subject: Transdermal Magnesium and Other Nutrients [print this page] Transdermal Magnesium and Other Nutrients
Skin may be the body's first line of defence against harm from the outside, but skin is not impermeable. Many people query whether substances that are rubbed on the skin can really get inside and have any effect. But the skin can and does let substances through, so transdermal magnesium and other beneficial substances do have an effect.But skin is not completely impermeable: it does allow some substances to pass from the outside in. This lesson is learned very quickly by those who are unfortunate enough to suffer strong allergies to peanuts - all they have to do is touch the slightest bit of peanut butter and they go into major anaphylactic shock. Quite clearly, a substance has passed through the skin and into the body in order to trigger this violent reaction. Those who don't suffer from an allergy to peanuts can try a simple experiment to demonstrate that the skin does allow substances through into the body. Take a slice of garlic and rub it on the soles of your feet. After several hours, ask a good friend to smell your breath to see if it stinks - you'll have garlic breath, so it might be a good idea to go and eat some parsley or clean your teeth. The idea that minerals and nutrients can be delivered transdermally is the major principle behind a number of conventional and alternative medicine practices. "Patches" are used to help people quit smoking (the patches deliver nicotine via the skin, helping wean a smoker off the addiction) and are also used as a contraceptive method. Aromatherapy also is based on the idea that beneficial substances can be absorbed via the skin. This principle is quite important when it comes to transdermal magnesium. Often, magnesium taken as a dietary supplement in tablet form is not absorbed properly by the body, and this vital mineral is passed out of the body and goes to waste. To get the benefits of magnesium in the system, it needs to be delivered in a form that gets into the bloodstream as quickly as possible. One option is to take magnesium in liquid form; another is to take transdermal magnesium. Taking this mineral via the skin allows it to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the human system, as it is needed for nearly everything that goes on at the cellular level: muscle activity, growth and healing of tissues, nerve function and more! Magnesium deficiency is quite common, and often manifests (in its early stages) as tiredness, mood disorders, lack of energy and loss of appetite. Extreme magnesium deficiency is a very dangerous condition, as heart failure can be attributed, in some cases, to a severe lack of magnesium. Transdermal magnesium is designed for use as a massage oil (a mineral version of aromatherapy) or as an addition to a hot bath. The beneficial effects of bathing in hot mineral waters have been known for millennia, with many traditional hot springs used therapeutically being rich in magnesium as well as other minerals. Magnesium is also abundant in seawater, which also has a long tradition of being used for health-promoting bathing.
