Hello, and welcome
to "Wonderfully Made"
00:00:35.72\00:00:38.79
My name is Dr. Christine Salter
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and I'm Board
Certified in Family Medicine,
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and I'm in private
practice in St. Louis, Missouri
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Today, we're going to be
discussing about a simple
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home remedy
called... "activated charcoal"
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And we have a guest
with us, Mr. John Dinsley
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who has written a
book about charcoal.
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John, I'd like to welcome
you to our program today.
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Dr. Salter, it is a
pleasure to be here with you.
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So tell me, why did you
write a book about charcoal?
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Good question...
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Why would anybody want
to write something about
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what's left over from
your campfire... Exactly
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...Or from your woodstove
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Well charcoal, as you
said, activated charcoal,
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or medicinal charcoal...
actually has been used
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for many, many years!
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Even 1500 years BC,
the Egyptians were using it
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to control wounds,
infections, odors...
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But at the end of the
20th century, there was a
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tremendous interest in
simple, natural home remedies
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and because of my experience
with charcoal in my traveling
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in different countries, that's
where it all goes back to.
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Well that sounds
really interesting...
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So you've traveled to
Guatemala, and in other places
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...Nepal? Yes. What
experiences did you have?
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It was a real
privilege to work there.
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And, in working
with the doctors there,
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and the different
healthcare providers,
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I especially
learned the importance of a
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good health program...
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But, when it came
to treating disease,
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they instilled in me this
notion that I needed to be
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the gatekeeper of my own health.
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The people that they
treated oftentimes were
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living remotely from where
the clinic was or the hospital
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and they did not want to put
a dependence upon these people
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on the doctor, on
the healthcare facility
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Because these
people were so remote,
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they needed to be able to
treat themselves oftentimes
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because it took, maybe
half a day to get to the nearest
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road... a couple of days
to get to the nearest hospital
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Emergency care was
obviously out of reach.
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They needed something that
they could use WHERE they were.
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Where they were... Well I
think that's true for here in
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North America too, and in
other more developed countries.
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We do want people to be
gatekeepers of their health,
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and to do what they
can do in the home setting
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but even prior to
seeing a physician.
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Well, a lot of people
are asking the question...
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You know with drugs
that are readily available
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over-the-counter prescription...
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Why should I even think about
using something like charcoal?
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But I would like to take a
look at our graphic here...
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And look at some of the reasons
why we, today, might want to
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think about using a
simple, natural remedy...
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On our list, we have...
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Well the first 2...
iatrogenic death and
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nosocomial disease...
it's actually a subgroup of
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iatrogenic death.
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And these are deaths
that originate in the hospital
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because of complications
in either administering of
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drugs, surgery, and so forth.
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And these are large figures.
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According to the "Journal of
American Medical Association"
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in the year 2000,
225 thousand people died
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because of iatrogenic death.
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So obviously, it's sort
of like friendly fire...
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Right... You know
this is obviously not
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intentional, but there
are consequences to using
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properly
prescribed medicines... Yes.
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And so, people are saying,
"Is there something that I
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can use as an alternative
that doesn't have the
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side effects associated.
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And if we use more heroic
methods of treating disease,
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right off the beginning, what
are we left with in an emergency
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Diseases are developing
resistance to a lot of drugs
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Some diseases are
triggered by antibiotics...
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And so, we know
this... What can people do
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for themselves
that's safe. That's safe...
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That's absolutely true.
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Antibiotic resistance is
at a very concerning rise
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at an alarming rate.
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A lot of patients... they
come to physicians, you know,
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they may only have a
viral infection, but they want
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an antibiotic, because they
want to feel well right away.
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And what happens is that we're
under pressure to prescribe
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and we really have
to hold our ground.
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I have to hold by
ground and and say,
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"Well, let's allow your body...
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It's a virus... you know,
we don't have an antibiotic
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for a virus; we want
the body to deal with this
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Run the fever... and that whole
thing, and then I'd like to have
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a simple remedy that I
can have them do in the home
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that will make
them feel better...
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Because basically,
they want to feel better.
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They're thinking in
their mind that if I prescribe
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an antibiotic, that's
going to make them feel better.
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And, more often than
not, they take the antibiotic
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and... "Oh, I'm not any better"
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Well, it's not
going to treat the virus
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Well, we're cultured that way,
in society to think that way,
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but there are
safer alternatives.
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And charcoal is a
simple natural remedy that,
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as far as we know, has
no serious side effects.
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Our body does
not digest charcoal,
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and so it's not assimilated.
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Whatever serious side effects
that had been noted in the
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literature, are usually
associated in hospitals,
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and today, we're talking about
home application of charcoal
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as a simple home remedy.
