The Benefits of Deep Breathing

Take a deep breath—a good, deep breath—and let it out. If you’re feeling a little lighter, you’re not imagining it. Mental health professionals and yogis alike will recommend deep breathing because of all the amazing ways it can benefit your mental health, not just your respiratory system.

We take more than eight million breaths per year—why is it so hard to get a deep one? And just what is a deep breath? Learn more about why you should try deep breathing and how to do it.

Types of Breath

You take breaths every moment of the day, but you may not know that there are different types of breathing. In fact, there are four!

Here are the four types of breathing:1

• Eupne: This is probably the type of breathing you are doing right now as you are reading this. This is the breathing that occurs when you are not thinking about breathing. Also known as “quiet breathing,” both the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles must contract.
• Diaphragmatic breathing: Also known as deep breathing, the diaphragm muscle must contract in this type of respiration. As the muscle contracts, breath passively leaves the lungs.
• Costal breathing: This type of breathing, also known as “shallow breathing” uses your intercostal muscles, the muscles between your ribs. As these muscles relax, the air leaves your lungs. If you are stressed, you may be doing this type of breathing right now (or even unconsciously holding your breath).
• Hyperpne: Also known as forced breathing, both inhalation and exhalation are active, rather than passive, due to muscle contractions. 

Deep Breathing Benefits

There are reasons for each of these types of breathing, but deep breathing is the heavy hitter, with myriad health benefits.2

What Deep Breathing Can Help

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Managing stress 
• Improving focus 
• Better sleep
• Faster recovery from exercise or exertion

Why Deep Breathing Helps

You may be wondering why “just” breathing can be so powerful. Slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system,3also called the “rest and digest” system. Its job is to conserve energy to be used for bodily processes such as digestion and urination.

Deep breathing also activates the vagus nerve, which is like the boss of the parasympathetic4 nervous system, overseeing things like mood, digestion, and heart rate. It will also send more oxygen to your brain and other organs.5

Take a minute and check in with yourself before you start a deep breathing exercise to see how you feel, and then compare it with how you feel afterward.

If you find yourself feeling lightheaded after deep breathing, you may want to stop. The feeling should pass quickly after you stop. (If you continue to feel lightheaded, call your doctor.) Also, if you are dealing with anxiety, it may, sometimes, make it worse. 

How to Do Deep Breathing

There are many different ways or exercises, but here are a few. An added benefit is that they are all repetitive in nature, which will also help you reach a meditative state. 

If you already have asthma or any other issues with breathing, be sure to check with your doctor before beginning any deep breathing exercises.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

If you’re not familiar with the diaphragm, it’s a small muscle right below your lungs. If you’re breathing “correctly,” it will contract and move downward so that your lungs can expand to take in fresh air. Upon exhalation, the opposite happens; it relaxes and slides further up your chest cavity.

To engage in diaphragmatic breathing:

1. Begin with one hand over your heart and one hand over your belly.
2. Breathe in through your nose and let the air fill your belly. Keep your hands on your heart and belly and observe how the one on your belly moves while the one on your heart should stay the same.
3. Draw your navel in towards your spine as you exhale as if you were blowing out birthday candles. 
4. Feel as the hand on your belly slides down to its original position. 
5. Repeat this three to five times to start, noting how you feel after each time. 

4-7-8 Breathing

With this kind of breathing, you will breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven, and exhale for eight:

1. Start with one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly as in the diaphragmatic breathing exercise.
2. Take one, deep slow breath from your belly as you feel your diaphragm slide down. Count to four as you breathe in.
3. At the top, hold your breath as you count to seven.
4. Exhale through your mouth, emptying your lungs completely, for eight counts. 
5. Repeat three to five times, or until you feel calmer.

Tips and Tricks

Below are some tips and tricks to try as you practice deep breathing techniques.

Make Time for Deep Breathing

It may sound silly to you to set an alarm or timer to breathe, but it can help you ensure that you are getting these great deep breathing benefits regularly.

