One teaspoon of activated charcoal has a huge inner surface of about 10,000 square feet. This is possible because it is full of tiny holes. In the stomach and gut, that surface can stick to poisons, medicines and pesticides so the body does not absorb them. Doctors use it in hospitals after certain overdoses, and it works best if given soon after the person swallowed the substance. It does not work for alcohol, acids, cleaners, or metals like lead and mercury. It can also weaken other pills if you take them at the same time. It is a first aid tool, not an everyday detox or hangover treatment, but definitely worth keeping in the medicine cabinet.