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So, how does this work?
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Is there any
science behind this?
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Oh, there's lots of science.
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I'm sure you've read in
different medical journals
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The JMA, The Lancet,
Clinical Toxicology...
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just to name a few.
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These journals have picked
up on this amazing ability for
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charcoal... medicinal
charcoal, activated charcoal,
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to adsorb poisons, toxic waste
products from cancers, wounds,
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not just accidental
poisoning in hospitals,
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but... for instance, poisonous
plants, mushroom poisoning,
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amanita poisoning...
Amanita or insect bites
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...the brown recluse spider.
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Sometimes it can stop
anaphylactic shock from people
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who have been
stung by a bee or hornet.
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I was reading an article
recently by an allergist,
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in Canada... one of the
foremost allergists on peanut
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...And he was saying that,
clinically, they've been showing
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that charcoal can adsorb
the peanut protein allergen in
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30 seconds.
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So clinically, there's a
lot of research to show WHY it
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should work in the home.
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And so that's what
we're talking today about...
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the home application.
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Now, a lot of
healthcare professionals,
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including
yourself, have used charcoal.
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You use it on a
professional basis
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for accidental
poisoning in emergency rooms.
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Poison Control
Centers recommend it.
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It's used in
kidney dialysis machines.
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I've talked with even
nurses and they don't realize
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that the kidney dialysis
machines actually have a
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bed of granular charcoal,
and the blood is filtered
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through that and it's clean...
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because your kidneys
have stopped doing the work
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of cleansing the blood.
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Interestingly enough...
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Dr. Hillebrand who is
Director of Liver Transplant at
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Loma Linda University
Hospital in California,
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has developed a liver
dialysis machine to do similar
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to what the kidney
dialysis machine does.
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When the liver has stopped
functioning, or it's overloaded,
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can't perform its job properly
of... removing toxins.. exactly
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So if a machine can
do that using charcoal,
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can we use it in the home?
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It seems to imply
that... yes, we can.
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And again, here in North
America we can often access
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good health care facilities.
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But, many of your audience
live in developing countries
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where I've worked, and they
don't have that accessibility.
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The access to health
care, but also even here in
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North America, and in some of
the other developed countries,
00:08:51.52\00:08:55.25
people in rural areas, and
in some of the urban areas,
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don't have
access to health care.
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Well, whether you're in a city
even parked next to a hospital,
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I bet you have a
fire extinguisher.
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You know, we never anticipate
or expect a fire in our home
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but we carry a fire
extinguisher for that emergency
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And if the Poison
Control Centers are telling us
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we should have
charcoal in our homes,
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for accidental poisoning,
as we mentioned amanita,
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the poison mushroom...
doesn't it make good sense
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that we should have
it in our emergency kits.
00:09:29.65\00:09:32.45
But we talked a little
bit earlier about some of the
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other reasons why we
should have charcoal in the home
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and I'd like to put up
the graphic on calamities.
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Now we've seen a
few of those recently...
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Yes we have, very sadly.
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The earthquake, the
tsunami in Indonesia,
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and then closer to home,
we had the Hurricane Katrina
00:09:49.33\00:09:53.36
I was listening, on the
news, and it was saying...
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and it was saying, it
was like "shock and awe"
00:09:56.45\00:09:58.28
That as the hurricane
came ashore, it took out
00:09:58.31\00:10:01.79
communications... It
took out transportation
00:10:01.82\00:10:05.11
It took out emergency facilities
00:10:05.14\00:10:07.22
It isolated communities,
and then it cut off retreat.
00:10:07.25\00:10:10.65
And, we would like to
think that would never happen
00:10:10.68\00:10:13.17
in our neighborhood...
00:10:13.20\00:10:14.47
But, whether it's a flood,
whether it's an earthquake,
00:10:14.50\00:10:17.49
some of these
calamities are coming closer
00:10:17.52\00:10:20.24
Wouldn't it make good
sense to have, not only a
00:10:20.27\00:10:23.28
first aid kit... a lot of
these people didn't even have a
00:10:23.31\00:10:25.41
first aid kit, but they
should have charcoal in that
00:10:25.44\00:10:27.97
first aid kit along with them.
00:10:28.00\00:10:29.59
And we really want to encourage
our viewers to make sure they
00:10:29.62\00:10:32.76
do have a very good
first aid kit in their home...
00:10:32.79\00:10:37.14
that would include
activated charcoal.
00:10:37.17\00:10:40.02
Tell us what it means for
the charcoal to be "activated"
00:10:40.05\00:10:43.34
Okay well, you
take a raw charcoal...
00:10:43.35\00:10:47.72
You're out
camping... You put the fire out.
