Pharmacology does not stand still. Based on new discoveries, manufacturers bring new drugs to production, replacing old ones. Until recently, Soviet women intending to lose weight knew that Glauber’s salt, which could be purchased at any pharmacy for next to nothing, was the best solution. Today, a pharmacist would simply shrug at such a request. The thing is that now you can only buy it at a veterinary clinic. The reason was the emergence of a more successful analogue on the market — magnesium sulfate. But still, there is a difference between these laxatives.
Brief description
Full chemical name – sodium sulfate decahydrate
Other names:
- Glauber’s salt
- Siberian salt
- mirabilite
- sodium sulfate
- gujjar
Chemical formula – Na2SO4 · 10H2O
Dosage form – coarse crystalline white powder
Description:
- large, transparent crystals
- crystal shape – prisms
- taste – bitter-salty
- odorless
- quickly melts in the mouth, instantly dissolves in water
- non-flammable
- deteriorates on prolonged exposure to air and from heating, losing weight
- after complete disintegration, it becomes simple sodium sulfate
Main purpose – laxative
Method of administration – orally, after dissolving in water
Pharmacokinetics – not absorbed in the intestines
Sources:
- a mineral mined in Canada, Georgia, Turkmenistan and Western Siberia
- seawater
- mineral springs of the Karlovy Vary and Marienbad (Czech Republic) resorts
- a plaque and crusts on saltpeter and gypsum deposits
History – for the first time it was discovered in the winter of 1626 by the German alchemist, chemist, pharmacist and physician Johann Rudolf Glauber in mineral waters.
Origin of the name. Glauber called the substance he discovered mirabilite, since “mirabile” in Latin is miraculous. After all, this salt healed him of typhoid fever, when the condition was extremely serious.
Main issue
In medicine and veterinary medicine, Glauber’s salt is used as an effective, fast-acting laxative. It is not surprising that it is in such great demand for weight loss. The problem is that recently it was removed from the register of medicines for humans, and was left only as a means for treating animals.
Therefore, many who want to lose weight with the help of mirabilite are concerned about the main question – can people drink a solution made from a powder sold in veterinary pharmacies and clinics?
Many sources claim that Glauber’s salt, which doctors used to prescribe to their patients as a laxative back in the Soviet era, is no different from the one used in veterinary medicine today. On the one hand, it is true that both drugs are produced in the form of a pure powder without impurities. On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that the requirements for medicines intended for the treatment of people and animals are different.
Glauber’s salt
No doctor will now officially prescribe this drug for treatment to their patient. Nevertheless, on the Web you can find a huge number of positive reviews about losing weight with it. Therefore, deciding on this method of losing weight, you need to understand that you will have to take full responsibility for the consequences yourself. Are you ready to drink the drug, on the packaging of which it is written: “For veterinary purposes”, “For animals”, “For veterinary use”?
For weight loss, you can successfully use a whole range of other laxatives, which are functional analogues, but approved by official medicine – the same magnesium sulfate. Yes, mirabilite works faster, but it also irritates the intestinal walls more aggressively and has much more side effects.
Moreover, do not order jars labeled “Glauber’s salt for humans” or “Glauber’s salt for weight loss” from dubious Internet resources. This is a hoax.
Action
Beneficial features:
- relieves constipation
- improves digestion
- normalizes metabolism
- enhances bile production
- relieves the symptoms of poisoning
- blocks toxic substances entering the digestive tract with food, preventing their absorption into the bloodstream
The main indications for the use of Glauber’s salt in Soviet medicine were constipation and severe forms of poisoning.
Effect on weight loss:
- activates intestinal peristalsis, providing a laxative effect
- due to this, the digestive tract is freed from stagnant feces
- binds toxic substances in the stomach and removes them from the body
- improves lymph flow
- removes excess fluid, having diuretic properties (however, less pronounced than laxatives)
- cleanses the body
Mirabilite contributes to weight loss by removing feces, toxins, toxins, other waste and excess fluid. However, body fat does not go anywhere.
Interesting fact. Paustovsky’s novel “Kara-Bugaz” is dedicated to the extraction of Glauber’s salt in Turkmenistan. After its publication, the writer’s colleagues began to call him “the mirabilite of our literature.”
Potential harm
Before losing weight with any medications, it is generally recommended to undergo a medical examination and consult with a doctor and nutritionist. However, such advice is completely useless in relation to Glauber’s salt: not a single professional doctor will prescribe a veterinary drug to a person. Therefore, when choosing such an extreme method of losing weight, you can only rely on yourself. At the very least, you should familiarize yourself with the contraindications and side effects.
Contraindications:
- individual intolerance
- avitaminosis
- anemia
- dehydration
- serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, any intestinal disorders (especially diarrhea)
- cholecystitis
- exacerbation of any chronic diseases
- pregnancy, lactation
- childhood and old age
Side effects:
- dehydration
- deficiency of minerals, vitamins and other nutrients, which, due to mirabilite, are not absorbed by the body and are actively excreted as soon as they enter the digestive tract
- prolonged, uncontrolled diarrhea
- vomiting (rare, but possible)
- worsening of health
- severe pallor of the skin
- bags and dark circles under the eyes
- weakness, lethargy, drowsiness
- sudden mood swings, irritability
- allergic reaction
Considering such an extensive list of side effects, it is not surprising that Glauber’s salt was replaced by magnesium sulfate. It does not have such an aggressive effect on the gastric mucosa.
Use
Self-use of Glauber’s salt as a laxative for weight loss is difficult, since the instructions for the drug are written for animals. There you will find dosages for horses, cattle, deer, sheep, etc. None of this is relevant to humans. Therefore, you have to use the drug in accordance with the recommendations of people who have already managed to lose weight with it.
Firstly, you can find recipes for weight loss from Glauber’s salt. Here are some of the most common and effective recipes (according to reviews). Everything must be prepared fresh each time and used immediately.
