NEW YEAR’S EVE TIP// If your New Year’s Eve plans include red wine, mixed drinks or anything in between, you may want to consider having some Activated Charcoal on hand to help prevent that next day hangover.
Activated Charcoal has been around for eons. In my early days as a pediatric triage nurse, it was one of our go-to’s when kiddos accidentally ingested some type of suspected poison in the house.
Activated charcoal works by binding to toxins in your digestive tract so that they cannot be absorbed by your body.
While activated charcoal does not absorb alcohol, IT DOES help quickly remove other toxins from the body that contribute to poisoning.
Alcohol is rarely consumed in its pure form; mixers that include artificial sweeteners and chemicals are common. Activated charcoal removes these toxins.
If you are a wine drinker activated charcoal helps the body better process the headache causing chemicals—tannins, sulfites, etc.—inside red wine, so taking activated charcoal prior to enjoying that glass of red wine, and then once again before bed can be a game changer in preventing that morning after hangover.
You can pick up some activated charcoal locally at Whole Foods. The capsules are black, so don’t be surprised if you see a black poop or two following ingestion.