00:10:47.75\00:10:53.59
You have charcoal left over.
00:10:53.62\00:10:55.22
Now, charcoal can come from
any number of plant sources.
00:10:55.25\00:10:59.00
You can, oftentimes,
take coconut shells, or bamboo
00:10:59.03\00:11:04.08
olive pits, peat moss...
00:11:04.11\00:11:06.65
They take this initial charcoal
and then they subject it again
00:11:06.68\00:11:11.09
to very high
temperatures 800 degrees Celsius
00:11:11.12\00:11:15.32
and then they bombard
it with steam, or air,
00:11:15.35\00:11:18.73
and it erodes this
internal structure of the
00:11:18.76\00:11:22.16
charcoal molecule, giving
it a tremendous surface area...
00:11:22.19\00:11:24.90
Surface area... Oh yeah
00:11:24.93\00:11:26.49
Yes, you know, the standard
dosing in pediatric poisoning
00:11:26.50\00:11:31.23
is 50 grams,
which is 5 tablespoons
00:11:31.26\00:11:34.64
and that's actually equivalent
to 10 football fields...
00:11:34.67\00:11:37.24
So we can see how, when
the charcoal is activated,
00:11:37.27\00:11:41.24
just how much surface area
there is to actually adsorb
00:11:41.27\00:11:45.16
all these toxins in
which they ADsorb NOT ABsorb
00:11:45.19\00:11:50.74
because it sucks these toxins
onto its surface, in all these
00:11:50.77\00:11:54.66
meters of surface area,
so it makes it very useful.
00:11:54.69\00:11:58.22
And it holds those poisons until
it's eliminated from the body.
00:11:58.23\00:12:01.83
Now, charcoal is known
to adsorb over 4,000 natural
00:12:01.84\00:12:06.83
and man-made poisons and toxins
00:12:06.86\00:12:09.53
And that unique feature is
used every day in the hospitals
00:12:09.56\00:12:14.52
but it has the
other flipside to that...
00:12:14.55\00:12:16.48
DRUGS, when we overdose on
drugs, we want to use charcoal
00:12:16.51\00:12:22.76
to bind those excess drugs
because somebody has overdosed
00:12:22.79\00:12:26.52
Charcoal does not
discriminate between poisons,
00:12:26.53\00:12:29.79
and a lot of drugs
are definitely poisonous
00:12:29.82\00:12:31.45
And so, if somebody is taking
a medication, they want to be
00:12:31.48\00:12:36.22
aware that if they are
taking charcoal, it's not going
00:12:36.25\00:12:41.22
to discriminate between
their medication and other
00:12:41.25\00:12:43.75
poisonous toxins in their body.
00:12:43.78\00:12:45.29
So they'll want to get
themselves, depending on who
00:12:45.32\00:12:49.16
you're reading in the literature
they'll say anywhere from
00:12:49.19\00:12:51.18
1-1/2 hours before, 1-1/2 hours
after you take your medications
00:12:51.21\00:12:56.60
give yourself that
window for your medication.
00:12:56.63\00:13:00.12
Yeah, or even up to 2
hours. Could be... yes
00:13:00.15\00:13:02.42
So you want to keep
that charcoal away from the
00:13:02.45\00:13:05.22
time that you're taking
prescription medicines... Um hm
00:13:05.25\00:13:07.89
Because it will suck
those medicines too... Yes
00:13:07.92\00:13:10.37
And make them ineffective...
00:13:10.40\00:13:11.42
If you're concerned, you
should talk with your physician
00:13:11.45\00:13:14.81
Again, if you can't take
it internally because you're
00:13:14.82\00:13:19.09
worried about it
compromising your medication,
00:13:19.10\00:13:21.14
you may apply it externally.
00:13:21.17\00:13:23.51
It can be done in baths...
00:13:23.54\00:13:26.32
A warm footbath, you
can add charcoal to that.
00:13:26.35\00:13:29.71
It's a detoxifier.
For instance, gout...
00:13:29.74\00:13:33.56
I was working on a
remote island in the Pacific,
00:13:33.59\00:13:36.85
we came into this
island one evening,
00:13:36.88\00:13:39.11
and we were under this
large shelter called a maniaba
00:13:39.14\00:13:42.94
and the minister came in...
00:13:42.97\00:13:44.43
He came in stumbling, and
he was grimacing with pain
00:13:44.44\00:13:48.13
Sounds like gout...
00:13:48.16\00:13:49.34
I looked at him and I
thought ... Oh, what's wrong?
00:13:49.37\00:13:51.99
He said, "Oh, my big toe is
killing me. I have not slept
00:13:52.02\00:13:55.18
for weeks as the
pain is SO severe"
00:13:55.21\00:13:57.98
And, I'm not a physician,
but I started thinking...
