Epsom salts are basically magnesium sulfate. About 150 years ago, a smart chemist mixed magnesium and sulfate together and created magnesium sulfate. This is a very good laxative for people. If you take too much, you’re going to have very loose bowel motions, so you need to be very careful. You may want to start with a teaspoon of Epsom salts in about eight ounces of water about half an hour before bed.
Notice how often I say take something before bed. With constipation, it’s good if you take magnesium sulfate at bedtime to give your digestive system several hours to process the laxative. Magnesium sulfate will create an osmotic effect that draws water into the large intestine. The water softens the stool, which increases the speed of passage through the bowel.
If you take too many Epsom salts, you can find yourself in some embarrassing situations. Don’t take too much. Some people have this crazy belief that if they’ve got a big problem, they need a massive solution. That could mean 50 vitamin E capsules a day or 10 tablespoons of Epsom salts. Don’t laugh, because I’ve seen people do these sorts of things.
I’m always telling people to be cautious, start slowly, and work out their ideal dosage. It may be half a teaspoon. It may be three teaspoons. We don’t know until you start low and go slow until you find the right dose. I know a lot of people in their 70s and 80s who only need a pinch of Epsom salts in order to have regular bowel movements
You need to be careful using Epsom salts with people who are old and frail and young children. If the child is under six, seek medical care for constipation. Epsom salts can cause dehydration in children very quickly.
Epsom salt is only part of the answer to constipation. It’s really the icing on the cake. The real solutions are being active every day, eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, and cutting out caffeine and alcohol. You don’t want to rely on Epsom salt to move your bowels. You want to have a lifestyle that enables your bowels to move on their own.
Take a look at my other videos on constipation. It can be fixed in nearly all cases. I’ve yet to see a constipation case that can’t be improved to some degree.
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26582579
- https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/epsom-salt-for-constipation
