You may actually owe Nathaniel Reed your life, depending on where you live and what you tend to eat. Younger readers may not be aware or remember this, but a few decades ago, there was a large argument about a popular pesticide called DDT. Farmers and food manufacturers thought it was a great way to keep food safe from insects and pests, and therefore fresh for us to eat. Reed thought it was poisonous. Eventually, after much battling against the industry, it turned out Reed was right. DDT was banned.
A dedicated conservationist and environmentalist for all of his life, Reed co-wrote the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s, which was the first concentrated attempt to make sure we don't lose some varieties of animal forever. He never lost his love of the outdoors, and in fact died from complications relating to a head injury he received whilst out fishing. He was 84.
Over the years, weve seen so many food trends come and go, such as ramen burgers, matcha, and spiked ice-cream. Nowadays, were seeing another trend making waves in the food industry. How many times today have you seen an Instagram photo of a scoop of black ice cream, or a cup of black yogurt, or hamburgers with black buns? Indeed, the charcoal trend has taken the world by storm.
So, what gives your latte that deep black shade? Activated charcoal, or coconut ash, is produced by heating coconut shells to insanely high temperatures until theyre burnt to a crisp. The ashes are then increased in size by steaming at high temperatures. Through this process, the ashes become a strong detoxifier, mostly because they become extra absorbent. This product may be purchased in pill form, and promises to alleviate hangovers, minimize the effects of food poisoning, and fight the visible signs of aging.
Activated charcoal is said to boost ones energy as a result of decreasing toxins in the body. However, no evidence proves that detoxifying can lead to increased energy. Also, while it can help cure a hangover, it doesnt necessarily remove alcohol from your blood. It is also said to aid in debloating your stomach because it cleanses your colon but again, this all anecdotal and isnt supported by scientific evidence as of yet. All we can say for sure is that it is a proven detoxifier.