00:13:58.01\00:14:01.50
I wonder... I wonder if he
may be suffering from gout.
00:14:01.53\00:14:05.11
And not knowing, we made
a foot bath with charcoal
00:14:05.14\00:14:10.43
Now... it wasn't this wonderful
activated charcoal that is
00:14:10.46\00:14:13.46
accessible here,
we're on a remote island.
00:14:13.49\00:14:15.64
I found some crude charcoal.
00:14:15.67\00:14:18.13
We pulverized it,
put it in the water...
00:14:18.16\00:14:21.11
I did have some charcoal
capsules that I brought with me
00:14:21.14\00:14:23.78
I gave that for
him to take internally.
00:14:23.81\00:14:25.83
The next morning,
I came down the path,
00:14:25.86\00:14:29.14
and here's the pastor
grinding up charcoal to make a
00:14:29.17\00:14:32.69
hot foot bath...
It had worked for him!
00:14:32.72\00:14:34.62
So it adsorbed the uric
acid that crystallizes out in
00:14:34.65\00:14:38.90
your extremities in gout.
00:14:38.93\00:14:40.69
Had adsorbed it
through the skin...
00:14:40.72\00:14:42.74
And so, you can see
that the charcoal does work
00:14:42.77\00:14:45.31
internally but it
also works externally.
00:14:45.34\00:14:48.37
...Poultices and baths.
00:14:48.40\00:14:49.65
And I think that pastor
was very happy with you...
00:14:49.68\00:14:53.01
I think you'd be his best
friend for clearing of his gout
00:14:53.04\00:14:56.82
Do you think he would
have wanted you to wait until
00:14:56.85\00:14:59.47
there was a randomized
double-blind controlled trial
00:14:59.50\00:15:02.11
to prove that activated charcoal
pulls uric acid through the skin
00:15:02.14\00:15:10.49
Well, it's very
interesting information,
00:15:10.52\00:15:12.08
you can read all this,
but it's a lot more friendly
00:15:12.11\00:15:15.50
to use it yourself...
00:15:15.53\00:15:16.91
I guess we're trying
to acquaint our audience
00:15:16.92\00:15:20.92
with this simple remedy.
00:15:20.93\00:15:22.56
For many of them, it's what
you might call "off the wall"
00:15:22.59\00:15:25.75
It's something
brand new to them.
00:15:25.78\00:15:27.38
But we're hoping that it
begins with experimentation
00:15:27.39\00:15:30.12
We talked about
being a gatekeeper.
00:15:30.15\00:15:32.23
We are giving you the assurance
that there are no side effects
00:15:32.26\00:15:35.17
MAJOR side effects to charcoal
00:15:35.20\00:15:37.12
No known side
effects to charcoal.
00:15:37.13\00:15:38.88
It's something simple
you can use in your home
00:15:38.91\00:15:41.48
Again, it's used
in hospitals as well.
00:15:41.51\00:15:43.98
Right, so we know
that it is very useful,
00:15:44.01\00:15:46.84
and sometimes when we
know that something is useful,
00:15:46.87\00:15:49.42
we can extrapolate and
use it for other things...
00:15:49.45\00:15:53.39
And we don't have to wait for
00:15:53.42\00:15:54.66
those randomized or
blind-controlled trials.
00:15:54.69\00:15:57.73
We don't even wait for all those
for half drugs that we're using
00:15:57.76\00:16:01.63
Well, we talked a little
bit earlier about calamities
00:16:01.66\00:16:05.49
and maybe throw up the
graphic now about after-shock
00:16:05.52\00:16:09.32
You know when
there is a calamity, war,
00:16:09.35\00:16:13.29
or earthquakes, so forth,
very quickly we find ourselves
00:16:13.32\00:16:17.41
in a situation with poor
sanitation, water contamination,
00:16:17.42\00:16:20.92
power failure, transportation
failure, spread of disease,
00:16:20.95\00:16:24.45
and, depending on where you are,
00:16:24.48\00:16:26.52
the
availability of medical care.
00:16:26.55\00:16:28.79
If you have something in your
home, you can start right now
00:16:28.82\00:16:33.18
as you wait for
emergency care to come to you.
00:16:33.21\00:16:37.72
You've spoken about
the concept of "gatekeeper"
00:16:37.75\00:16:42.17
It's important that, for
all of us, that we do become
00:16:42.20\00:16:45.23
gatekeepers of our own
health, of our family's health
00:16:45.26\00:16:48.11
that we do have the
appropriate supplies there.