Instead of rolling over and grabbing your phone when your alarm goes off, try for a few rounds of these breathing exercises.

Do It Prior to and During High-Stress Situations

The best part about breathing for relaxation is that nobody needs to know you’re doing it, so you can do it any time, anywhere.

You probably have places or situations that you know are likely to stress you out—like standing in line at the grocery store or getting stuck in traffic. Take a minute to treat your brain to that sweet, sweet oxygen before the situation escalates.

Apps for Deep Breathing

If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t want to have to remember these techniques and likes to be led, there’s an app for that. 

iBreathe

As you might guess, the app iBreathe is all about breathing. It offers you several pre-programmed exercises, an option to customize your own and the ability to send you reminders.

Breathe+ Simple Breath Trainer

If you are a person who has trouble focusing when deep breathing, you will enjoy Breathe+ Simple Breath Trainer. It syncs with your breathing so you can see beautiful visualizations that correspond with your breath.

Apple Watch Breathe

If you have an Apple Watch, you already have access to a built-in breathing app, literally called Breathe. The app will check in with you and prompt you to take a one-minute breathing break, guiding you when to inhale and when to exhale.

A Word From Verywell

Deep breathing can benefit many people, but it is only one tool in your mental health toolbox. If you're not getting the deep breathing benefits you'd hoped for, don't be discouraged. If your anxiety remains severe or gets worse, consider talking to a mental health professional.

Source:
By Theodora Blanchfield Published on November 09, 2021[Verywellmind]

Why human touch is so hard to replace？

For many people, these past few months in lockdown might be the longest they have ever gone without physical contact with a friend. In our new Hidden Value series, we explore the effect "skin hunger" is having on our wellbeing.

“I can't do any sort of work without touching someone. It is part of my profession,” says Joy Adenuga, a London-based makeup artist. Since the end of March, when the UK went into lockdown, beauty professionals like her have had to stop working, and as yet there is no plan for them to return to work.

“I love being able to chit-chat with my clients. And being close to them is so important. I am right in front of their face, touching their face, chatting. I took a drastic hit mentally when the work stopped,” she says. “Psychologically the first two weeks I was mentally down.”

Adenuga says that the loss of income is not the sole reason for feeling down. She is used to the seasonality of her work; most of her clients are brides and weddings peak at various times of the year. There are times in quiet seasons when Adenuga will have less paid work, so instead she will pay for models whose photographs she uses in her portfolio as part of marketing on Instagram.

“I miss it so much,” says Adenuga. “My husband is like, ‘Hell no, don’t come here with that brush’.”

• What makes people stop caring?
• How the views of a few can determine a country’s fate
• The astonishing vision and focus of Namibia’s nomads

Beauty is not the only industry which has been restricted by social distancing rules. Professionals from personal trainers to tailors have found it difficult to work under the guidelines. Some have been able to continue to work using video calls. “One of the first things I did when I realised the world is going virtual; I did virtual consultation,” says Adenuga. “Since I cannot come to you to do your makeup I am going to teach you how to do it yourself. This went on for two months, but it is not the same, I am sorry. I want to reach out through the phone – through the computer screen.”

I am blessed to be able to touch and be a part of the family – Mary Greenwell

Adenuga is describing “skin hunger”: a longing to touch or be touched in a social way. She is like so many others who have realised that life became a lot less intimate in lockdown. Makeup artist Mary Greenwell recently posted a video of herself working with a friend with whom she is in a closed “bubble”. “I am blessed to be able to touch and be a part of the family,” she wrote. “This was the first person I have touched since lockdown.”

Adenuga says she cannot do her job without being close to her clients (Credit: MCM London)

Cue an outpouring from her followers. “Isn’t it funny that human touch – I don’t mean in a romantic or family love sense – but just that human touch we experience on an everyday basis is so important,” wrote one.

“I agree,” replied another. “So many elderly folk crave human touch and their one only human touch ever is their hair stylist. It’s an important part of being human, isn’t it? I think of older people who live alone and have no one.”

