Magnesium sulfate, or Epsom salt, is a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfur. It’s used in bath salts to help soothe aches and pains due to its ability to absorb body heat. Epsom salt can also be found in foods that are high in magnesium, like spinach or almonds.
Epsom salt can also be used as an exfoliant scrub for your skin when mixed with sugar, olive oil, or honey. Magnesium sulfate is used for a variety of different reasons, including:
- Supporting healthy bone density: Magnesium can help prevent osteoporosis because it can help to decrease the amount of calcium absorbed by the body. Calcium is often found in foods that come from animal sources, as well as some that are vegan, and can be found in supplements unless you're vegan. While not all people who have low levels of magnesium will develop osteoporosis, magnesium deficiency has been linked to the condition, so it's very important to supplement this mineral if you are a vegan who has low levels of it in your system.
- Treating preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is a condition that occurs in women who are pregnant, and it can lead to dangerously high blood pressure. Magnesium sulfate has been shown to help treat this condition, and it is now administered as part of the treatment to prevent a stroke or a seizure if preeclampsia occurs.
- Helping with poisonings: Magnesium sulfate is used as an antidote for poisoning with drugs like barbiturates, as well as various other types of medicines. It's also used to help treat poisoning from heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, and sodium cyanide, all of which can be deadly if they're not treated quickly.
- Preventing seizures in premature or sick babies: Premature babies and babies who are ill in the intensive care unit can suffer from seizures when they're born or while they are in the hospital, and magnesium sulfate is used as a first-line treatment for preventing such seizures. This treatment should only be used under medical supervision.
Magnesium sulfate can also be used topically, mixed with water and inhaled as a mist, or used as an injection into muscle tissue to ease asthma symptoms. Magnesium sulfate is a major chemical compound that can be found in many industries. It is used in pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, living cells, metals processing, and agriculture. It can also be used as an antacid to neutralize stomach acid and relieve heartburn or as laxatives to help the stool pass more easily through the intestines.
Magnesium sulfate belongs to the sulfates of various metals. It is a colorless crystal or white powder that has several different properties. It is odorless with a bitter, salty taste. Magnesium sulfate can be crystallized in cubic shape and is stable in air but begins to decompose when it comes in contact with water. Also, it is insoluble in water.
It can be used to produce coagulation for treating kidney malfunction and blood vessel disease and thrombosis, pancreatitis, pain due to peritonitis, and myocardial infarction. Magnesium sulfate can also be used as anesthetics for surgery patients who are allergic to other anesthetics. It can replace glycerin that is commonly used as a tissue softener. It can also be used in paints, dyes, and inks. It can also be used to make a variety of different chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, insecticides, products used to control blood pressure, and disinfectants for water treatment plants.
