Magnesium: Other forms?

I know you recommend magnesium chloride, but what about

the magnesium chloride oil supplement that is absorbed through the skin? Do you know anything about that? And what about the magnesium in the Myers cocktail?

Anne
Thanks for this excellent question. Absorption through the skin is an attractive method because it seems not invasive. However, to get 1g (1000 mg) a day of magnesium is a bit expensive. The absorption is also quite variable and because there is no immediate effect to rely upon it is difficult to control. There are ways to increase the absorption but for the moment they are not easily available. For some who can’t stand the taste of magnesium chloride, even very diluted, because of an increased oral sensitivity we have advocated it as a replacement method. But because it has to be a daily requirement for life we have decided, after many discussions, not to advocate it as a general method. On top of that there are some skin’s problems that may appear or preclude it! The other way is to get a daily bath in sea water as it contains an elevated magnesium content. But this is not easily available to everyone. To do the equivalent in a bath requires at least 20 g of magnesium chloride! Thalasso-therapy in seawater is good but few people would have a daily access to it and at a high price. Hospitals on seaside, who would provide it have usually changed to fresh water because of equipment problems. Moreover, seawater is not sterile and there have been cases of infectious outbreaks.


Meyer’s cocktail is an intravenous method and as such is not a satisfying method for one’s daily requirement over a lifespan.


This is why we have kept away from those methods as a general recommendation. However, we may soon introduce a new method to help cells to keep healthy and this may increase the attraction of transdermal methods for those few having oral difficulties and/or for those who need a local high delivery of magnesium in a specific area of their body. Anne