Introduction
“Black toothpaste makes for bright white teeth” – these advertising slogans and the like lure customers into drugstores, because white teeth and a Hollywood smile is exactly what everyone would like to have these days. But what makes black toothpaste so special? The key word here is activated carbon, which is the ingredient and color of the toothpaste. Activated carbon is a carbon compound that has been used in natural medicine for thousands of years.
What is activated carbon?
Activated carbon consists of carbon and has a porous structure. Due to its special structure, activated carbon has a strong binding capacity and a large surface area. A few grams of activated carbon have a surface area similar to that of a soccer field.
The surface has a size of 1. 500 m2/g, which is why the activated carbon has such a strong binding character. It works like a sponge, which is why activated carbon is used especially to trap substances.
Activated carbon is used in medicine, chemistry, waste water treatment and air conditioning technology to filter pollutants or toxins. Especially in medicine activated carbon is used to bind and eliminate toxins from the body. Therefore users often speak of a detoxification.
In naturopathy, activated carbon is becoming more and more important. Also in dentistry activated carbon is said to be a useful raw material. Activated carbon in toothpaste is said to lighten the teeth and dissolve discoloration. Activated carbon cannot be overdosed when used in the human body, which is why it is particularly popular in naturopathy.
How does activated carbon work?
Due to the special structure of the activated carbon it acts like a sponge. It is porous and at the same time has a comparatively large surface, which enables it to trap pollutants. Pollutants and toxins can thus be trapped and eliminated from the body. Thus the activated carbon works like a detoxification. Also in toothpaste, the active carbon is said to help whiten teeth.