00:16:48.14\00:16:51.84
You know with the
recent Hurricane Katrina
00:16:51.87\00:16:56.14
it was very bad because
the hospitals were flooded
00:16:56.17\00:17:00.97
...you know, and people
could not get to the appropriate
00:17:01.00\00:17:05.03
medical care... Right
00:17:05.06\00:17:06.21
Well when you think that water
is filtered through charcoal
00:17:06.24\00:17:09.88
all around the world,
from Olympic aquariums to our
00:17:09.91\00:17:14.37
drinking water... up in
space, the space station
00:17:14.40\00:17:17.68
uses charcoal to clean
their air and their water there
00:17:17.71\00:17:20.03
in nuclear submarines,
so it filters water...
00:17:20.06\00:17:22.45
it cleans water, dirty water.
00:17:22.48\00:17:24.13
It's used in wound dressings...
00:17:24.16\00:17:26.33
Johnson and Johnson has a wound
dressing with charcoal in it.
00:17:26.36\00:17:30.12
The soldiers in Iraq have
charcoal in their clothing
00:17:30.13\00:17:33.93
to adsorb
potential chemical warfare.
00:17:33.96\00:17:36.46
But where do you get charcoal
00:17:36.49\00:17:37.63
here at home? I was
going to ask you that.
00:17:37.66\00:17:39.16
Well, go to the pharmacy, if
they don't have it, ask them,
00:17:39.19\00:17:44.68
and in most
cases, they'll be glad...
00:17:44.71\00:17:46.55
they'll be happy to
bring it in for you.
00:17:46.59\00:17:48.40
Health food stores
and co-ops often have it.
00:17:48.43\00:17:50.52
You get it in
capsules, tablets, powder,
00:17:50.55\00:17:54.17
sometimes even a salve.
00:17:54.20\00:17:56.51
It's also dispensed in
the Poison Control Centers
00:17:56.54\00:18:00.68
in a suspended solution.
00:18:00.71\00:18:02.79
They should shake it up
and give it to you immediately
00:18:02.82\00:18:05.11
But, you know, in the
home, if you keep it in a dry,
00:18:05.14\00:18:08.41
well-sealed container,
it will last indefinitely
00:18:08.44\00:18:10.92
When the occasion arises,
you just add it to the water
00:18:10.95\00:18:14.34
stir it in and drink it back.
00:18:14.35\00:18:17.50
I've had charcoal under
my kitchen sink for years
00:18:17.53\00:18:20.64
and I use it for various things.
00:18:20.67\00:18:23.58
Sore throat,
gastroenteritis, ear infection.
00:18:23.61\00:18:28.46
So, it's useful for
a variety of things.
00:18:28.49\00:18:31.28
It's not a
substitute for medical care,
00:18:31.31\00:18:33.97
but sometimes it
can... it can tide you over
00:18:34.00\00:18:38.06
until you get that opportunity
to go there... you see
00:18:38.09\00:18:42.66
The other area I
should bring up because we all
00:18:42.69\00:18:45.53
like animals... Right
00:18:45.56\00:18:46.96
One of the stories in my
book, I tell about this lady who
00:18:46.97\00:18:51.12
operated a camels'
expedition around Australia
00:18:51.13\00:18:55.52
She had 5 or so
camels, and this one day,
00:18:55.55\00:18:59.51
they stopped at
this place, this oasis
00:18:59.54\00:19:02.63
and they put it in this compound
and there was a tree there
00:19:02.66\00:19:05.73
that the lady didn't
realize was DEADLY poisonous
00:19:05.76\00:19:08.56
and one of her camels...
she called it, "Greedy Gut"
00:19:08.59\00:19:11.45
went over and started
munching on this tree,
00:19:11.46\00:19:13.34
and then, before
long, it was laying down
00:19:13.37\00:19:14.88
on all 4's and couldn't get up.
00:19:14.91\00:19:16.46
And she, in the
process of trying to think
00:19:16.49\00:19:19.89
what she could do,
she remembered charcoal.
00:19:19.92\00:19:21.78
And she gave charcoal to it.
00:19:21.81\00:19:23.95
It seemed to help, but she
tried other things as well...
00:19:23.98\00:19:28.47
Then she came
back and got some more
00:19:28.50\00:19:31.03
charcoal and gave it again...
00:19:31.07\00:19:32.27
And she was convinced that
charcoal definitely helped.
00:19:32.30\00:19:35.48
So much so, that
farther down the trail...
00:19:35.51\00:19:38.76
again, one of the other camels
00:19:38.79\00:19:39.93
ate something it
shouldn't have eaten...