Why is it that we crave to be close to others? And why is human touch so hard to replace?

Kory Floyd, a communication professor at the University of Arizona, is an expert on affection deprivation. Skin hunger, or “touch deprivation”, is one aspect of this, though Floyd has also researched how the elderly or isolated are deprived in other ways, like not having someone to talk to.

We feel skin hunger when we notice a discrepancy between the amount of touch we want and the amount that we receive

The current situation is unique in that those people who previously felt isolated still feel alone while people who probably never felt isolated before are being deprived of affection in one specific way – touch. While social contact can be maintained on the phone or via video calls, we cannot, or should not, be close to one another. And the effects are noticeable.

Floyd says that we feel skin hunger when we notice a discrepancy between the amount of touch we want and the amount that we receive. It means that the signals are very similar to regular hunger – we only notice it when we’re not getting enough of what we want.

Hairdressers in Moscow reopened in mid-June despite cases in Russia being among the highest globally (Credit: Getty Images)

“People are missing touch often without realising it,” says Floyd. “They feel a general sense of ill ease. In part because they haven’t had a hug in three weeks, they’ve not touched grandkids or been around their parents or spouse.”

Clearly, some people have greater needs than others. The amount of touch we desire is personal, though Floyd says there are very few people who will need absolutely none at all.

Floyd says there is a normal distribution of desire to be touched across the population, meaning most people are somewhere between needing a lot or needing a little. “Some people are touch aversive or avoidant so minimal amounts are preferable,” he says. “Some people need a great deal of touch to feel like they are thriving.”

But people who are more likely to feel lonely are more likely to say they are deprived of touch or affection in general. “And the people who are loneliest are young adults, from population studies,” he says. “The second loneliest are the elderly. Those are the two populations who are missing the tactile interaction the most.”

The people who are most put out by lockdown are those who are used to being around their peers on a daily basis

Traditionally we might think of the elderly as the most lonely group, but “often their circumstances have not changed significantly”, says Floyd. “They might have changed somewhat, they might not see grandchildren – they might be looking at their family members through a glass window. By and large there is a good proportion whose circumstances have not changed substantially.” The people who are most put out by lockdown are those who are used to being around their peers on a daily basis.

A woman hugs her 82-year-old father through a "hug curtain", in Sao Paulo, Brazil, one of the worst affected regions in the world (Credit: EPA)

Substitutes for human touch come in various forms from techie, internet-enabled prosthetics, called telehaptics, to human-sized, warming pillows. These are imperfect substitutes. In the case of telehaptics, where the touch might be controlled by a loved one remotely, the feelings might be good, but they are not equal to real human touch from that person.

Before the spread of the virus, people who were feeling under touched might choose to go to “cuddle parties”, where strangers can agree to touch each other affectionately in a controlled environment. Again, the solution is imperfect. While this touch may be real, Floyd questions the authenticity of it.

“As long as you are not reacting negatively to touch, it is not invasive or threatening, then some is better than none at all, and touch from a loved one is better still,” he says. “It is better to be touched by a cuddle professional or massage therapist – that is better than nothing at all. When touch is coupled with a positive emotional connection with other people, that magnifies the benefit for our wellness.”

To this end, even exchanging touch with a pet can be hugely beneficial. Unlike with cuddle parties, the affection of a pet has some genuineness – they are getting something out of it too, rather than it being a transaction between two strangers. Animal shelters around the world have reported spikes in adoption rates during lockdown, and data suggests, at least in the US, that shelters are running out of animals to put up for adoption.

Some public health officials in the US have called people to no longer shake hands when businesses return to work. It has caused a lot of speculation about whether we will ever go back to normal.

Might this be the end of touching at work? (Credit: Getty Images)

For Adenuga, getting back to normal is likely to involve wearing gloves and a face shield when she can finally see clients again. She is puzzled how she can work properly in gloves, when so much of her work requires physically touching her clients’ skin, but thinks she might find a way around it.

