Of all the names to make it onto this list Paulo Coelho may be the most unlikely. The Brazilian author has come from almost nothing to claim his place among the great and the good - and at one point in his youth he was even sent to a mental institution by his parents. Even after his release he struggled, becoming a drifter who traveled the world and getting into drugs.
All of this changed for Coelho on a journey through Spain in the 1980s, during which he believes he had a spiritual awakening which led to him writing the globally successful novel 'The Alchemist'. It's sold more than 65 million copies and made Coelho, whose only real writing achievements previously were as a lyricist on other people's songs, a major name in the publishing industry. Many big-selling books later, half a billion dollars isn't a bad return for a guy who even his parents thought was crazy.
Over the years, weve seen so many food trends come and go, such as ramen burgers, matcha, and spiked ice-cream. Nowadays, were seeing another trend making waves in the food industry. How many times today have you seen an Instagram photo of a scoop of black ice cream, or a cup of black yogurt, or hamburgers with black buns? Indeed, the charcoal trend has taken the world by storm.
So, what gives your latte that deep black shade? Activated charcoal, or coconut ash, is produced by heating coconut shells to insanely high temperatures until theyre burnt to a crisp. The ashes are then increased in size by steaming at high temperatures. Through this process, the ashes become a strong detoxifier, mostly because they become extra absorbent. This product may be purchased in pill form, and promises to alleviate hangovers, minimize the effects of food poisoning, and fight the visible signs of aging.
Activated charcoal is said to boost ones energy as a result of decreasing toxins in the body. However, no evidence proves that detoxifying can lead to increased energy. Also, while it can help cure a hangover, it doesnt necessarily remove alcohol from your blood. It is also said to aid in debloating your stomach because it cleanses your colon but again, this all anecdotal and isnt supported by scientific evidence as of yet. All we can say for sure is that it is a proven detoxifier.