00:19:39.96\00:19:41.41
She again applied the
charcoal, and she said,
00:19:41.45\00:19:43.12
"Charcoal was the remedy. "
00:19:43.15\00:19:44.77
But when I looked at
the weights of her animals,
00:19:44.80\00:19:47.34
and the amount of
charcoal she was giving,
00:19:47.37\00:19:48.86
I'm convinced that if
she'd give a lot more,
00:19:48.89\00:19:51.42
those camels would
have responded much quicker.
00:19:51.43\00:19:54.40
There is a dosage... It's in the
Animal Poison Control Centers
00:19:54.43\00:19:59.57
They recommend anywhere from
1 gram to 3 grams per kilogram
00:19:59.60\00:20:05.23
of body weight animal.
00:20:05.26\00:20:07.64
When doctors
prescribe charcoal to people,
00:20:07.65\00:20:13.67
they usually come up
with 3 recipes or dosages
00:20:13.70\00:20:16.66
One is the one you mentioned.
00:20:16.69\00:20:18.48
Anywhere up to 50
grams for a child.
00:20:18.51\00:20:22.57
Another one says 10 grams
of charcoal for every gram of
00:20:22.60\00:20:26.41
poison that you've taken.
00:20:26.44\00:20:27.74
But how many of you are
going to sit down and say,
00:20:27.77\00:20:29.64
Well, I think I... you
know, 10 grams of charcoal
00:20:29.67\00:20:32.23
Give lots, you
can give too little,
00:20:32.24\00:20:35.68
but you can't give too much.
00:20:35.71\00:20:37.06
And as long as you give them
lots of fluid with it... Yes
00:20:37.10\00:20:39.83
You'll have no complications.
No problems with that...
00:20:39.86\00:20:42.60
So, yes, animals is another
whole area where we could be
00:20:42.63\00:20:47.08
giving charcoal.
00:20:47.11\00:20:48.94
A lady who had read the book
mentioned that she went home
00:20:48.97\00:20:52.13
and decided she was going
to do her own experimenting
00:20:52.16\00:20:53.86
but not on herself...
00:20:53.89\00:20:55.42
She had an old dog, and she
described, I didn't see the dog
00:20:55.45\00:20:58.66
She described this softball
size growth in his abdomen.
00:20:58.69\00:21:02.70
This made it very
uncomfortable for the dog,
00:21:02.73\00:21:04.82
and she thought, "Well, I'll try
charcoal; can't hurt anything"
00:21:04.85\00:21:07.80
So she wrestled a capsule
of activated charcoal down
00:21:07.83\00:21:12.85
the dog's throat
every day for 6 weeks.
00:21:12.88\00:21:15.22
Now, I never saw the dog...
00:21:15.25\00:21:16.73
But she said, after 6
weeks, "I'm convinced it worked"
00:21:16.76\00:21:19.85
For whatever reason,
she said it's down to the
00:21:19.88\00:21:22.13
size of a golf ball.
00:21:22.14\00:21:23.22
And she decided,
rather than using capsules,
00:21:23.23\00:21:25.45
she'd get some powder...
00:21:25.48\00:21:26.92
It's a lot more
economical. It's cheap.
00:21:26.95\00:21:28.90
And, she would use that.
00:21:28.93\00:21:29.92
She would just mix
it in with the food.
00:21:29.95\00:21:31.69
I said, "Well, actually
they've been doing that. "
00:21:31.72\00:21:33.84
They do that on
a commercial basis.
00:21:33.87\00:21:36.21
They, in some
large animal factories,
00:21:36.24\00:21:40.43
they'll add charcoal to the feed
00:21:40.46\00:21:42.82
to prevent them from bacterial
infections and so forth.
00:21:42.83\00:21:47.59
Yes, there's been a study in
00:21:47.62\00:21:49.23
the "American
Journal of Gastroenterology"
00:21:49.26\00:21:51.71
that talks about how activated
charcoal adsorbs intestinal gas,
00:21:51.74\00:21:58.66
and that it is very effective.
00:21:58.69\00:22:00.40
And so, that whole idea
of adsorption in that large
00:22:00.43\00:22:03.88
surface area comes into
play again... With animals
00:22:03.91\00:22:06.72
I don't think there's
something magical about charcoal
00:22:06.75\00:22:11.61
It's simple, it
works... And it's scientific
00:22:11.64\00:22:14.39
It's scientific... it's really
pulling through electrical
00:22:14.42\00:22:17.92
forces... it pulls materials to
itself and then hangs on to it.
00:22:17.95\00:22:22.92
One thought that
came to my mind is...
00:22:22.95\00:22:24.77
when people do go
down to purchase charcoal,
00:22:24.80\00:22:27.75
on the bottle, they
will see "activated"
00:22:27.78\00:22:31.27
That's the first
thing they want us to see is
00:22:31.30\00:22:32.60
if it's activated.
