Insights & Discussion
Drinking natural mineral water rich in magnesium sulphate and sodium sulphate daily improves bowel movement frequency and stool consistency in people with functional constipation.
This placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial involved 106 healthy individuals with functional constipation. They were randomly assigned to consume either 300 or 500 ml of a natural mineral water rich in magnesium sulphate and sodium sulphate (Donat Mg) or a placebo water daily for six weeks. The 300-ml groups were discontinued following an interim analysis. Participants recorded their bowel movements, stool consistency, gastrointestinal symptoms, and general well-being in a diary. The primary outcome was the change in the number of complete spontaneous bowel movements per week.
In the 500-ml group, consisting of 75 subjects, there was a tendency for a higher increase in complete spontaneous bowel movements per week in the active group compared to the placebo after six weeks. The mean number of spontaneous bowel movements significantly increased over the study period, with notable differences between the study arms throughout the study. Stool consistency and subjectively perceived symptoms of constipation improved significantly with the mineral water compared to placebo. Overall, the daily consumption of this specific mineral water led to improvements in bowel movement frequency and stool consistency, enhancing the health-related quality of life for participants with functional constipation.
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Magnesium-rich mineral water effectively treats and prevents constipation in children, leading to regular, painless bowel movements.
2020 Russian Journal of Physiotherapy, Balneology and Rehabilitation The use of magnesium-containing mineral waters for functional constipation in children and adolescents Kulikov AG, Zakharova IN, Tvorogova TM, Stepurina LL, Elezova LI
Clinical Study Children's Health Constipation Magnesium
This randomized, prospective, open, comparative study involved 95 children and adolescents aged 10-16 years with functional constipation. They received sanatorium therapy for 18 days, including a sparing-exercise regimen, therapeutic nutrition, health-improving massage, and physiotherapy exercises. Participants were divided into two groups: Group 1 (55 patients) received basic treatment plus magnesium-containing mineral water, while Group 2 (40 patients) received only basic treatment. The study assessed the frequency and nature of defecation, vegetative status, and functional body reserves.
By day 5, 49% of Group 1 patients achieved daily defecation, increasing to 89.1% by the end of treatment. In contrast, only 55% of Group 2 showed positive changes by the end. The mineral water group also had softer, pain-free bowel movements, with most achieving a morning defecation reflex after consuming the water. The control group saw less significant changes in defecation nature, with only 18% reaching softer bowel movements by the end of treatment. The results indicate the effectiveness and safety of magnesium-containing mineral water in treating and preventing functional constipation in children.
Hépar mineral water, rich in sulphates and magnesium, effectively treats functional constipation, showing significant results within 7 days.
2019 Nutrition Time to treatment response of a magnesium- and sulphate-rich natural mineral water in functional constipation Dupont C, Constant F, Imbert A, Hébert G, Zourabichvili O, Kapel N
Clinical Study Constipation Magnesium Mineral Water
In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled study, 226 outpatients with functional constipation were evaluated. Participants underwent a washout period before consuming 1.5 liters of water daily for 14 days, of which 1 liter was either Hépar or low-mineral water. Patients self-reported stool consistency daily, and an expert investigator, blinded to the treatment groups, evaluated stool consistency using the Bristol stool scale based on patient-provided photographs.
The study successfully met its primary endpoint, with 50% of participants in the Hépar group responding to treatment by day 14, compared to 29% in the control group. The average time to observe a treatment response was 6.4 days for Hépar users, shorter than the 7.3 days in the control group. Approximately 60% of patients provided stool scores, with 79% of these scores closely aligning between patients and experts. The safety analysis of Hépar indicated excellent results, confirming its efficacy and safety in treating functional constipation.
Migraine patients exhibit lower intracellular magnesium levels, which can be increased by consuming magnesium-rich mineral water, demonstrating its bioavailability.
2000 Clinica Chimica Acta Free and total magnesium in lymphocytes of migraine patients — effect of magnesium-rich mineral water intake Thomas J, Millot JM, Sebille S, Delabroise AM, Thomas E, Manfait M, et al.
Clinical Study Magnesium Migraine Mineral Water
The study started by identifying a common issue with lower-than-recommended dietary intakes of magnesium in Western countries. The focus was on migraine patients, as low brain magnesium and impaired magnesium metabolism had been reported in migraine cases. A non-invasive and sensitive test to detect these deficiencies was sought. Magnesium, being an intracellular cation, was tested in 29 migraine patients and 18 control subjects. The tests were for total magnesium in plasma, erythrocytes, lymphocytes and ionized magnesium in lymphocytes.
The analysis found that there were lower concentrations of total magnesium in erythrocytes and ionized magnesium in lymphocytes of migraine patients compared to controls. These findings indicated a notable overall difference between the migraine patients and the controls, despite there being overlaps in some individual values.
The researchers then subjected the migraine patients to a 2-week intake of a mineral water rich in magnesium. An increase in all intracellular magnesium concentrations was observed, with no effect on plasma magnesium. This increase demonstrated the bioavailability of magnesium from the mineral water. Interestingly, the most sensitive index of magnesium deficiency turned out to be ionized magnesium in lymphocytes, which saw the most significant increase after the intake of the magnesium-rich mineral water.