Will a magnesium bath really calm my anxiety?

I SUFFER from terrible anxiety. I read that magnesium is helpful for calming a whirring mind. Is this true? If so, do I take it orally or soak in a magnesium salt bath? MAGNESIUM is an important mineral for the body, used to maintain good bone health and extract energy from food.

It’s found in leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach, brown rice, dairy products and nuts. It is thought most people will get enough (300mg daily) from dietary intake.

Government advice is to be careful of supplementing beyond this level as it may cause digestive prolems in the short term, while the long-term effects of taking too much are still unknown.

Expert sources do not recommend magnesium for insomnia or anxiety. However, some supplements are recommended for helping mood and anxiety, including omega 3 fatty acids, selenium, folic acid and tryptophan.

But even evidence for these is not enough for doctors to use them instead of treatment.

Non-drug methods of controlling anxiety include cutting down caffeine intake from all sources and eating regularly to avoid sugar highs and lows that affect mood.

Many people claim that magnesium is better absorbed through the skin as part of a bath, rather than via the gut – Epsom salts are a way of adding a dose to bathwater. But a 2017 scientific review advised that, despite the popularity, there is not enough scientific evidence to support this claim. I HAVE always suffered a sluggish bowel on holiday, sometimes going four or five days between motions, and it’s often painful. Prune juice helps but I can’t always get it abroad. Do you have any suggestions? CONSTIPATION means different things to different people: a problem depends on what is ‘normal’ for the patient.

There is no standard set frequency to go and there is huge variation among all adults.

For instance, we wouldn’t consider it concerning if a patient said they only opened their bowels three times a week, but found it comfortable and easy to go.

Likewise, going more that once a day is perfectly normal, if that is usual for you. Constipation – defined as going fewer than three times a week – is a problem when it causes discomfort or difficulty, as well as abdominal pain in between times.

It can be normal for the condition to strike during a holiday due to changes that affect the bowels: lack of routine, diet and fluid changes and disruption of exercise. Paying attention to these things should be enough to rectify the problem.

Drinking plenty of water is crucial, particularly on holiday when dehydration is common. Exercising every day will also help.

Fibre, found in wholegrain bread, brown rice and fruit and vegetables, is also vital for adding bulk to digested food as it moves through the intestines and into the bowels, and generally ensures that everything keeps moving.

Foods that are high in a sugar called sorbitol, which absorbs water and becomes a gel-like substance in the intestines, can encourage bowel movements. These include apples, apricots, grapes, peaches, strawberries and plums. When fruit is dried, the sorbitol content is even more concentrated, making them even more effective. So dried plums – prunes – are a good idea.