Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 1

Activated charcoal has a history of use in traditional medicine for a variety of gastrointestinal ailments, including diarrhea, and by extension has sometimes been considered for cholera. The rationale is that activated charcoal can adsorb toxins and potentially harmful substances in the digestive tract, thereby reducing their absorption. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, before the advent of antibiotics and modern rehydration therapies, activated charcoal was sometimes employed as a general remedy for poisoning and severe diarrheal diseases, including cholera, in an attempt to bind suspected bacterial toxins. However, strong scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness specifically for cholera is lacking. Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which produces a toxin leading to significant fluid loss; the mainstay of treatment is aggressive rehydration and, in some cases, antibiotics. Activated charcoal does not address dehydration, nor does it effectively bind the cholera toxin once it is produced in the intestines. Contemporary clinical guidelines do not recommend its use for cholera. Thus, while there is some historical precedent (tradition) for its use, modern evidence does not support its efficacy, and its role is minimal to nonexistent in current practice.

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