Himalayan Pink Salt: Nutrition, Benefits, and Side Effects

What Is Himalayan Pink Salt?

Pink is the new white when it comes to salt. Pink Himalayan salt is a salt that is unique in various ways including its color and the benefits offered by it. It is known by a number of names, all alluding to its origin or color. So some might know it as pink salt or rock salt and others might call it the Himalayan sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt.

This salt, classified as rock salt or halite, is found predominantly in the Punjab region of Pakistan, which is about 190 miles from the Himalayas. The region boasts of one of the oldest and the richest salt fields in the entire world. It is believed that these fields date back to the Precambrian Age, which was almost 4 billion years ago, at the time of the creation of the Earth. Himalayan pink salt, according to some, contains dried remnants of the original, primal sea.

How it is Produced?

Pink Himalayan salt is procured in crystal form from the salt mines located more than 5,000 feet below the Himalayan Mountain Range. The purity level of Himalayan pink salt found in these mines is said to be ninety-nine percent. This is because of it being mined from ancient sea beds which are free from environmental toxins as of now. The purity is also a result of the tremendous pressure that it has witnessed over millions of years.

One can say that the alchemy behind the mining process of this salt derives an analogy from the coal mining process. Himalayan salt comes in color variations of pink which is derived from its mineral content. Himalayan crystal comes in pink, white, or red color. The Chemical configuration of the Himalayan pink salt is sodium chloride (NaCl).

Pink Himalayan salt benefits are not only restricted to health but also include other advantages supporting weight loss, detoxification, balanced hormones and even improving the air quality of your home. The salt is filled with several nutritional and therapeutic properties. We can easily say that Himalayan pink salt is ‘worth it’s salt’.

Himalayan Salt Sole

Making a pink Himalayan salt sole requires filling up a jar with ground or chunks of Himalayan pink salt, up to 1/4^th of its height. You need to then fill the rest of the jar with water, shake it, rest it overnight and you have on your hands an affordable health treatment.  If there is always some undissolved salt in the jar, it means that the water is fully saturated with salt and is perfect.

Intake this sole the first thing in the morning by mixing one tsp of it with some room temperature water. Sole should never be made in a metal jar as metal tends to react with Himalayan salt. The salt solution will corrode the metal by oxidizing it and the metals from the jar might release into the water.

Keep refilling this jar with salt and water when it runs low and you will have indefinite access to this rejuvenating and healthy drink.

The benefits of salt sole include:

• Detoxification of the body by balancing of systemic pH
• Improvement in hydration by providing trace minerals
• Improvement in the mineral status of the body
• Reduction in muscle cramps by improving minerals and hydration
• Balancing of blood sugar
• Correcting hormonal imbalance
• Balance blood pressure because it provides unrefined, mineral-rich salt in an ionic solution
• Improvement in sleep
• Correcting blood sugar levels
• Powerful antihistamine
• Weight loss due to increased hormonal balance and improved energy levels
• Helpful in thyroid and adrenal function

Salt Therapy (Himalayan Salt Inhaler)

Speleotherapy, also called salt therapy, is a Himalayan pink salt benefit that is now being used as a kind of healing in various parts of the world now.

This process utilizes salt to cure respiratory problems through the modern form of salt therapy, consisting of sitting in a room with salt-laden air.  When you inhale the salty air the minute salt particles purify and detox the lungs and sinuses, as they travel through the respiratory system. This happens because pink Himalayan sea salt has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.

Salt therapy offers a large list of benefits that include:

• Reducing asthma
• Reducing seasonal allergies by cleansing the sinuses
• Relieving coughs and chest congestion
• Improving the respiratory systems especially for smokers
• Revamping skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis
• Enhancing lung function in individuals with cystic fibrosis
• salt therapy drastically improves snoring in some cases

Himalayan pink salt therapy can be done at home using a Salt Inhaler.

Is Pink Himalayan Salt Good For You

Adding Himalayan pink salt to your diet in place of the regular refined salt itself can do wonders for your health. There are several diet plans doing the rounds on the internet which herald salt-free food. Decreasing sodium levels in your diet reduce mortality and increase insulin resistance. It can be used as a healthier option to processed salt. Legend has it that the people of the Himalayas used the Himalayan salt to preserve their meat and fish.

