About Charcoal Plus®      

Activated charcoal tablets (Charcoal Plus® Enteric Coated Tablets) may provide relief from gas in the colon. Studies have shown that when taken before and after a meal, intestinal gas is greatly reduced.

Activated charcoal, the active ingredient in Charcoal Plus®, works by binding all kinds of substances to itself. This is called adsorption. Charcoal Plus® enormous adsorptive power makes it the ideal agent for binding toxins from the gastro-intestinal tract.

Charcoal Plus® enteric coating allows the tablet to bypass the stomach and dissolve in the lower intestine. This provides the full effect of the tablet to work in the lower intestine where it is needed. Charcoal Plus® is available in bottles of 120 and 36 enteric coated tablets.

What causes gas?      

Swallowed Air
Upper intestinal gas (burping or belching)
Swallowed air is a common cause of gas in the stomach. Everyone swallows small amounts of air when eating and drinking. Some people may take in more air if they eat or drink rapidly, chew gum, smoke or wear loose dentures.

Breakdown of undigested foods
Lower intestinal gas (rectal gas)
The body does not digest and absorb some carbohydrates (sugar, starches, and fiber found in many foods) in the small intestine because of a shortage or absence of certain enzymes. (See Digestol® for enzyme supplement therapy at www.clickpharmacy.com). This undigested food then passes from the small intestine into the large intestine, where harmless and normal bacteria break down the food, producing hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and, in about one-third of all people, methane. Eventually, these gases exit through the rectum.

Foods that produce gas in one person may not cause gas in another. Some common bacteria in the large intestine can destroy the hydrogen that other bacteria produce. The balance of the two types of bacteria may explain why some people have more gas than others. While most foods that contains carbohydrates can cause gas, fats and proteins cause little gas.