When you hear there is a latest health craze trending, you can bet that there is a Kardashian behind it. Everyone has been talking about sisters Kim and Kourtney Kardashian’s charcoal detox drinks.
Kim shared a big mug of her charcoal tea on her Instagram earlier this week, prompting fans to quiz the cloudy, black beverage.
As Kourtney prefers a charcoal latte, the pair teamed up to create a “Kim inspired” recipe, which health-crazed Kourt shared on her lifestyle website and business, Poosh.
READ MORE: Does drinking charcoal tea have any benefits? The new health craze loved by the Kardashians
While they look pretty cool - are they even nice and are they all that healthy?
I decided I had to give the drink a try, but before that I researched what the benefits are to adding charcoal to your diet.
On Poosh’s website, it says Kourtney has been a “longtime lover of charcoal for its powerful binding properties. It not only has immediate effects, like relieving us of gas and bloating, but it binds to toxins for deep cleansing and elimination”. It can also be used as a supplement to take after a big night of drinking alcohol.
However, a lead nutritionist told Yahoo that while small amounts of activated charcoal should not cause any harm or side effects, the long-term impacts of higher doses have yet to be studied
According to Hannah Macey, lead nutritionist at Feel Complete, “If you are working with a professional, who understands why you may need an activated charcoal supplement as a binder for toxin overload or another condition or symptom then this would be appropriate. If you do decide to take it, make sure it's not taken with any medication you may be on.”
As the recipe on the Poosh website only uses ½ a teaspoon of activated charcoal powder and I’m not on any medication, I decided it would be fine to try, but if you’re not sure, ask your GP or a dietician.
The ingredients to make the latte came to just over £20, which seems expensive for a latte. However, the dates (£2.49), charcoal capsules (£10.79) and vanilla extract (£5.75) can all be used again.
After tracking down the ingredients, the majority of which I sourced in Holland and Barrett, I followed the Kardashian’s recipe and method, which I found very simple.
I poured half a can of coconut milk (£1.69) into a pot and stirred it on a low heat. I heated it gently as the instruction says not to boil or the fat will separate.
As there was no charcoal powder available on its own, I bought it in capsule form and using scissors, split the tablet open to use the activated charcoal powder inside. This was probably the messiest part of the whole process.
Once that was done, I popped two pitted dates, the powder, the warm milk and a splash of vanilla extract into a blender and blended it until it was smooth.
I poured the mixture into a glass and added sea salt. You can also pour it into a mug if you prefer, or several people on TikTok poured the latte over ice if you prefer an iced latte.
Using a frother, I frothed the latte which mixed the sea salt in. Kim’s recipe also suggests shaking some cinnamon on top of the detox drink, however I’m not a fan so I skipped this step.
At the start, I thought it all sounded terrible - dates, coconut milk and charcoal? Doesn’t exactly sound appetising.
However when I gave the drink a taste, I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the drink tasted really nice, I was truly shocked.
While obviously it doesn’t taste like a caffeine filled latte, it tastes like a glass of sweet, warm, frothy milk. No taste is too overpowering, I wasn’t sure if the coconut milk would be too much, but it all blended in really nice together.
It took roughly 5 minutes to throw together and while it certainly won’t be replacing my morning coffee, I would definitely make this before bed the odd time or on days I may feel bloated to see if there are any nutritional benefits.
Would you give the Kardashian latte a try?
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