Better Than Drugs?

For around $3, you can buy an effective, natural remedy for anxiety, pain, headaches, high blood pressure, PMS, constipation, osteoporosis, and insomnia.

Good old Epsom salt poured into a warm bath can do the job of hundreds of patented drugs, and without unpleasant side effects or expense.

When I share natural remedies like this with clients, I often hear, “Well if it worked that well, everyone would know.” Or “If it worked, my doctor would tell me.”

How do we know about Prozac, Plavix or the Purple Pill? Ads! Promotions! If not on TV, then in magazines or your doctor who was inspired by the young drug rep dressed in a mini-skirt to push her products.  Billions of dollars go into drug promotion, including company-sponsored science.

Some of our best natural cures are not well known, in large part because they don’t make enough money for research dollars or attention-grabbing spin. Epsom salts are cheap; there’s no profit for promotion. (My pharmacy is often sold out, so someone else has discovered them.)

An Epsom salt soak is one of the most effective time-tested remedies for anxiety. Consisting of magnesium-sulfate, this salt can address all-too-common magnesium deficiency problems, such as tension, as well as provide detox benefits of sulfur.

Most of us are magnesium-deficient. Not only do we get too little in our diet, it is easily depleted. Stress, perspiration, alcohol, sugar, age, GI problems, medications, and toxins, coupled with low soil levels, leave many of us short.

Signs of low magnesium include anxiety, muscle twitches, sugar cravings, headaches, insomnia, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and constipation. Tension headaches and muscle cramping, in particular, are signs of low magnesium. One of my medical mentors always said: “If it spasms, give magnesium.” If you suffer these symptoms, consider a supplement in addition to your baths.

Magnesium also prevents heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. In areas where water is high in magnesium, there is markedly less cardiovascular disease. Studies of astronauts on long space flights show low magnesium issues speed cardiovascular aging over 10 times faster than it occurs on earth.

Billions of dollars in drugs are prescribed for anxiety, hypertension, blood sugar control, pain, and insomnia  – all common magnesium deficiency signs!

Epsom salts are also part sulfur, an important detox mineral, one that stimulates production of glutathione, our master antioxidant. Low sulfur levels are commonly associated with obesity, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Sulfur is found in many pain products.  When you take an Epsom salt bath, your skin absorbs magnesium and sulfur, instantly bringing up your blood levels.

Magnesium is particularly important for women. Adequate levels help prevent PMS and osteoporosis. In fact, magnesium is quite often the missing mineral with osteoporosis, not calcium.

Magnesium is one of the best cures for constipation. If a bath doesn’t help, follow the instructions for dissolving magnesium in a mug of warm water.

Green Med Info lists over 100 scientifically proven health benefits to magnesium.

For therapeutic benefits, be sure you use 2 cups of Epsom salts in a regular size tub. I also add my favorite essential oil blends. Turn down the lights and let your mind quiet as you soak. I know of no other drug with this kind of healing potential.