Magnesium Bath Scales: Top Benefits and How They Compete With Supplements, According to a Leading Neuroscientist
You’re probably familiar with self-care routines that include morning meditation, evening affirmations, HIIT classes—and probably a few more. weekly supplement for brain and immune health as recommended by your doctor.
But have you heard of magnesium bath scales?
Dr. Tara Swarta leading neuroscientist and author of Source: Expand Your Mind. Change Your Life, Commit to a weekly bath with some magnesium flakes.
Magnesium is highly recommended Supplements for healthy aging because natural levels decline with age. But capsules aren’t the only way to boost your magnesium intake. At least one study—looking at the effects of soaking in the Dead Sea, which has record-breaking levels of magnesium salts—has shown that magnesium baths can reduce inflammation and joint pain. And it turns out you can mimic some of those healing effects at home.
“I can really tell if I haven’t done it for too long,” Swart said. LuckPeople bathe in this mineral three to five days a week, for 15 minutes at a time.
What does magnesium do?
Magnesium is an essential mineral found in many foods, such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seafood, milk, and yogurt. This mineral protects against heart disease, regulates mood, improves immune health, and plays a key role in enzyme function. “It’s fundamental to about 300 processes in the body, including sleep and mood,” says Swart. Magnesium deficiency can lead to a host of chronic conditions and puts people at risk for diabetes.
Magnesium also plays an important role in brain health.
“People who are deficient in magnesium tend to be more depressed,” says Kara Burnstine, registered dietitian and nutrition educator at Pritikin Longevity Centersaid before Luck. This mineral also helps keep teeth, bones, and muscles strong, says Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, holistic nutritionist and author of Superpower Immunitysaid before Luck.
Furthermore, experts have praised magnesium for its cortisol-lowering effects, which can help reduce stress and promote optimal sleep quality.
Despite its many benefits, many people don’t get enough of this mineral. “It helps us cope with stress, but it’s also used up when we’re stressed,” says Swart. “Just like when you’re training for a marathon and you’re taking in extra protein, you really need to supplement magnesium because you can’t eat enough nuts and seeds and leafy greens to replace it at the rate it’s used up when you’re stressed.”
The recommended dietary allowance of magnesium is 400 to 420 milligrams for men and 310 to 320 milligrams for women. Pregnant women It is also recommended to increase your intake of magnetite as deficiency can affect fetal development and may lead to pregnancy complications.
Magnesium supplement
Bethany M. Doerfler, Eating plenty of magnesium-rich foods is the best way to increase your magnesium intake, while reducing stress and not losing magnesium in the first place, says a clinical research dietitian at Northwestern Medicine’s Digestive Health Center.
But for those who doubt a magnesium deficiency or those who need laxatives for constipation, may need oral supplements. It is essential to consult a doctor first; although it is unlikely that you can have too much of any mineral, excess magnesium supplementation can lead to irregular heartbeat.
Magnesium flakes and Epsom salts
For people who don’t take magnesium supplements like laxatives and need to increase their intake, oral supplements may not be absorbed effectively by the body, says Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian with the American Dietetic Association. Cleveland Clinic Center for Human Nutrition. She adds that oral supplements can move too quickly through the bloodstream, which is why Swart prefers the flake form.
“Transdermal [through the skin] “It doesn’t go through the digestive tract, so it’s unlikely to have a laxative effect.” Magnesium flakes, while similar to salt, are made up of minerals plus chloride and can be absorbed even more quickly in bathwater.
However, more long-term studies are needed to recommend transdermal magnesium as a formal treatment. Research 2015 found that transdermal magnesium sprays may help patients with fibromyalgia. Furthermore, a study more than two decades ago concluded that transdermal magnesium may help replenish the mineral in people with magnesium deficiency more quickly than oral supplements. However, according to a 2017 review of existing research published in NutrientsA full description of that study is no longer available. This more recent analysis found that while transdermal and topical magnesium—specifically sprays, oils, and magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) that contain magnesium—may be absorbed more quickly by the skin than oral supplements, the research is preliminary and has not been adequately or long-term tested. Doerfler agrees, saying that magnesium can be absorbed through the skin, but there is not enough evidence to call it a superior method.
How to bathe with magnesium scales
However, bathing in appropriate doses of magnesium flakes for a short period of time does not pose any adverse risks and is unlikely to cause skin irritation, Doerfler says. She adds that magnesium flakes “can improve both absorption and reduce muscle soreness and improve sleep if you are magnesium deficient.”
Finally, bathing in magnesium flakes or salts, which cost $20 to $30, can have a double benefit: As you absorb the mineral’s healing properties, you’ll also promote relaxation. Warm baths release oxytocin, which can mimic a warm hug—a great way to relieve stress and calm the nervous system, Swart says.
If you want to try this method, Swart suggests using the recommended amount of flakes on the product label—usually one to three cups—in a 15-minute bath a few times a week to feel the benefits.
