Pink Himalayan Salt Health Benefits

Last Updated on December 21, 2016 by Marc Seward

What is Pink Himalayan Salt?

Well I am sure that you guessed it was Himalayan and pink but did you know that it is considered to be the purest form of salt you can find on earth? Its purity is the result of its great age and location deep within the Himalayan mountain range preserved in pristine environmental conditions and surrounded for millions of years by ice and snow.

Pink Himalayan salt is now hand mined before finding its way to our shops and tables. Unlike the commercial table salt that most people still use, Himalayan salt is neither bleached nor heated chemically and retains far more of its essential minerals.

Claims that Himalayan salt differs from any other salt because it has 84 trace minerals might be exaggerated and other good quality salts like Celtic salt share the same mineral composition but given the amount of pollutants now being washed out into the sea, the purity of pink Himalayan salt is unparalleled.

What is Salt good for?

Salt has developed a bad reputation over recent times. We are often told to limit our sodium intake because of the associated health risks and yet we find ourselves craving salt and if you go back in history there is plenty of evidence that salt was so valued that it really was worth its weight in gold.

Salt really is essential for life; living without it is not possible-but it is also important to realize that not all salt is created equal. The commercial salt on most people’s tables has very little in common with real natural salt like that found in the Himalayas and the oceans.

There is also the issue that around 80% of the salt consumed by the majority of people is derived from processed food; the bulk of the salt in these products is sodium whereas the sodium content of natural salt is significantly lower.

We basically need salt for a variety of reasons that includes the following:

• It helps carry nutrients to and from your cells
• It is a major component of bodily fluids
• It helps regulate blood pressure
• It helps the brain to communicate with the body’s muscles

The Benefits of Pink Himalayan Salt

Pink Himalayan salt is composed of sodium chloride but also includes 84 minerals essential to your health including sulfate, calcium, magnesium, potassium and bromide. These essential minerals help the body in a variety of respects, Himalayan salt can:

Detoxify the body
Salt enables the efficient transfer of toxins from healthy cells into your bloodstream. Pink Himalayan salt is said to be more effective than commercial table salt.
Lower blood pressure and improve circulation
In the right quantity, Himalayan salt can help decrease blood pressure and improve your circulation at the same time. Because pink Himalayan salt is so much more pure than regular table salt, it is absorbed more efficiently into the system and taken in moderation can help maintain a healthy blood pressure level.
Balance the body’s electrolytes
Consuming a sufficient quantity of salt is important to balance the electrolytes in the body. Pink Himalayan salt is more effective than commercially available salt.
Thyroid and Adrenal Health
The trace minerals found in Himalayan salt are very important to ensure proper thyroid and adrenal functions. If you have problems associated with these glands, consuming sufficient salt can help greatly and pink Himalayan salt being the most pure form of salt would be the best option.
Regulate fluid content
Trace elements found in Himalayan salt help naturally regulate the amount of water it needs to operate effectively.
Balance the body’s pH levels
Himalayan salt and other forms of pure salt might help balance the body’s pH levels because of its alkalizing effect.
Prevent cramp
The trace minerals found in pink Himalayan salt help to prevent cramping and are certainly useful for athletes who want to recover.
Strengthen bones
Much of the body’s salt content is found in the bones. When the body is lacking sodium and trace minerals, it can draw salt from the bones. This has a weakening effect and is a factor in osteoporosis and other bone conditions.
Relaxes muscles
When added to your bathwater, pink Himalayan salt can help your body to relax and recover from any aches and pains.

Pink Himalayan Salt Uses

Apart from simply eating the stuff as a replacement for your ordinary table salt, pink Himalayan salt can be used in a variety of ways.

1. Pink Himalayan Salt Neti Pot

If you are suffering from blocked sinuses, flushing them out with a neti pot is one of the best methods to get rid of the problem. Most people use a saline solution in their neti pots and many experts including Dr Mercola recommend using pink Himalayan salt instead of ordinary salt because it is more pure and has greater healing abilities than common commercial salt.

2. Himalayan Salt Lamps

If you want to brighten up your room with a genuinely unique product with all the added health benefits, then consider treating yourself to a Himalaya salt lamp. Apart from looking great, these lamps are said to purify the air by attracting moisture from your environment to the surface of the lamp where it quickly evaporates.

3. Detox bath with pink Himalayan salt

Pink Himalayan salt is not cheap so throwing a pound or two into your bathtub might not be the most cost effective use of the product but there are many people that suggest adding the salt to your bath can help the body to detoxify and rejuvenate. To ensure that you receive the optimum effects, it is recommended to add between a pound and two pounds of salt to your bathtub.

If you are concerned with cost, you could try adding a cup or two instead. I cannot vouch for the beneficial effects from personal experience, but there are many people who claim that pink Himalayan salt baths are an incredibly relaxing and detoxifying experience.

4. Himalayan Salt inhalation Therapy

Himalayan salt inhalers are available to replicate the effects of salt therapy. Salt therapy or speleotherapy is growing in popularity and generally refers to a treatment method using salt caves or mines to treat diseases; the treatment involves inhaling the salty air allowing the salt particles to detoxify and cleanse the sinuses and lungs.

I will be honest here and say that it sounds like a very far-fetched treatment method but more and more people are exposing themselves to this treatment in some European countries and several artificial environments have already been established.

According to supporters of the therapy, it can help

• Ease symptoms in asthmatics
• Clean the sinuses and reduce seasonal allergies
• Improve respiratory systems
• Help with skin conditions such as eczema
• Treat cystic fibrosis

Despite its bad rap, a certain amount of sodium is necessary. Our bodies crave it and need it; reducing the amount of salt you get from processed food is sensible and we should try to limit our intake of processed food in any case.

There is not a great deal of research proving whether pink Himalayan sea salt is better for you than other forms of real salt but there is no doubt that it is salt in its purest form and that it is far more beneficial than commercial table salt.

Give it a go and let us know if it deserves any of the hype!