Magnesium chloride salts is rare in healthy individuals with a normal diet, because excess magnesium is readily excreted in urine by the kidneys. A few cases of oral magnesium toxicity have been described in persons with normal renal function ingesting large amounts of magnesium salts, but it is rare. If a large amount of magnesium chloride is eaten, it will have effects similar to magnesium sulfate, causing diarrhea, although the sulfate also contributes to the laxative effect in magnesium sulfate, so the effect from the chloride is not as severe. Chloride (Cl) and magnesium (Mg) are both essential nutrients important for normal
Magnesium acetate LiCl, MgSO and MgCl were all compared to see what effect they had on the "Escherichia coli" enzyme Primase. The experimenters found that Mg(OAc) caused the best conformational change. MgSO and MgCl induced the effect slightly while the rest did not. When magnesium acetate is mixed with hydrogen peroxide it acts as a bactericidal. Magnesium acetate has been shown to be effective at ashing organic compounds in preparation for a fluorine analysis when high or low concentrations of fluorine are present. Magnesium acetate is a relatively safe compound to handle and has been given a health hazard rating of zero.