Stirred into lemonade and other drinks, activated charcoal is a kind of shorthand for wellness. But its actual effects are more nuanced — and, according to a local health educator and expert, more limited — than many people assume. 

“Activated charcoal … is essentially carbon that’s been processed at high heat to create an extremely porous structure with a huge surface area,” said Mary Catherine Schallert, a clinical associate professor in the University of Memphis’ College of Health Sciences. 

In cafes and restaurants, the additive turns an ordinary drink into something that looks equal parts wellness tonic and social media prop. That crossover from clinical use to consumer product is part of what gives activated charcoal its appeal, but also where some of the confusion begins.