00:22:32.63\00:22:33.95
There is another
grade up from that
00:22:33.96\00:22:35.52
called USP or US
Pharmacopeia Grade...
00:22:35.55\00:22:39.13
and that simply means that
that charcoal has been washed
00:22:39.16\00:22:41.92
...acid-washed to
remove some of the ash content.
00:22:41.93\00:22:45.06
It's a more pure form;
in fact, the pharmaceutical
00:22:45.09\00:22:48.13
companies use that grade of
charcoal to clean their drugs.
00:22:48.16\00:22:51.90
to take away
objectionable odors or colors
00:22:51.93\00:22:54.57
from their medications.
00:22:54.60\00:22:57.37
On the bottle, you may
also see it listed as a food
00:22:57.40\00:23:02.94
supplement.
00:23:02.97\00:23:04.04
Well, charcoal is not
a food supplement because
00:23:04.07\00:23:06.68
we don't digest
it, we don't absorb it.
00:23:06.71\00:23:09.81
Well, it's a conundrum...
00:23:09.84\00:23:13.11
They don't know what
to do with charcoal...
00:23:13.14\00:23:14.30
It's not a mineral.
It's not a supplement.
00:23:14.33\00:23:16.08
But, because they
don't know what to call it,
00:23:16.11\00:23:18.48
they call it a food supplement.
00:23:18.51\00:23:20.33
It does not adsorb
natural minerals and vitamins.
00:23:20.36\00:23:29.41
There is some anecdotal evidence
that it does adsorb some
00:23:29.44\00:23:33.41
man-made artificial
vitamins and minerals.
00:23:33.44\00:23:37.57
So with food, it's not going to
00:23:37.60\00:23:40.83
adsorb the
natural nutrients of food.
00:23:40.86\00:23:43.01
The food industry
puts it in licorice.
00:23:43.05\00:23:45.17
They put it in jellybeans.
00:23:45.20\00:23:46.65
It's in caviar. It's in mascara.
00:23:46.68\00:23:49.94
It's used in
many different ways.
00:23:49.97\00:23:53.22
People who lose their
lower bowels, have a colostomy.
00:23:53.25\00:23:58.07
For years, they used to give
charcoal to these individuals
00:23:58.08\00:24:02.48
to be able to handle,
not only the indigestion,
00:24:02.51\00:24:04.32
but also the gas that forms.
00:24:04.35\00:24:07.44
Now, they make ostomy
bags that actually have
00:24:07.47\00:24:11.19
charcoal filters on them
to be able to handle that
00:24:11.22\00:24:14.56
But previously, these
individuals used it on a
00:24:14.59\00:24:16.90
regular basis, and showed no
signs of nutritional compromise.
00:24:16.93\00:24:20.09
So, you can put
that fear to sleep...
00:24:20.12\00:24:23.66
Again, if you're
drinking adequate water,
00:24:23.69\00:24:26.06
you're having a good
balanced diet, and so forth,
00:24:26.09\00:24:28.38
you have nothing to fear.
00:24:28.41\00:24:29.42
So, we're not just talking about
using on an emergency basis,
00:24:29.43\00:24:33.75
it's not like... oh, instead
of going to the emergency room,
00:24:33.78\00:24:37.16
I'm going to take this. Um hm
00:24:37.19\00:24:38.55
It can be used for
just something simple...
00:24:38.58\00:24:42.29
you know, sore throat? Yeah...
00:24:42.32\00:24:43.74
Pinkeye? Yes... I know
some lifestyle programs
00:24:43.77\00:24:48.18
that I've have
been involved in...
00:24:48.21\00:24:49.47
They used it as a general detox.
00:24:49.50\00:24:52.28
People who
wanted to get off drugs,
00:24:52.31\00:24:55.65
street drugs...
They wanted to detoxify
00:24:55.68\00:24:59.73
their body.
00:24:59.76\00:25:01.43
I know of one individual who,
her doctor gave her charcoal
00:25:01.46\00:25:06.56
in a Dixie cup every day to
take, mixed with olive oil...
00:25:06.59\00:25:10.71
Because she developed
Crohn's, very severe Crohn's
00:25:10.74\00:25:13.83
And with the Crohn's,
there's a diarrhea that forms...
00:25:13.86\00:25:16.83
That's right... Along
with some of these other
00:25:16.87\00:25:19.33
diseases; irritable
bowel disease, and so forth.
00:25:19.37\00:25:21.80
Well, let me tell the viewing
audience about Crohn's disease
00:25:21.83\00:25:25.18
Crohn's disease is an
inflammatory bowel disease where
00:25:25.21\00:25:28.96
there's a lot of inflammation,
and sometimes ulceration,
00:25:28.99\00:25:32.22
and a lot of diarrhea.
