In recent months, videos have been circulating that propose the so-called “liver cleanse” through the oral intake of Epsom salts. This is a very widespread practice in holistic circles and presented as a natural method to “purify the liver” and “free the bile ducts”. The problem is that none of this has scientific basis. And in some cases it can be dangerous.

To talk about these salts in three hundred and sixty degrees, we discussed them with Francesco Domenico Nucera, chemist-physicist, creator of the dissemination page Chemistry Pills.

What Epsom Salts Really Are

From a chemical point of view, Epsom salts have the formula MgSO₄·7H₂O: it is magnesium sulphate heptahydrate, therefore salts formed by magnesium ions (Mg²⁺) and sulphate ions (SO₄²⁻). It is not “table salt” (NaCl), but a different compound, also known as epsom salt or bitter salt due to its flavor.

Ingestion of magnesium sulfate is considered safe only under specific conditions and in approved dosages. MgSO₄ is in fact classified as a laxative: orally it draws water into the intestinal lumen, increasing the liquid content of the feces and stimulating peristalsis. In the medical field it is used as a quick purgative or in intestinal preparation, but always under the supervision of healthcare personnel, because:

• an excess of magnesium can cause hypermagnesemia, with symptoms ranging from nausea and hypotension to respiratory depression in severe cases;
• the osmotic effect can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances;
• it is contraindicated in subjects with renal insufficiency, since it is the kidneys that eliminate excess magnesium.

In short, it is not a harmless herbal tea: it is a drug, and should be treated as such.

The myth of liver “cleansing”.

The starting point should be remembered more often: the liver does not need to be “washed”, because it is already the organ responsible for detoxifying the body.

“There is no solid scientific evidence that bathing or taking Epsom salts facilitates detoxification of the liver, elimination of accumulated toxins or cleansing of the bile ducts” confirms Nucera. “Oral intake (drinking water with Epsom salts) is approved as an occasional laxative, but this use is not equivalent to ‘liver cleansing’ and can lead to side effects – diarrhea, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances – especially in people with fragile kidneys or other pathologies.”

Translated: the people who pay for a “liver cleanse” in holistic centers are actually paying for a laxative, taking on real risks as well.

The other (real) uses of Epsom salts

Epsom salts also have cosmetic uses – relaxing baths, scrubs, foot baths – with exclusively aesthetic and comfort purposes. But here too it is better to keep our feet on the ground.

“There is no evidence that people absorb magnesium from bath water through the skin in significant quantities,” explains Nuocera. “Some studies report a modest increase in magnesium and sulphate in the blood after baths with Epsom salts, but the effect appears very limited.” The skin, the chemist reminds us, “is a barrier, not a sponge”.

There are also applications in agriculture, as a source of magnesium and sulfur for the soil, especially in poor soils. And it is often from here that many pseudoscientific narratives originate: we start from a real chemical foundation, we extrapolate it, and we arrive at promises that science does not confirm.

Why pseudosciences are successful

“The liver and kidneys already perform their role in detoxifying our body very well” recalls Nucera. “The kidneys are a real purification plant, a filter that eliminates our waste with urine, and the liver is a real industry: it manages to degrade practically all the rubbish that could harm us. In chemistry there is no molecule that is universally useful for all toxins, just as there is no drug that is suitable for all the pathologies known to us”.

So why do these practices continue to thrive?

The promise is simple and fascinating: remove toxins, clean, start again. It is the perfect narrative in an era in which health is experienced as something to be “maintained” with quick, pseudo-natural and possibly shareable rituals on Instagram or TikTok. A language that speaks to the belly, more than to the head.

But physiology does not allow itself to be enchanted by social media trends: our organs do not function like pipes to be unblocked with a miracle product.

The role of the scientific community (and of those who wear a lab coat)

Then there is an element that makes all this even more problematic: the spread of these practices does not only concern the general public. Increasingly, it is doctors, healthcare workers or para-professionals who promote unsubstantiated narratives, contributing to giving them an aura of unjustified credibility.

And it is here that the scientific community and health institutions have a crucial responsibility: to monitor not only the fake news spread on social media, but also the pseudoscientific statements that come from those wearing a lab coat. Because when a figure perceived as authoritative speaks, the line between care and illusion becomes very thin.

At stake is not only the fairness of public debate, but the safety of people. And everyone’s right to be treated – or simply advised – on the basis of evidence, not current trends.