Drinking Epsom Salt: Health Benefits and Side Effects Explained
Epsom salts are also known as magnesium sulfate. Drinking Epsom salt can be very beneficial for your health, and some of the benefits of Epsom salt are that they are great hair volumizers, they are also used to treat fungal infections, and they can treat aches and pains and can relieve you from physical stress.
They make a great facial scrub to exfoliate your skin. It is also used for relaxation and detoxification of the body. Epsom salt also helps you get rid of constipation and can cleanse your colon.
Here in this article, we will see some of the health benefits as well as side effects of drinking Epsom salt.
Can You Drink Epsom Salt?
It is a widespread doubt among people is that can you consume Epsom salt? Here is the answer, it is. Epsom salts are available at the local grocery stores, and you can buy them at affordable prices.
According to Bruce Fife, author of The Detox Book: How to Detoxify Your Body to Improve Your Health, Stop Diabetes and Reverse Aging Epsom salt is very helpful for detoxifying your liver. It is essential to look into the intake properly as a high consumption of the same may cause problems.
Epsom salts react with medicines like antibiotics, so it is advised to stop these medications two days before the use of Epsom salt and take a doctor’s consultation as well. Mix one packet of Epsom salt with eight ounces of water a little lemon juice for taste.
Health benefits of drinking Epsom salt are:
- Flushes out toxins
- Cleanses the liver
- Improves blood sugar
- Relaxes digestive muscles
- Provide laxative effect
- Prevents blood clots and much more
When You Shouldn’t Drink Epsom Salt: Warnings and Precautions
Using Epsom salt can be a problem in particular situations. It is essential to know the symptoms when you have to avoid Epsom salt. Some of them are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Colitis
- Bowel obstruction
- Irregular heartbeat
- Severe constipation
- Toxic Megacolon
- Severe stomach pain
- Perforated bowel
- Sudden change in bowel habits lasting two weeks or longer
These are some common factors to be kept in mind while using Epsom salt. Some of the other factors that should be considered are:
- If you have sulfur allergies, do not use Epsom salt as you might experience skin irritation and itchiness
- Frequent Epsom salt baths lasting for more than 30 minutes can dry your skin of moisture also they can cause dehydration or diarrhea at times
- People on cardiac medication are strictly advised to avoid Epsom salt as it may interact with the current medicines and create complications
- People suffering kidney and heart problems should avoid Epsom salt as can cause electrolyte imbalance and toxicity of magnesium and phosphorus can happen
- Older people have higher chances of gastrointestinal side effects and also tend to get magnesium toxicity easily so they should avoid drinking Epsom salt
While drinking Epsom salt, these facts should be kept in mind. If you suffer from any of the above problems, it is necessary to avoid Epsom salt to avoid the adverse side effects
Drinking Epsom Salt for Detox
Drinking Epsom salt for detox is a great way to use it. It has great detoxification properties and can cleanse our bodies to make them work at its optimal stage.
Here are some points to keep in mind while drinking Epsom salt for detox:
- For drinking Epsom salt for detox, you have to keep in mind that you will need two days for the process. One for detoxification and another for rest.
- Make sure you go through kidney cleanse before your detoxification process starts to avoid the sensation of nausea.
- To boost your liver health to the maximum make sure that you take milk supplements before drinking Epsom salt.
- Diet is an integral part of the process so make sure that when you go into the detoxification process. Make sure that you take a no-fat breakfast on the day of drinking Epsom salt. They can be toast and honey, cereals or vegetables and fruits.
Penelope Oaks Colville the author of The Multiversa Strategy says it is advisable that you stop eating and drinking before 2 pm.
Steps to Prepare Epsom Salt for Liver Detox
Follow the steps below to prepare Epsom salt for liver detox:
- Add four tablespoons Epsom salt in three cups of water and stir until it dissolves completely
- Refrigerate the same until it is cool
- Drink 3/4th of this solution at 6 pm, and you can add vitamin C powder if you wish
- Take ½ cup of olive oil and ½ cup of grapefruit juice into a jar and mix it well. Drink this solution at 10 pm and take four omithine capsules along with it
- Call it a day and rest
- The next day drink ¾ cup of the Epsom salt mixture and return to bed
- Drink the last remaining part of it after two hours of gap
- Avoid eating right after taking the solution. Wait for two hours after it and start with a mild fruit juice
- After a while start eating light foods and make sure that you don’t consume any fried foods
- Have your regular diet
It is recommended that you consult your doctor before going through this detoxification process
Benefits of Drinking Epsom Salt for Constipation
Drinking Epsom salt can be very beneficial for constipation as it acts as a laxative and relaxes your digestive muscles.
It is very important to make sure that the product is suitable for you according to your present health conditions. For this, you need to refer to the packet very thoroughly and read all the instructions properly to know it contains anything that might harm you.
The following steps are to be followed while preparing Epsom salt for constipation
- Warm water should be used as it is very easy for substances to dissolve in warm water
- Take one tea spoon of Epsom salt and mix it into four ounces of water
- You can also add lemon juice according to taste to get rid of the bitterness of the solution
- Drink it in one go
- If it is not effective for your condition, you can repeat after waiting for four five hours
Adults can take two teaspoons of salt with a cup of water or fruit juice, and for children, it can be ½ teaspoon only. It is recommended to consult a doctor before drinking Epsom salt for constipation
Other Health Benefits of Epsom Salt
There are many health benefits of drinking Epsom salt some of them are:
- Epsom salt encourages the removal of waste from the body
- Reduces stress hormones
- Reduces blood pressure
- Reduces pressure on arteries
- Relieves muscle pain
- Regulates body functioning
- Relieves constipation
- Reduces chances of you suffering from a blood clot
- Improves the effects of insulin on your body
- Reduces the chances of you getting diabetes
It helps to detox your body and also helps cleanse your liver. With such a wide range of health benefits from the salt, it is beneficial to consume the same for problems like constipation and liver in bad condition. These health benefits should be kept in mind while consuming Epsom salt.
Side Effects of Drinking Epsom Salt
Like every other thing Epsom salt also has its side effects if consumed without consultation or excessively. Some of its harmful side effects are:
- Sweating
- Muscle weakness
- Dizziness
- Severe drowsiness
- Flushing or fainting
- Allergic reactions like rashes, breathing difficulties, hives, itching, etc.
- Bloating
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Stomach cramps
- Excessive thirst
- Weakness
Being a mineral salt Epsom salt reacts with the minerals in your body and thus excessive of it may cause harm.
It is also important to look into your medications before starting the course of detoxification as it may react with your medicines and cause adversities.
All of this can be summarized to the point that only regulated use of anything can be beneficial; excessive or careless use can lead to severe problems and thus before starting this course all the given points should be kept in mind.
Sources:
“Drinking Epsom Salt,” Med Health web site; http://www.med-health.net/drinking-epsom-salt.html, last accessed August 5, 2017.
Shaikh F., “Health Benefits of Drinking Epsom Salt,” Food 4 Better Health web site, February 15, 2017; http://www.foods4betterhealth.com/health-benefits-of-drinking-epsom-salt-30382.
Humphreys J., “Drinking Epsom Salt,” Med Health Daily web site; https://www.medhealthdaily.com/drinking-epsom-salt/, last accessed August 5, 2017.
“Drinking Epsom Salt,” Just Health web site; http://www.just-health.net/Drinking-Epsom-Salt.html, last accessed August 5, 2017.
Kent L., “How to Drink Epsom Salt for Detox,” Live Strong web site, August 13, 2017; http://www.just-health.net/Drinking-Epsom-Salt.html.
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