00:25:32.25\00:25:34.68
It's very uncomfortable
and disabling to patients.
00:25:34.69\00:25:37.92
...Having to run to the
bathroom, having to be close
00:25:37.95\00:25:40.18
to a bathroom.
00:25:40.19\00:25:41.44
And so, to use something
simple like activated charcoal
00:25:41.47\00:25:45.78
makes a big difference to
them with that Crohn's disease.
00:25:45.81\00:25:49.89
Another thing that
comes to mind is open ulcers.
00:25:49.92\00:25:53.01
It can be caused
from any number of things.
00:25:53.04\00:25:56.96
When I was working on
a remote Pacific Island,
00:25:56.99\00:26:00.59
I got strep
infections on my leg,
00:26:00.62\00:26:02.37
and it wasn't the flesh-eating
kind, but it literally ate out
00:26:02.40\00:26:05.17
holes on my leg, and I
used charcoal, and it didn't
00:26:05.20\00:26:09.43
do very much for the pain,
but once I realized what was
00:26:09.46\00:26:14.86
happening, it stopped
the growth of the infection
00:26:14.89\00:26:16.97
and it did start
to promote healing.
00:26:17.00\00:26:19.36
People who have geriatric
cases where they end up
00:26:19.37\00:26:23.55
with these ulcers that don't
seem to respond to anything
00:26:23.58\00:26:26.86
Oftentimes, a very mild
footbath with charcoal will help
00:26:26.87\00:26:32.66
to retard the growth of the
infection and promote healing.
00:26:32.69\00:26:35.93
And that's using not
only activated charcoal,
00:26:35.96\00:26:40.10
but some simple
hydrotherapy... Exactly
00:26:40.13\00:26:42.43
That's another
simple home remedy of using
00:26:42.46\00:26:44.82
combination together.
00:26:44.86\00:26:46.17
Right, well these
are simple alternatives.
00:26:46.21\00:26:49.12
They make us the gatekeeper,
as you mentioned earlier,
00:26:49.15\00:26:53.32
of our health.
00:26:53.35\00:26:54.81
We certainly can take advantage
of the wonderful advances
00:26:54.84\00:26:59.82
in healthcare that we've
seen over the past century.
00:26:59.85\00:27:02.50
BUT, what do you do
when you're away from home,
00:27:02.53\00:27:06.50
away from a
facility where you've come to
00:27:06.53\00:27:09.22
depend upon it all the time.
00:27:09.25\00:27:10.79
Should you carry it with you?
00:27:10.82\00:27:12.49
Wouldn't it
make perfect sense...
00:27:12.52\00:27:14.24
that not only do you
have it in your home,
00:27:14.27\00:27:16.25
but if you're
traveling overseas...
00:27:16.28\00:27:18.24
I know many nongovernmental
organizations that are
00:27:18.27\00:27:21.54
working overseas... On
their checklist, they say...
00:27:21.57\00:27:24.70
"Bring activated charcoal"
00:27:24.73\00:27:26.69
Yes, absolutely, and in fact,
my patients who are traveling,
00:27:26.72\00:27:29.93
that's the first
thing I tell them...
00:27:29.96\00:27:32.01
To make sure they've
got, in their travel kit,
00:27:32.04\00:27:34.84
and they say... "What's that?"
00:27:34.87\00:27:36.60
Okay, and a quick explanation...
00:27:36.61\00:27:38.19
And they say,
"I'll take it with me. "
00:27:38.22\00:27:39.82
And they were very happy to
have that activated charcoal
00:27:39.85\00:27:43.00
and they did
well. I bet they did...
00:27:43.03\00:27:44.48
And so, we don't have to
wait for those randomized
00:27:44.51\00:27:46.55
double-blind control trials.
00:27:46.58\00:27:48.13
We have a nice, simple home
remedy... activated charcoal
00:27:48.16\00:27:52.20
John, you've given us a
lot of good information today,
00:27:52.23\00:27:54.78
and we just thank you for coming
and sharing this information
00:27:54.81\00:27:58.00
with our viewers. My pleasure
00:27:58.03\00:27:59.70
And to our viewers,
we want to say to you...
00:27:59.73\00:28:02.30
If you want to
know more information,
00:28:02.33\00:28:03.90
please contact 3ABN so
they could direct you to the
00:28:03.93\00:28:06.85
correct resources.
00:28:06.88\00:28:08.77
And may God bless
you as you use these
00:28:08.80\00:28:10.71
simple home remedies!
00:28:10.72\00:28:11.72