Pink Himalayan Salt is a unique salt. Also known as Himalayan sea salt, Himalayan crystal salt or simply pink salt, it’s said to be the cleanest and purest salt you can ever find.
It’s extracted from the Khewra Salt Mine, one of the oldest and largest salt mines in the world, located approximately 190 miles from the Himalayas in Pakistan. This region is believed to be one of the richest salt fields in the world, dating back several billion years ago when Earth was first formed. The salt field was said to be created from the evaporation of ancient, primeval bodies of water.
Because it’s hand-extracted, it goes through very little processing. This creates a pure and unrefined salt that’s devoid of additives and toxic ingredients.
The natural harvesting process also allows the Pink Himalayan salt to possess more than one mineral that’s said to provide many health benefits for both humans and animals.
Here are some of the surprising benefits of Pink Himalayan Salt.
It improves respiratory problems.
There’s a valid reason why Himalayan salt caves exist throughout the world. These caves have served to be asthma clinics and respiratory hospitals.
This natural treatment called “halotherapy” – or salt therapy – involves the inhalation of micronized dry salt inside a chamber. According to studies, halotherapy can be a highly effective means of treating chronic bronchitis. [1]
That’s because according to the Lung Institute, salt’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties help clear excess mucus from the body, drives away pathogens in the air like pollen, and decreases IgE level (immune system oversensitivity). [2]
Using salt caves for halotherapy has been the topic of various studies. While results show that while there may be some benefit to treating lung diseases, more extensive research is needed to prove its effectiveness. [3, 4, 5]
It fixes and balances your body’s pH.
Pink Himalayan sea salt, being rich in mineral content, can help you balance your body’s pH levels.
It’s important to strike a healthy balance between acid and alkaline because it strengthens your immune system and aid in digestion. Because Pink Himalayan Salt contains a healthy amount of sodium and other electrolytes, it can help you get a good acid-to-alkaline ratio in your blood.
It aids in natural digestion.
Ever heard of sole? (It’s pronounced as so-ley, like Cirque de Soleil.)
It’s a saturated solution containing purified water and Himalayan salt. Pretty much like a salt water flush.
According to experts, a daily fix of sole can help your digestive system to function better. [6]
Daily use of sole is believed to stimulate the peristalsis of the digestive organs, balance the stomach acid, support the production of digestive fluids in the liver and pancreas, regulate the metabolism and harmonize the acid-alkaline balance.
Here’s a holistic doctor, Dr Budweiser Hawkins Jr DC, talking about the benefits of sole and how to make one:
It purifies the air.
Have you seen one of those fancy-looking lamps made of big blocks of Pink Himalayan Salt with a light source from the inside? That’s not just for aesthetic purposes. Some say salt lamps also help clear the air from pollutants.
How does it do that exactly?
Himalayan salt attracts both water vapor, dust, and allergens towards it. Because of the heat emanating from the lamp, the water vapor evaporates while the air pollutants stick to the salt instead of getting into your system. [7]
It helps you sleep better.
Pink Himalayan salt has high mineral content compared to typical table salt. Because of this, it encourages better and higher-quality sleep. In fact, having enough salt in your daily diet and meeting the daily recommended allowance for sodium [8] can give you more beauty sleep.
Based on a study conducted in 1989, low-sodium diets resulted in more irregular and interrupted shut-eye. In this study, subjects who have lower sodium intake woke up in the wee hours twice as often as those with higher sodium levels and those who have met the daily requirement of 2,000 mg of sodium. [9]
According to Dr. Michael V. Vitiello, the director of the Sleep and Aging Research Program at the University of Washington in Seattle: [9]
Low levels of sodium in the blood cause blood volume to decrease, and the sympathetic nervous system becomes more active in order to compensate. That causes sleepers to wake up more often and have difficulty going back to sleep.
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Other health benefits of Himalayan salt may include: [10]
- Regulation of the water levels within the body for proper overall functioning
- Helping reduce common signs of aging
- Encouraging healthy blood sugar levels
- Promoting cellular energy creation
- Reducing cramping (like leg cramps)
- Improving the absorption of nutrients from foods
- Aiding vascular health
- Lowering the incidence of sinus problems and promoting overall sinus health
- Providing circulatory support
- Improving bone strength
- Fostering a healthy libido
- Promoting kidney and gallbladder health in comparison to chemically treated table salt
Conclusion
When used in moderation, a high-grade Pink Himalayan Salt can bring many benefits to your body. It can ease respiratory problems, clear the air from pollutants, aid in achieving a balanced pH and quality sleep, and provide a healthier digestive system.
Take Pink Himalayan Salt together with electrolytes to avoid dehydration, minimize heat stress, boost performance, and reduce muscle cramping before, during, and after exercise.
Sources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10439712
[2] https://lunginstitute.com/blog/salt-therapy-and-copd/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27723955
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24591823
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16629791
[6] http://drsircus.com/salt/real-salt-celtic-salt-and-himalayan-salt/
[7] http://www.naturallivingideas.com/himalayan-pink-salt-lamp-benefits/
[8] https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-7/
[9] http://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/04/science/science-watch-salt-and-sleep.html
[10] http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/himalayan-crystal-salt-benefits/