Make Salt Great Again

Figure 1. Magnesium sulfate.

Source: Chemicalinterest. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Magnesium_sulfate.JPG (accessed February 15, 2018). Copyright 2010 by Chemicalinterest. Public Domain.

Make Salt Great Again

Vincent Dang

Most people think there is nothing special about salt. The salt that most people think of is sodium chloride, table salt people add to food to enliven the taste. There are some salts that do many cool things. However, not many people may be aware of how awesome it is. The salt of interest is Magnesium Sulfate.

It was interesting how Magnesium Sulfate was discovered. Henry Wicker was a farmer living in Epsom, England back in 1618. He found water his cows refused to drink; yet, the water healed their scratches and rashes. The water had dissolved substances that would later be termed Epsom Salt, later it was Magnesium Sulfate.

Magnesium Sulfate is amazingly versatile. Adding Epsom Salt to warm water baths helps to relax muscles and reduce inflammation, swelling (1). Even more astonishing is how magnesium sulfate can help pregnant women when they experience complications with their pregnancy. A fluid injection of magnesium sulfate can treat seizures in pregnant women; therefore, magnesium sulfate can also act as an anticonvulsant (2). If women is in danger of delivering the baby several weeks earlier than expected, magnesium sulfate prolongs pregnancy for two more days (2). This allows for artificial injection of hormones to better the chances of a baby born prematurely without any complications.

Magnesium Sulfate also appears in many important industries. For example: magnesium sulfate makes up 22% of the US market in terms of animal feeds and fertilizers (3). It has also been used in the making plastics more stable and even more fire resistant (4). Most people think salt cannot harm people; but, magnesium sulfate is not a compound to be messed with. If a person inhales it, they will experience soar throat and coughing (4). Magnesium sulfate is definitely not safe to eat like table salt. Ingesting it will cause diarrhea and vomiting (4).

Magnesium Sulfate is one of many examples of salts that can do great things. Not only does it help people relax when they bathing, it also can save pregnant women from potential complications that can harm them. What started as a coincidental discovery back in 17th century England has now transcended the world of science and truly is an amazing salt.

1. Schlager, D., Ed., Weisblatt, J., Newton, D.E. Chemical Compounds [Online]; UXL: Detroint, MI, 2006, p 429-433. http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.mtroyal.ca/ps/retrieve.do?resultListType=RELATED_DOCUMENT&userGroupName=mtroyalc&inPS=true&contentSegment=9781414404677&prodId=GVRL&isETOC=true&docId=GALE|CX3441700111# (accessed January 31, 2018).
2. The American College of Women of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Magnesium Sulfate Use in Obstretics, 2016. ACOG. https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Magnesium-Sulfate-Use-in-Obstetrics (accessed February 14, 2018).
3. Magnesium Compounds. In Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology; D.A. Kramer; John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Posted June 18, 2004. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.libproxy.mtroyal.ca/doi/10.1002/0471238961.1301071410010311.a01.pub3/full (accessed February 7, 2018).
4. Magnesium Compounds. In Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry; M. Seeger, W. Otto, W. Flick, F. Bickelhaupt, O.S. Akkerman, Eds..;  Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, Germany, 2011; Vol. 22, pp 66-71.
5. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Magnesium Sulfate, 2012. TOXNET. https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search2/f?./temp/~nbVNX1:1 (accessed January 31, 2018).