Study of Magnesium Transdermal

I find Hair Mineral Testing Analysis very useful in my practice and together with Food Sensitivity testing are the two tests I use the most. Hair Mineral testing is non-invasive and as I have a lot of children in my practice this works well. It’s not perfect but together with a naturopathic assessment does give me valuable information which refines my recommendations. I attended a very well known seminar some a few years ago where I was categorically that the evidence that Magnesium used trans dermally i.e. through the skin was increases magnesium levels was not there. I found this hard to believe having experienced the benefits of Epson salts baths (I was assured it was the hot water and detoxification benefits which was pertinent here not an increase in magnesium) but it did make me wary of using Magnesium topically as an alternative to supplementation. As practitioners we have to make difficult choices and prioritise the supplementation we recommend. We of course make food a priority but so often supplements are needed supporting digestive chemistry and dysbiosis and that’s 2/3 tablets before we get to Vitamin and Mineral support.

It therefore gave me pleasure to come across this article which found that transdermal magnesium application can improve magnesium levels significantly. It also improved the calcium / magnesium ratio. This was a small study but I was sufficiently convinced to buy the product to use on my son (whose magnesium levels are not rising with supplementation) and I will wait and see in 12 weeks if there has been any improvement. Even more interesting was the fact that patients also showed evidence of detoxification of heavy metals.

You will find a huge amount of information out there on the bioavailability of different types of oral magnesium; there are many factors involved, including the state of the digestive system. Having something we we can recommend topically which bypasses the digestive system an extremely useful tool in addition to the fact that it’s not a pill and is very safe to use on children.

See attached the full transcript of the article. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28788060

Abstract

In the following review, we evaluated the current literature and evidence-based data on transdermal magnesium application and show that the propagation of transdermal magnesium is scientifically unsupported. The importance of magnesium and the positive effects of magnesium supplementation are extensively documented in magnesium deficiency, e.g., cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. The effectiveness of oral magnesium supplementation for the treatment of magnesium deficiency has been studied in detail. However, the proven and well-documented oral magnesium supplementation has become questioned in the recent years through intensive marketing for its transdermal application (e.g., magnesium-containing sprays, magnesium flakes, and magnesium salt baths). In both, specialist and lay press as well as on the internet, there are increasing numbers of articles claiming the effectiveness and superiority of transdermal magnesium over an oral application. It is claimed that the transdermal absorption of magnesium in comparison to oral application is more effective due to better absorption and fewer side effects as it bypasses the gastrointestinal tract.