Research Shows Monkeys Consume Charcoal To Counteract Toxins

(Newswire.net — September 29, 2022) Orlando, FL — Scientists have long been carrying out studies to look into the remarkable healing goodness of all-natural remedies like activated charcoal.

Over the years, researchers have time and again revealed that this highly adsorbent ingredient offers a myriad of health benefits.

One study, which involved monkeys on the African island of Zanzibar, has revealed that ingestion of charcoal counteracted the adverse effects of toxic substances in the diet of the animal subjects.

This research was carried out by Duke University and University of Wyoming scientists.

According to UW Professor David Cooney, he was asked to test samples collected in a study by Duke scientist Thomas Struhsaker, who observed the unusual habit of Zanzibar red colobus monkeys eating charcoal.

Cooney, on the other hand, is a chemical engineer with extensive research on the medical uses of activated charcoal.

It is worth noting that Struhsaker was familiar with Cooney’s research and with his recent book, “Activated Charcoal in Medical Applications,” Cooney received from Struhsaker leaf samples of the main dietary source of monkeys.

These were Indian almond and mango leaves, which are potentially toxic. Struhsaker further sent charcoal obtained from burned trees and charcoal lying near kilns, where it was produced for cooking.

“For comparison, we also evaluated three commercial powdered activated charcoals,” he says. 

“As expected, these charcoals acted best, yet the African kiln charcoals adsorbed surprisingly well. The findings support the hypothesis that the monkeys eat charcoal to reduce the harmful compounds, which have the potential to be toxic or interfere with digestion.”

It was revealed that the young leaves of exotic trees, which were consumed by the monkeys dwelling in the gardens of certain areas of Zanzibar, are loaded in protein and highly digestible. 

“This may explain why the birth rates and population densities of the colobus living in the Indian almond and mango habitat adjacent to the Jozani Forest are significantly higher than those in the groundwater forest,” he says.

The findings of this collaborative work were published in two papers appearing in the International Journal of Primatology.

Studies looking into the therapeutic effects of using activated charcoal continue to increase. It is important to realize that this remedy is used in emergency rooms in hospitals as a treatment for food poisoning.

It is also being used widely today through formulas like Divine Bounty Activated Charcoal. Some studies suggest it works wonders in helping offer digestive health issue relief and detoxifying benefits to the body (amazon.com/Organic-Activated-Charcoal-Capsules-Whitening/dp/B071NZ5G56).