Here’s a list of some of the Himalayan pink salt benefits as part of your diet:

Supporting thyroid and adrenal function

Aiding in overall hormonal balance

Improving metabolism and aiding in weight loss

Increase in general wellbeing as Himalayan pink salt contains 84 trace minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and iron

Essential in making adequate stomach acid

Adding it to beverages increases the hydrating properties of the beverage

Some Other Uses of Pink Salt

Himalayan Salt Lamps– They are the recent addition to the uses of Himalayan salt. Known for their air-purifying qualities, these lamps also come to add beauty to your room. These salt lamps attract moisture from the air around it to their surface, where the water from the air evaporates due to the warmth of the lamp. This evaporation process produces negative ions. The negative ions neutralize the positive ions carried by the pollen, dust, dirt, pollutants, and allergens in the air. The neutralization effect kills the ability of these contaminants to stay suspended in the air. Himalayan pink salt lamps also reduce the toxicity of Electro-Magnetic Frequencies emitted by the electronics, through negative ion production. High levels of EMFs in the environment can lead to many diseases. Himalayan salt crystal lamps can help reduce EMP (electromagnetic pollution) created by certain office equipment, especially computers.

Neti Pot with Himalayan Salt– In simple words, it is nasal irrigation that flushes your sinuses with warm saltwater. A neti pot is a must-have for you if you are constantly bogged down by sinus problems, as it cleanses and purifies the sinuses. It reduces or eliminates the seasonal allergies (the ones from pollen, change of weather, etc)from your system. It also prevents and alleviates a sinus infection and postnatal drips. Neti pot should be used with discretion as its excessive use may strip the native microbes from the sinuses, and make you more prone to a sinus infection.

Pink Himalayan Salt Bath-Salt Baths have become quite popular these days for their detoxifying and rejuvenating effects. Add to it the fact that having a salt bath at home gives you a spa-like experience without having to pay for one. Salt baths for just 15-20 minutes help in flushing out the toxins from your body, giving it a deep cleansing and detoxifying it. They leave you feeling energetic and fresh. Pink Himalayan sea salt “brine” is considered to be the most effective for a salt bath. Brine can be made easily by dissolving about half a kilo to a little less than a kilo of Himalayan pink salt in a lukewarm bath.

The Himalayan Salt Detoxer – Very similar to the Himalayan salt lamps, the salt detoxer has a bulb inside it that warms the Himalayan salt dome. Once the dome is sufficiently warm, you can place your feet or hands on it and the negative ions generated start to flow into your body. It allegedly even reduces inflammation if any and gives immense relief to the body.

Himalayan Salt Slabs– You can just warm them in the oven and then place them on your feet to get relief. This is a less expensive and easier way to use this salt.

Himalayan Salt Nutrition Facts

• It is packed with 84 trace minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium
• 74 out of these are found naturally in the human body
• The purity levels are very high and it is free from toxins
• It has the highest percentage of sodium as compared to other salt variants like Celtic, table or sea salt.

Side Effects: Attributes You Need To Accept With A ‘Pinch Of Salt’

• Using too much of any salt is not recommended for kidney patients
• The above-mentioned benefits of pink Himalayan salt can only be obtained from the pure version of it sourced from Pakistan.
• It has a high sodium content being salt, and so you cannot use it in excess just like other types of salts. Too much sodium in the diet with not enough potassium to balance it can lead to high blood pressure for some people. Fluid buildup in people with congestive heart failure and cirrhosis of the liver or kidney disease are also some problems associated with excess intake of pink Himalayan salt.

Himalayan Salt Vs Sea Salt

Both these salts differ in various aspects from their purity levels to the nutritional value offered by them.

• Pink Salt is purer than the sea salt as it is mined at a depth level of 5000 feet
• Sea salt is difficult for the body to digest and use because of its large size. The salt being ionic and molecular on the other hand is easy on the digestive system.
• Sea salt can at times dehydrate the body unlike the Himalayan salt which hydrates our tissue

Pink Himalayan Salt Vs Table Salt

Pink Himalayan salt offers a lot more in terms of purity and mineral content than the regular table salt. Where the Himalayan salt is mined by hand, table salt mining involves many mechanical processes. This heavy level processing eliminates most of its minerals. Commercial table salt has 97.5 percent to 99.9 percent sodium chloride in its composition but high-quality Himalayan sea salt contains only about 87 percent sodium chloride. With so much sodium, added iodine, and hazardous anti-clumping agents like yellow prussiate of soda, table salt loses out to the pink sat on many grounds.

The bleaching process used in some table salt types does more harm to human health than good when ingested. Also, it does not contribute to high blood pressure like table salt.

Does Sea Salt Have Iodine

Iodine is a mineral that is required by the body for proper thyroid function and for cell metabolism. Iodized salt is a common source of this trace mineral and most people derive their share of iodine from salt and even fish, sea vegetables, dairy, and eggs. Pink Himalayan salt may naturally contain some iodine but the amount present is much less than that in iodized salt. Himalayan pink salt cannot be considered an ample source of iodine for those who are iodine deficient.

Pink Himalayan salt should certainly be the top salt choice for its culinary and therapeutic benefits.

A little expensive than the regular table salt, Himalayan pink salt is worth its price for sure.