The bigger concern for her is how to form those important bonds with her clients while covering her face. “I am working with someone who is inviting me to be a part of her special day – one of the best days of her life. The morning of her wedding she is happy, we have a little chit-chat. A mask is going to kill the mood.”

“Most times the brides are excited but I get ones that are nervous and I use a calming effect, calming her nerves, saying the right things, not allowing her to get nervous. I am not sure how that is going to work with a mask. It literally just occurred to me now.”

Are close interactions going to be a thing of the past? “My speculation is that we will very quickly return to normal, whether we should or not is another question,” says Floyd. “But we have been in pandemics before. Those ways of interacting have not gone by the wayside.”

“They are so normal, comforting, it is so important to our wellbeing that I think that there will be a period of caution where we think twice, but my speculation is that we will get beyond that and get back to normal pretty quickly.”

For now, Adenuga is restricted to posting throwback photos on Instagram and reliving her work in memory. “I long to work again,” she says. “One day.”

--

Hidden Value

We tend to think that there are rational, permanent reasons that we desire certain things more than others. But from the Aztecs, who were baffled that Spanish conquistadors prized gold over feathers, to the modern-day, where negative oil prices recently flummoxed global markets, history tells us that this is not always the case. This series takes a look at the hidden factors that drive the value we place on things – and how what we prize might change in the future.

Source:
By William Park | 7th July 2020 | HIDDEN VALUE | PSYCHOLOGY [BBC Future]

【人文講堂】20200118 - 親愛的自己 - 徐曉晰

【人文講堂】20200118 - 親愛的自己 - 徐曉晰

筆記✒️

1. 不管別人說什麼，要忠於自己的心
   人會有煩惱，往往是因為人際關係，因為我們在乎別人的看法，想要取悅於人。
   就像父子騎驢的故事，每個人的看法都不同，我們永遠無法滿足所有人。
   

   有一對父子為了牽驢到鎮上的市場去賣，一起走在鄉間小路。途中在井邊取水的小女孩們看到這對父子牽著一頭驢的樣子，笑著說：「怎麼有這麼笨的人啊，有驢不騎。其中一個人騎的話，就不用兩人一起走路吃灰塵了，反倒樂了那隻驢。」父親聽了覺得有理，便讓兒子騎驢，自己用走路的。
   不久來到一群老人燒柴火的地方。有個老人說：「現在的年輕人還真不懂得敬老。你們看，上了年紀的老父走得這麼累，那個孩子卻騎在驢背上，滿不在乎的樣子。」父親聽了又覺得老人說得有理，於是叫兒子下來，換自己騎驢。
   這對父子繼續趕路，不久遇到三個抱小孩的婦人。其中一個婦人說：「還真是不要臉，那孩子已經累成這樣，還好生讓他走路，自己卻像國王一樣，坐在驢子上。」父親聽了便把孩子拉上來，坐到自己前面。
   走沒多久又遇到幾個年輕人，其中一個說，「你們是這麼樣，兩個人騎著一隻小驢子，也太沒有慈悲心了。被說成虐待動物也是活該」。覺得年輕人說得有理的兩人，只好從驢子上面下來。這時父親說了，「看來，我們只能扛著驢子走路了」。
   兩人於是用繩子綁住驢子的前後腿，拿路邊找來看似堅固的棍子穿過其中，父子一個在前、一個在後地挑起兩端，扛著驢走路。城裡的人看到這對父子的洋相，不禁拍手大笑。

2. 學習獨處，別為了怕孤單而跟不適合的人在一起
   獨處是一種自由、不需從眾，是生活的享受。那是做回最舒服的自己。消除恐懼的唯一方法就是面對。然後超越它。
3. 為自己的人生負責，不要當一個受害者
   不要把自己捆綁在別人、社會的道德綁架裏：你年紀那麽大才離婚？……等等。
   你才是對自己生命負責人的那個人，你的決定你自己承擔，你要懂得保護自己。你的忍耐是在教別人怎麽對待你。
4. 用「斷捨離」讓自己放手，活在當下
   把過去的傷害都放掉、放下，活在當下。
   過去已經不存在了，已經改變不了了。將來的、控制不了的就別太憂慮。既來之，則安之。
   活在當下，做一些讓自己快樂的事情：凝望、擁抱、冥想、運動、畫畫等等。
5. 走出舒適圈 Why not?
   勇敢走出舒適圈去做自己想做的事情。消除恐懼的唯一方法就是面對。然後超越它。你不試過，怎麽知道不行。就算是真的不行，有那麽大不了嗎？

Epsom Salt: Benefits, Uses, and Side Effects

Epsom salt is a popular remedy for many ailments.

