Epsom salts do irritate

[Guest guest]

This is from sci.med.nutrition -- it's a response to a question about

taking Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) AS A SUPPLEMENT:

QUOTE STARTS

You can take some Mg as sulphate, but not a lot. I'm going from memory

here, I think the absorption is something like 33% of the available

Mg. That means if you want a significant dose, you're getting into the

laxative dose range, of 1 teaspoon plus.

The Mg sulph8 is a laxative primarily because it is an irritant. That

is why it is expelled. In other words taking Mg sulph8 is irritant to

your digestive system. That is why you can only take a limited amount.

How much Mg are you looking to get from the sulph8?

I can't remember off hand what percentage (by weight) of the sulph8 is

Mg... perhaps someone else can. I am assuming Epsom Salts will be

hydrated Mg So4.

Regards, NT

QUOTE ENDS

( " 8 " is obviously an abbreviation of " ate " ...)

In small doses, it's just supplementation of magnesium and sulfur,

which we need and often don't get enough of, and which we also get in

the food (without any irritation). But in larger doses, it irritates

the gut lining, too.

This fact is NOT in opposition to the relaxing properties of

magnesium, which are well known, experienced and studied. The point

about " dilating the bile duct " is that the salts relaxe smooth

muscle, including those responsible for the bile duct. But on the

basis of the above quote, I can't see that there is a connection

between that point and the emptying of the bowel, which appear as two

distinct issues. It's important to know why we are using this stuff:

do we need a digestive laxative (why?), or do we need the bile duct

to keep wide open for the stones to pass through?

Make out of it whatever you want. Personally, I think I'll take the

salts on the second flush, too, but maybe go down to 3 tbsp. I will

also consider trying to heal the gut for the first few days

afterwards, like with mega doses of aloe vera. That something

irritates enough that the bowels expel it, doesn't necessarily mean

that the lining becomes different than before. But if it's already

irritated, maybe it could get worse. It could also explain, although

we can't be certain, why one of you started to feel problems after

several flushes with extra large doses of ES...

Someone posted that she had heard that the ES was only necessary on

the first flush or so, to make the stones start moving. I don't know

anything about that, but it's certainly interesting. No other

details...?

-- Helge