Charcoal
Lamb meat is grilled on charcoal at a Mongolian style restaurant Nine-Nine Yurts in Beijing February 10, 2015. China is the world's largest producer of lamb and mutton, with a flock estimated at nearly 140 million in 2011, but output has been declining as farmable land shrinks due to urbanisation. Lamb has traditionally been consumed mainly in China's northeast, but a growing urban middle class in expanding cities wants more protein and has broader tastes. The Chinese Lunar New Year on February 19 will welcome the Year of the Sheep (also known as the Year of the Goat or Ram). Reuters

A drink that is used in hospital emergency rooms for severe poisoning cases is now the latest craze among fashionistas, including some celebrities such as Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

It is grey juice made from charcoal, said to have cleansing properties. It is made from activate charcoal and greens. But more than just a health trend, charcoal has the thumbs up not just from marketers but at least one doctor.

The New York Post reports that Dr Jeffrey Morrison, a family practice physician and certified nutritional specialist based in Manhattan, New York, said it is very safe if used correctly. He explains that activated charcoal – made from burnt organic matter – binds to medications and nutritional supplements, rendering toxins ineffective.

He said that while most people could eliminate toxins on their own, it would be helpful to drink charcoal juice after consuming heavily alcohol or fried food.

Riding high on its popularity with endorsers such as Paltrow who claimed it is one of the best juice cleansers, Juice Generation, a popular chain in New York City launched in November its line of drinking containing activated charcoal, costing $9.50.

These are the Activated Greens which is almost black in colour, Activated Lemonade which is grey and Activated Protein which is creamy slate. Eric Helms, founder of Juice Generation, said he was inspired by the popularity of charcoal in makeup that’s why he decided to bring it to the bar, using coconut hulls to produce burnt organic matter.

Besides Paltrow, other users of charcoal juice include beauty blogger Annie Atkinson who says it’s good for clear skin and actress Shiva Rose who says it calms her tummy after a big meal or during long trips, reports StyleCaster.

But StyleCaster noted the lack of medical research on its long list of so-called benefits, while Brooklyn-based registered dietician-nutritionist Beth Warren doubts it has any good for the body at all, pointing out that it’s the charcoal that absorbs the juice’s nutrients and not the human body. She sees it as another detox fad that will come and go with time.

To contact the writer, email: v.hernandez@ibtimes.com.au