People use it to ease health problems, such as muscle soreness and stress. It’s also affordable, easy to use, and harmless when used appropriately.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of Epsom salt, including its benefits, uses, and side effects.

Share on Pinterest

What Is Epsom Salt?

Epsom salt is also known as magnesium sulfate. It’s a chemical compound made up of magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen.

It gets its name from the town of Epsom in Surrey, England, where it was originally discovered.

Despite its name, Epsom salt is a completely different compound than table salt. It was most likely termed “salt” because of its chemical structure.

It has an appearance similar to table salt and is often dissolved in baths, which is why you may also know it as “bath salt.” While it looks similar to table salt, its taste is distinctly different. Epsom salt is quite bitter and unpalatable.

Some people still consume it by dissolving the salt in water and drinking it. However, due to its taste, you probably don’t want to add it to food.

For hundreds of years, this salt has been used to treat ailments, such as constipation, insomnia, and fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, its effects on these conditions are not well researched.

Most of the reported benefits of Epsom salt are attributed to its magnesium, a mineral that a lot of people do not get enough of.

You can find Epsom salt online and at most drug and grocery stores. It’s typically located in the pharmacy or cosmetic area.

SUMMARY

Epsom salt — otherwise known as bath salt or magnesium sulfate — is a mineral compound believed to have many health benefits.

How Does It Work?

When Epsom salt is dissolved in water, it releases magnesium and sulfate ions.

The idea is that these particles can be absorbed through your skin, providing you with magnesium and sulfates — which serve important bodily functions.

Despite claims on the contrary, there is no good evidence that magnesium or sulfates are absorbed into your body through the skin (1Trusted Source).

Yet the most common use for Epsom salt is in baths, where it is simply dissolved in bathwater.

However, it can also be applied to your skin as a cosmetic or taken by mouth as a magnesium supplement or a laxative.

SUMMARY

Epsom salt dissolves in water and so can be added to baths and used as a cosmetic. However, there is no evidence that your body can absorb its minerals through the skin.

Reported Health Benefits and Uses of Epsom Salt

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.

It is involved in more than 325 biochemical reactions that benefit your heart and nervous system.

Many people do not consume enough magnesium. Even if you do, factors such as dietary phytates and oxalates can interfere with how much your body absorbs (2Trusted Source).

While magnesium sulfate has value as a magnesium supplement, some people claim that magnesium may be better absorbed via Epsom salt baths than when taken by mouth.

This claim is not based on any available evidence.

Proponents of the 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 (3).

As a result, its conclusions were unfounded and highly questionable.

Researchers agree that magnesium is not absorbed through people’s skin — at least not in any scientifically relevant amounts (1Trusted Source).

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 (4Trusted Source).

Magnesium may also help your body produce melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep (5Trusted Source).

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.

It’s more likely 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 (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

Most often, magnesium is taken by mouth for constipation relief in the form of magnesium citrate or magnesium hydroxide.

However, taking Epsom salt is also said to be effective, although it is not well studied. Nevertheless, the FDA lists it as an approved laxative.

It can be taken by mouth with water according to the directions on the package.

Adults are usually advised to take 2–6 teaspoons (10–30 grams) of Epsom salt at a time, dissolved in at least 8 ounces (237 ml) of water and consumed immediately. You can expect a laxative effect in 30 minutes to 6 hours.

You should also know that consuming Epsom salt may produce unpleasant side effects, such as bloating and liquid stool (7Trusted Source).

