I think I will move this to the main supps forum, as there is likely to be little direct relevance to cognition, I think
I think the point that Human Meteorite was trying to make is a good one: activated carbon will not bind
selectively to toxins, so you'll probably also be getting rid of some things that you want. For instance, though it can be used to filter water, it also binds some of the water.
Also, as far as fluoride goes, I think you're out of luck. From the wikipedia: "
Activated carbon does not bind well to certain chemicals, including alcohols, glycols, strong acids and bases, metals and most inorganics, such as lithium, sodium, iron, lead, arsenic, fluorine, and boric acid."
There were a few studies in the 80s showing lifespan extension (all the same author):
Enterosorption in prolonging old animal lifespan.
Frolkis VV, Nikolaev VG, Bogatskaya LN, Stupina AS, Shcherbitskaya EV, Kovtun AI, Paramonova GI, Sabko VE, Shaposhnikov VM, Rushkevich YuE, et al.
The effect of repeated courses of enterosorption upon the mean and maximal lifespan and some functional and metabolic indices was determined in 28-month-old Wistar rats. Significant increase of mean and maximal lifespan of old rats was noted at certain regimens of enterosorption. The experimental animals demonstrated less marked age-related structural and ultrastructural changes in the liver, kidneys, myocardium, intestines, pancreas, as compared with control animals. Enterosorption leads to a reduction of pentobarbital-induced sleep, decrease of content of cytochrome P-450, blood cholesterol and triglycerides, cardiac and cerebral tissue cholesterol, total lipids, liver cholesterol and triglycerides. Enterosorption was found to increase the RNA and protein biosynthesis in the liver, kidneys and adrenals of old animals.
PMID: 6499964 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
[Enterosorption as a method of prolongation of life of aged animals].
[Article in Russian]
Frol'kis VV, Nikolaev VG, Bogatskaia LN, Stupina AS, Kovtun AI.
PMID: 6705952 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Effect of enterosorption on animal lifespan.
Frolkis VV, Nikolaev VG, Paramonova GI, Shchorbitskaya EV, Bogatskaya LN, Stupina AS, Kovtun AI, Sabko VE, Shaposhnikov VM, Muradian KK, et al.
Experiments were performed on Wistar male rats, starting from the 28th month of age. The effect of dietary sorbent (non coated nitrogen-containing carbon administered as 10 day courses at 1 month intervals in dosage of 10 ml/kg) on lifespan and a number of biological indices were studied. Enterosorption resulted in the increase of mean and maximal lifespan by 43 and 34% respectively. Analysis of the effect of enterosorption on activity of microsomal enzymes, intensity of total RNA and protein biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, formation of free radicals etc. showed that it produced a positive influence on the functional state of the studied systems and increased the organism's adaptive capacities. Enterosorption was found to delay the rate of onset of age-related structural changes in the organs and tissues.
PMID: 2479433 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
And even with the single doses used in ER, adverse reactions can occur; for reviews, please see [
1] [
2]. I couldn't find any papers suggesting chronic usage is safe, but found a case report about melanosis lesions. Given these possibilities, lack of safety data, and the somewhat old and slim data suggesting life extension, I don't think I'd be comfortable taking this. But the possibility is present.
Edited by chrono, 12 April 2011 - 08:03 PM.