E518
Magnesium sulphate
What the research shows
Concerning
in animal and lab studies only
A white salt also known as Epsom salt.1
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
What research says
Animal and lab studies only
-
Concern
Stomach irritation3
In animal and lab studies, magnesium sulfate affected stomach cells and raised some inflammation signals.
-
Concern
Gut and cell effects4
In lab studies, natural epsomite harmed cells more than pure magnesium sulphate, but what this means for people is unclear.
Study type not stated
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Open question
Artery stiffness2
Scientists do not yet know whether magnesium sulfate affects artery stiffness, blood pressure or gut bacteria in people.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
What expert reviews concluded
Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.
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UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 2007
No daily limit needed (“ADI not specified”, JECFA’s term for very low toxicity).
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
United States Permitted FDA 21 CFR 184.1443
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Canada Permitted Health Canada · Other Accepted Uses
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating. A country appears here once we've found this ingredient on its official list.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 507 products on Open Food Facts that list magnesium sulphate.
- Pure Life Bluetriton Brands · 500 mL 1 additive
- Purified Water Dasani · 500 ml 0 additives
- Zephyrhills Zephyrhills · 500 ml 1 additive
- Essentia water ionized alkaline bottled water Essentia 2 additives
- Sam's purified water 0 additives
- Essentia hydration perfected water Essentia 2 additives
References
- 1Magnesium sulfate. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 2Schutten JC, Joris PJ, Mensink RP, et al. Effects of magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate supplementation on arterial stiffness in healthy overweight individuals: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2019;20(1):295. doi:10.1186/s13063-019-3414-4
- 3Zhang X, Bo A, Chi B, Xia Y, Su X, Sun J. Magnesium sulfate induced toxicity in vitro in AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells and in vivo in mouse gastric mucosa. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015;16(1):71-6. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.1.71
- 4Giordani M, Mirata S, Scarfi S, et al. The cytotoxic/genotoxic role of impurities in soluble minerals: The case of natural (fibrous epsomite) versus synthetic (Epsom salt) magnesium sulphate. Sci Total Environ. 2025;966:178666. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178666