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 your body use glucose and lactic acid (8Trusted Source).

While relaxing in a hot bath may help soothe aching muscles, there is no evidence that people absorb bathwater magnesium through their skin (1Trusted Source).

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.

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.

One study in 15 women with fibromyalgia concluded that applying magnesium chloride to the skin may be beneficial for reducing symptoms (9Trusted Source).

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.

Safety and Side Effects

While Epsom salt is generally safe, there are a few negative effects that can occur if you use it incorrectly. This is only a concern when you take it by mouth.

First of all, the magnesium sulfate in it can have a laxative effect. Consuming it may result in diarrhea, bloating, or upset stomach.

If you use it as a laxative, make sure to drink plenty of water, which may reduce digestive discomfort. Furthermore, never take more than the recommended dosage without first consulting your doctor.

Some cases of magnesium overdose have been reported, in which people took too much Epsom salt. Symptoms include nausea, headache, lightheadedness, and flushed skin (2Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

In extreme cases, magnesium overdose can lead to heart problems, coma, paralysis, and death. This is unlikely as long as you take it in appropriate amounts as recommended by your doctor or listed on the package (2Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

Contact your doctor if you experience signs of an allergic reaction or other serious side effects.

SUMMARY

The magnesium sulfate in Epsom salt can produce side effects when taken by mouth. You can prevent these by using it correctly and talking with your doctor before increasing your dosage.

How to Use It

Here are a few of the most common ways to use Epsom salt.

Bath

The most common use is taking what’s called an Epsom salt bath.

To do this, add 2 cups (about 475 grams) of Epsom salt to the water in a standard-sized bathtub and soak your body for at least 15 minutes.

You can also put the Epsom salt under running water if you want it to dissolve more quickly.

While hot baths can be relaxing, there is currently no good evidence for the benefits of an Epsom salt bath in itself.

Beauty

Epsom salt may be used as a beauty product for skin and hair. To use it as an exfoliant, just place some in your hand, dampen it and massage it into your skin.

Some people claim it’s a useful addition to facial wash, since it may help cleanse pores.

Just a 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) will do the trick. Simply combine it with your own cleansing cream and massage onto the skin.

It can also be added to conditioner and may help add volume to your hair. For this effect, combine equal parts conditioner and Epsom salt. Work the mixture through your hair and leave for 20 minutes, then rinse.

These uses are entirely anecdotal and unsupported by any studies. Remember that it works differently for everyone and that you may not experience the reported benefits.

Laxative

Epsom salt can be taken by mouth as a magnesium supplement or as a laxative.

Most brands recommend taking 2–6 teaspoons (10–30 grams) per day, dissolved in water, as a maximum for adults.

Approximately 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 grams) is generally enough for children.

Consult with your doctor if you need a more individualized dosage or if you want to increase the dose to more than what is listed on the package.

Unless you have the consent of a doctor, never ingest more than the upper limit of intake stated on the package. Taking more than you need could lead to magnesium sulfate poisoning.

If you want to begin taking Epsom salt by mouth, start slowly. Try consuming 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 grams) at a time and gradually increase the dose as needed.

Remember that everyone’s magnesium needs are different. You may need more or less than the recommended dose, depending on how your body reacts and what exactly you are using it for.

Additionally, when consuming Epsom salt, make sure to use pure, supplement-grade Epsom salt that does not have any added scents or coloring.

SUMMARY

Epsom salt can be dissolved in baths and used as a beauty product. It can also be consumed with water as a magnesium supplement or laxative.

The Bottom Line

Epsom salt may be helpful in treating magnesium deficiency or constipation when taken as a supplement. It can also be used as a beauty product or bath salt.

There isn’t a lot of evidence to support all of its reported benefits. Its positive effects are mostly anecdotal at this point, and more research is needed on its functions.

However, Epsom salt is generally safe and easy to use.

Source:

By Brianna Elliott, RD on December 13, 2018
Epsom Salt: Benefits, Uses, and Side Effects

More here