Do Epsom Salt Baths Actually Work?

Thinking of an epsom salt bath?

Science writer Paul Ingraham couldn't find a single scientific paper on the effects of epsom salt on body pain.

The Epsom Salt Council claims "Epsom salt has a range of uses and benefits – whether you’re a supermodel, a top athlete, a gardener or someone who wants to de-stress and improve your health."

Illustration from Ingraham's article, Does Epsom Salt Work?

Being a mere "someone," I had time to look up whether epsom salt baths actually work.

The Epsom Salt Council quotes a few doctors, but doesn't reference any studies.

According to Ingraham, there's not a shred of evidence that epsom salt can get through the skin, and even if it did, that it would have any effect on muscle soreness. There's not even enough evidence to form a compelling hypothesis in this direction.

"It’s really surprisingly difficult to say whether or not a given biological effect is “good” — it’s almost never that simple," writes Ingraham.

The same goes for many business decisions. It would be wise to take many trends with a grain of salt--big trends like open workspaces, eliminating telecommuting, agile software development, dispensing of org charts, and disproportionately high pay for CEOs. Do these approaches really work, or are they epsom salt baths?

As for taking that epsom salt bath, salt feels silky, so you might enjoy one, but a regular bath will do as well.

Ingraham does have a good working hyptothesis: "Post-exercise muscle soreness is probably the leading cause of hot baths."

Read Ingraham's full article here:

Does Epsom Salt Work?