Epsom Salt Bath Benefits
Epsom salt, named for a bitter saline spring at Epsom in Surrey, England, is not actually salt but a naturally occurring pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate. Long known as a natural remedy for a number of ailments, Epsom salts have numerous health benefits.
Studies have shown that magnesium and sulfate are both readily absorbed through the skin, making Epsom salt baths an easy and ideal way to enjoy the amazing health benefits.
Magnesium plays a number of roles in the body including regulating the activity of over 325 enzymes, reducing inflammation, helping muscle and nerve function and helping to prevent artery hardening. Sulfates help improve the absorption of nutrients, flush toxins and help ease migraine headaches.
The wonders of Epsom salt have been well known for hundreds of years and unlike other salts, Epsom salt has beneficial properties that can soothe the body, mind and soul. Some of the countless health benefits include relaxing the nervous system, curing skin problems, soothing back pain and aching limbs, easing muscle strain, healing cuts, treating cold and congestion, drawing toxins from the body, and a simple affordable destresser.
Some of the magical benefits of Epsom salt include:
Epsom Salts help eliminate toxins from the body
The sulfates in Epsom salt help flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances. Your skin is a highly porous membrane and adding the right minerals to your bathwater triggers a process called reverse osmosis, which actually pulls salt out of your body, and harmful toxins along with it.
Eases stress and relaxes the body
Stress drains the body of magnesium and increases levels of adrenaline. When dissolved in warm water, Epsom salt is absorbed through the skin and replenishes the level of magnesium in the body. The magnesium helps to produce serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation. Research shows that magnesium also increases energy and stamina by encouraging the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the energy packets made in the cells. Experts believe that bathing with Epsom salt at least three times a week helps you to look better, feel better and gain more energy. Magnesium ions also relax and reduce irritability by lowering the effects of adrenaline. They create a relaxed feeling, improve sleep and concentration, and help muscles and nerves to function properly.
Relieves pain and muscle cramps
An Epsom salt bath is known to ease pain and relieve inflammation, making it beneficial in the treatment of sore muscles, bronchial asthma and migraine headaches. In addition, it has been known to heal cuts and reduce soreness from childbirth. Mix a thick paste of Epsom salt with hot water and apply to get soothing comfort. Epsom salt softens skin and will even neutralize foot odor.
Helps muscles and nerves function properly
Studies show that Epsom salt can help regulate electrolytes in your body, ensuring proper functioning of the muscles, nerves and enzymes. Magnesium is also known to be critical in the proper use of calcium, which serves as a main conductor of the electric impulses in your body.
Helps prevent hardening of arteries and blood clots
Epsom salt is believed to improve heart health and help prevent heart disease and strokes by improving blood circulation, protecting the elasticity of arteries, preventing blood clots and reducing the risk of sudden heart attack deaths.
Makes insulin more effective
Proper magnesium and sulfate levels increase the effectiveness of insulin in the body, helping to lower the risk or severity of diabetes.
Pre and Post Therapy Soaking
Immersion into warm water after a massage or other therapy opens up the body and maximizes the effects and benefits of the treatments by helping remove toxins mobilized during therapy by dilating skin pores and increasing blood flow to the skin and other organs. When the warm water contains therapeutic minerals such as sulfates, sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, chloride, silica, and more, the benefits to the body are magnified.
Anti-inflammatory Benefits of Epsom Salt
Magnesium has an anti-inflammatory property due to its ability to influence inflammatory factors and immunological responses to antigen challenges.
This is important because most of the symptoms of eczema are caused by hypersensitivity reactions. In response to allergens, the immune system produces a number of proinflammatory factors but magnesium salts can block the release of such inflammatory factors. Epsom salt can exert both local and systemic anti-inflammatory effects to reduce inflamed eczema lesions as well as relieve itching.
Antimicrobial Effect of Epsom Salt
Because Epsom salt is a hydrated salt, it can easily absorb moisture. Magnesium sulfate is hygroscopic in its basic form. This means that it is always seeking water molecules from its environment to form into hydrated salts such as Epsom salt.
The same mechanisms by which Epsom salt can reduce edema and eczema swelling on the skin also make the salt potent against pathogens on the skin.
By drawing moisture from eczema-causing bacteria and fungi on the skin, Epsom salt can reduce eczema symptoms by preventing the overgrowth of these pathogens. Therefore, its indirect antimicrobial effect can help heal your eczema.
Sources
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- http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/si_DeadSeaSaltBathing.asp
- http://www.softress.com/pdf/Eczema_Resources.pdf
- http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/articles/report_on_absorption_of_magnesium_sulfate.pdf
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18030818
- http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs004030050454
- http://www.progressivehealth.com/acne-epsom-salt.htm
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- http://cetaphil-products.blogspot.com/2010/01/relieve-eczema-skin-symptoms-in-epsom.html