You know it's bad when an attraction in Southeast Asia is forced to close down for safety reasons. Previously known as the world's most terrifying tourist attraction, Elephant Kingdom in Chonburi is certainly not for the faint-hearted. Before being shut down due to shocking images of it circulating online, Elephant Kingdom was a real death trap.
Tourists, including families with children, would dangle bits of meat over a crocodile-infested river. To make things worse, they weren't even in a big boat or anything resembling a safe vehicle for this kind of activity - the best word we can come up with for it is 'floating cage'. These deadly, three-meter long crocs would jump high in the air to snatch up the meat. With tourists only centimeters away, it was a nightmare just waiting to happen.
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.