Many people, including some healthcare professionals, claim Epsom salt is therapeutic and use it as an alternative treatment for several conditions.
Provides magnesium
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, the first being calcium (5).
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It is involved in more than 300 biochemical reactions that benefit your heart and nervous system (5).
Still, many people do not consume enough magnesium (2).
While magnesium sulfate can be used as a magnesium supplement, some people claim that magnesium may be better absorbed via Epsom salt baths than when taken by mouth.
However, this claim is not based on any available evidence and research shows that magnesium sulfate is very poorly absorbed, even when taken orally (6).
Proponents of this theory point to an unpublished study in 19 healthy people. The researchers claimed that all but three of the participants showed higher blood magnesium levels after soaking in an Epsom salt bath.
However, no statistical tests were performed and the study lacked a control group (7).
Some other studies have also evaluated the effects of Epsom salt baths on blood magnesium levels, but these studies have turned up conflicting results and are of questionable quality (3).
Therefore, while it may be possible for magnesium to be absorbed through the skin, more large, high quality studies are needed (3).
Promotes sleep and stress reduction
Adequate magnesium levels are essential for sleep and stress management, likely because magnesium helps your brain produce neurotransmitters that induce sleep and reduce stress (8, 9).
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Low magnesium levels may negatively affect sleep quality and stress. Some people claim that taking Epsom salt baths can reverse these issues by allowing your body to absorb magnesium through the skin. However, this hasn’t been scientifically proven.
It’s also possible that the calming effects of Epsom salt baths are simply due to the relaxation caused by taking hot baths.
Helps with constipation
Magnesium is often used to treat constipation.
It appears to be helpful because it draws water into your colon, which promotes bowel movements (10).
Most often, magnesium is taken by mouth for constipation relief in the form of magnesium citrate, magnesium hydroxide, or magnesium oxide (11).
Taking Epsom salt may also be effective, although it is not as well-studied as other forms. Nevertheless, the FDA lists it as an approved laxative (4, 12).
It can be taken by mouth with water according to the directions on the package.
You should also know that consuming Epsom salt may produce unpleasant side effects, such as bloating and liquid stool (13).
It should only be used occasionally as a laxative, not for long-term relief.
Exercise performance and recovery
Some people claim that taking Epsom salt baths can reduce muscle soreness and relieve cramps — both important factors for exercise performance and recovery.
It is well known that adequate magnesium levels are helpful for exercise because magnesium helps increase the availability of glucose in the blood, muscles, and brain while reducing the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles (14).
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While relaxing in a hot bath may help soothe aching muscles, there is no high quality evidence that people absorb bathwater magnesium through their skin (3).
On the other hand, oral supplements can effectively stave off magnesium insufficiency or deficiency.
Athletes are prone to low magnesium levels, so health professionals often recommend that they take magnesium supplements to ensure optimal levels (15).
While magnesium is clearly important for exercise, the use of bath salt to enhance fitness is not well researched. At this point, the supposed benefits are purely anecdotal.
Reduced pain and swelling
Another common claim is that Epsom salt helps reduce pain and swelling.
Many people report that taking Epsom salt baths improves symptoms of fibromyalgia and arthritis.
Again, the magnesium is deemed responsible for these effects, since many people with fibromyalgia and arthritis are deficient in this mineral (16, 17).
One 2015 study in 15 women with fibromyalgia concluded that applying magnesium chloride to the skin may be beneficial for reducing symptoms (18).
However, this study was based on questionnaires and lacked a control group. Its results should be taken with a grain of salt.
Summary
Most of the purported benefits of Epsom bath salts are anecdotal. On the other hand, oral magnesium supplements may benefit sleep, stress, digestion, exercise, and pain in people who are deficient.
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