Epsom salt is a time-tested mineral compound that provides a number of health benefits. Find out what they are here!
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In this article:
- History and Discovery
- What is Epsom Salt?
- What Does Epsom Salt Do?
- Epsom Salt Benefits
- Epsom Salt Uses
- List of Top 6 Epsom Salt Benefits
How Epsom Salt Can Improve Your Health
History and Discovery
While it is impossible to know how many people use Epsom salt, you can find this mineral in many homes across the globe.
There are various Epsom salt uses, both for human health and around the home. Epsom salt bath benefits include relaxation, the promotion of sleep, healthy skin and soothing of achy bones, joints, and muscles.
This mineral has been around for centuries.
In 1618, a farmer in Epsom, England, discovered the mineral with help from his cows. The said cows reportedly refused to drink from a certain mineral well.
When he tried the water himself, he found it had a very bitter flavor. Despite its bitter taste, the water helped heal skin rashes and scratches.
In the centuries that followed, researchers have learned a lot about it and its health benefits. People still use Epsom salt today.
What is Epsom Salt?
Despite its name, Epsom salt is not like the salt you put in food. Early users may have called it Epsom salt because of its chemical structure or because it has a white powdery appearance that resembles table salt.
While it looks like table salt, Epsom salt tastes quite different; it has a very bitter flavor. Even so, some people dissolve it in water and drink it.
It is a chemical compound that includes magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen.
The health benefits of Epsom salt probably come from its magnesium component.
Unfortunately, many people do not get enough magnesium in their diets. That’s where Epsom salt becomes useful.
What Does Epsom Salt Do?
Magnesium is the seventh most abundant mineral on the earth’s crust. It is never found “free” in nature, though.
This means magnesium is always bound to something else. This makes it difficult to get enough magnesium.
When dissolved in water, Epsom salt releases magnesium and sulfate atoms, known as ions. Soaking in this special bath presents the body with the magnesium and sulfur it needs for optimal health.
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Epsom Salt Benefits
In its earliest days, people consumed Epsom salt to treat constipation, fibromyalgia, and insomnia. Scientists are still working to find out how Epsom salt can treat these conditions.
Today, magnesium is in a number of products.
Magnesium supplements are available in non-prescription pill form, for example. These products pale in comparison to Epsom though.
Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 chemical reactions throughout the human body, according to the National Institutes of Health. The mineral helps the body make proteins, for example.
Magnesium helps muscles and nerves function properly. It also helps control blood sugar levels and regulates blood pressure.
The magnesium in Epsom salt is important for energy production and other processes. It also keeps bones strong, improves communication in nerves, and helps the heart maintain its normal rhythm.
Additionally, magnesium is also essential for quality sleep. This is because magnesium helps the body produce melatonin, according to research.
What is melatonin? A hormone that promotes sleep. The relaxing effects reduce stress.
An Epsom salt bath gives the skin a chance to absorb all the magnesium it needs for a silky feel and optimal health.
Epsom salt is great for the skin. This natural mineral compound makes magnesium available to promote healing of skin wounds and irritation.
This mineral can reduce pain and swelling as well. Pain and swelling can significantly decrease a person’s quality of life.
Many people want to relieve pain without the use of dangerous drugs. Epsom salt can alleviate pain without risky opioids or other pain relievers.
Epsom Salt Uses
An Epsom salt bath is one of the most popular uses of this natural mineral. It supports exercise performance and recovery.
Soaking in a warm bath can relax muscles and promote healing.
Soaking for 12-15 minutes in a warm Epsom salt bath detoxifies your body from toxins, but prolonged exposure may result in dehydration.
Magnesium has laxative effects so absorbing it on a daily basis may not be a very good idea. With that said, the best time to soak would be during stressful days.
To avoid dehydration, drink alkaline water. It not only replenishes the moisture in your body, but it also helps lessen the acidity in the body.
The magnesium component in the bath has been known to calm anxiety as well as lower blood pressure. You can also reduce ankle sprains with an Epsom salt foot soak. Add 2 cups of Epsom salt to 1 gallon of water for maximum effects.
Consumers can also apply Epsom salt directly to their skin as a cosmetic since it slows down skin aging. It leaves the skin feeling soft and silky.
You can make a gentle scrub this by mixing it with lavender oil and petroleum jelly.
List of Top 6 Epsom Salt Benefits
This mineral offers various health benefits both inside and outside the body. The top 6 most recognized benefits include:
- A relaxing bath – It helps relax tired muscles and ease anxious nerves.
- Soft, silky skin – It can be added to your daily facial cleansing routine to moisturize dead skin cells.
- Digestive health – The natural chemicals found in the salt detoxifies toxins from the body, most especially the digestive system.
- Quality sleep – Since it eases anxiety, regular Epsom salt soaks can help you get a better night’s sleep.
- Relief from muscle aches, stiffness, pain – Magnesium’s anti-inflammatory property would help relieve muscle-related problems.
- Optimal healing – Detoxification using Epson salt, then hydrating yourself with alkaline water will definitely give you optimal health.
Find out four new ways to use Epsom salt from DoctorOz:
Epsom salt is one of the most useful mineral compounds found in nature.
For optimal health and wellness, add this mineral to your bath and to your daily health routine. You can add it directly to the water or you create homemade bath bombs for a more interesting experience.
However way you want to do it, you’ll still be able to enjoy the benefits of Epsom salt.
What other benefits of Epsom salt do you know? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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Didn’t notice that epsom salt had lots of benefits.
Hi, Skyler. We hope this blog helped you! 🙂