Many years ago I realized that I needed more calcium in my diet so I started taking calcium supplements for monthy cramps. One day I had a severe attack of depression. I went to the book Let’s Get Well where magnesium deficiency was suggested for depression and I then found the information about the 2 to 1 calcium/magnesium ration. I took 1/2 teaspoonful of epsom salts in a glass of water and in 30 minutes the depression was gone. I found a good supplement with the proper ratio and never lost another day to cramps and my frequent backache was gone. When I was about 60 I began to get back pain again and discovered that Boron was also good for bone health. For about a decade my back was fine again with 3 mg/day, then started to hurt again so now I take 3 mg. morning and evening. I am now 83 with no regular aches and pains, and my shrink rate has slowed a lot, from 5’5” to 5’3”.
In those early learning days I had a woman friend across the street. One hot summer day I went across to see her. She was sitting down and crying. She said “I don’t know why I am so depressed, my job is fine, no fights with boyfriend, bills are paid, etc.” I asked what she had been doing, “Oh, gardening out front.” Out front was in the sun and the temperature was 97 in the shade. I told her I could probably help her. When home and mixed a large glass of water with 1/2 tsp. of Epsom salts, and 1/4 teaspoon of table salt. She drank it all and I went to the nearby grocery store. When I returned she was washing dishes and singing to herself.
My husband had a boat at the Jersey shore and would work on it for hours and come home exhausted and very thirsty. I decided to mix him a gallon of water with 1/2 teaspoon each of Epsom salts, potassium salt substitute, and table salt (NaCl). That evening he came home with about an inch left in the bottle and said it had worked great. Late that evening he picked up the gallon to take a drink, made a face and said, “This tastes aweful, it tasted fine this afternoon.” So I guess his body liked it when it was needed.
The last time I had epsom salts as a drink I had uncontrollable diarrhea.