria or their endotoxin. Throughout my entire life, people have discussed the dangers of bacterial infection, but noone has ever so much as mentioned endotoxin. Until Dr. Peat, that is.

 

[shepherdgirl]

Ok I guess what I am asking is: are symptoms of bacterial infection - pain, nausea, inflammation, etc. - related to endotoxin and therefore helped by endotoxin inhibitors/adsorbers (horseradish, defibron, k2, charcoal, etc.)? Is bacterial dieoff releasing endotoxins too? Are viral infections also releasing endotoxins? So possibly inhibiting endotoxins could be helpful for the pain of food poisoning, cold, flu, other types of infections? Because antibiotics only kill bac, which eventually gets rid of symptoms, but only because the source of the endotoxins dies, and not right away. So an anti-endotoxin with antibiotics? has anyone tried this?