Medical professionals recommend taking activated charcoal pills for certain stomach conditions . Do these pills require a proper hashgacha?

 

Charcoal in itself, is not an issue if it’s vegetarian. The same holds true for the capsule.

When vegetarian is not available:

If a physician / medical professional has advised taking Activated Charcoal due to pain that may sometimes be severe, tasteless – unflavored – pills may be taken.

You may look into getting from Israel with Badatz of Eida Hechsher, or perhaps from Boro Park at KosherVitamins.com.

 

Explanation:

Non Vegetarian Activated Charcoal Pill can also be made from non-Kosher ingredients, as Bone Char etc. The same applies with the capsule, as it could be made with Gelatin etc.

However, since it’s burned out, not edible and tasteless, we may be lenient in a case of a Chole She-ayn Bo Sakono, which includes strong pain that can be alleviated by taking this pill.

The reason we have not suggested taking the powder out of the capsule is because this particular medicine will thereby lose the effectiveness, and additionally, the capsule is tasteless. (It should be noted that the tablets without the capsules might have a taste, and therefore it is best to use those with the capsule).

All the above applies for a patient with pain experiencing difficulty obtaining Activated Charcoal Pills that are vegetarian or ones with a Hechsher.

To learn more about Kashrus in Medicine see here.

 

 

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