5 Interesting Facts About Himalayan Salt
As a society, we are always looking for the newest and latest trends in health and wellness. However, sometimes the oldest and simplest solutions can actually prove to be the best. One such solution is Himalayan salt. Despite being around for centuries, there are still plenty of things that most people don’t know about this ancient salt. Here are five facts that you may not have known about Himalayan salt:
What is Himalayan Salt?
In addition to being a delicious and healthy way to season food, Himalayan salt has many other benefits. It is antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory, making it an excellent natural remedy for a wide range of health conditions. If you are looking for a way to improve your health and well-being, Himalayan salt is definitely worth considering.
1. Himalayan salt contains 84 minerals that our bodies need
You may have seen Himalayan salt lamps in stores or online and wondered what all the hype is about. In addition to being a beautiful natural element, Himalayan salt contains 84 minerals that our bodies need to function properly. When heated, the lamp emits negative ions that help to cleanse the air and improve respiratory health. The steam from a Himalayan salt lamp can also help to reduce static electricity, making it a perfect choice for use in the home or office. In addition, salt lamps are said to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality. So, if you’re looking for a way to improve your health and well-being, a Himalayan salt lamp may be worth considering.
2. It’s antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory
The benefits of Himalayan salt are well-known to those who are familiar with natural healing modalities. This salt is mined from the Khewra Salt Mine in the Himalayan Mountains of Pakistan and is said to be the purest form of salt available on Earth. It is unlike table salt, which is highly refined and stripped of most, if not all, its minerals.
Himalayan salt has a distinctive pink color that comes from small amounts of iron oxide. It is known for containing iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, all are minerals we each need to help sustain a healthy body.
These minerals help give Himalayan salt its distinctive pink color. In addition to being a delicious and healthy way to season food, Himalayan salt has many other benefits. It is antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory, making it an excellent natural remedy for a wide range of health conditions. If you are looking for a way to improve your health and well-being, Himalayan salt is definitely worth considering. You should check out these other posts that deal with the health benefits of various foods:
3. It can help regulate blood sugar levels
If you’re looking for a way to help regulate your blood sugar levels, you might want to give Himalayan salt a try. Himalayan salt is mined from fossilized sea beds in the Himalayan mountains. Adding Himalayan salt to your diet is thought to help regulate blood sugar levels by providing trace minerals that are essential for proper insulin function.
What’s more, Himalayan salt is also said to help increase feelings of being full, making it easier to stick to a healthy diet. If you’re interested in giving Himalayan salt a try, you can find it online or at many health food stores. I keep a container in my pantry all the time. It is one of my favorite ways to add flavor to various recipes calling for salt as an ingredient.
4. It helps detoxify the body
According to proponents of Himalayan salt therapy, the negative ions in the salt helps to cleanse the body of toxins and reduce inflammation. In addition, the high mineral content of Himalayan salt is said to improve skin health, improve respiratory function, and boost energy levels.
While there is no scientific evidence to support all these claims, many people swear by the benefits of Himalayan salt therapy. If you’re looking for a natural way to detoxify your body, Himalayan salt may be worth a try. Do your own research to find out more information and then make a more educated decision.
5. It can improve sleep quality and help fight off stressors
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for maintaining your health and well-being. But for many people, it can be hard to get the rest they need. If you’re struggling to get enough shut-eye, you might want to try sleeping after ingesting some Himalayan salt. When used as a bedtime tool, Himalayan salt can help improve sleep quality and fight off stressors.
The negative ions in Himalayan salt are thought to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety. And the natural light emitted by Himalayan salt lamps can help to regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. If you’re looking for a natural way to improve your sleep, Himalayan salt could be worth a try.
What type of Himalayan Salt can you buy?
Himalayan salt is available in many different forms, including pink salt lamps, pink salt bricks, pink salt plates, ground salt for your salt shaker, and pink salt shots. You can also find Himalayan salt in a variety of colors, including white, red, and black.
A salt plate or brick is a crystalline form of Himalayan salt that can be used as a cutting or butcher board. If you prepare your food, particularly meat, on them you can get a naturally flavored transfer to the food. You can’t clean or use the block or plate with water consistently since the water will dilute and reduce the size of the unit more quickly than normal and limit the length of time it can be put to use.
Salt shots often come in the form of small glasses used to consume certain drinks. Like the bricks and plates, the use of liquids in the shot glass will wear them down over time. Some have said they’ll last for approximately 100 uses and then need to be discarded.
How can I use Himalayan Salt?
There are many ways to use Himalayan salt, including adding it to your diet, using it as a natural remedy, and using it in beauty products. If you are looking for a healthy way to season your food, Himalayan salt is a great option. It can be used in place of regular table salt and has a much lower sodium content. You can also use Himalayan salt to make homemade salt scrubs, which can be used to exfoliate your skin.
Natural Remedies
If you are interested in using Himalayan salt as a natural remedy, there are many ways to do so. Himalayan salt lamps are said to improve air quality and help reduce allergies and asthma symptoms. Pink salt plates can be used in a similar way, by absorbing negative ions and promoting relaxation. Pink salt shots can be used as a natural energy booster or taken as a daily supplement to improve your health.
What is Salt?
Salt is another name for the combination of two chemicals, sodium (about 40%) and chloride (about 60%). We all use it to flavor our foods, but it is also called for in recipes since it binds and stabilizes. For centuries, salt has been used to preserve foods, particularly meats. Salt has been shown to protect the foods from bacteria since they can’t survive where a high presence of salt is found.
Our bodies need salts in the proper amounts to promote nerve impulse conduction, relax our muscles, and help keep the water and minerals in our bodies in proper balance. On the other hand, too much salt can cause us some real health problems, like higher blood pressure, some types of heart disease, and even strokes. Some people have lost calcium in their bones from consuming too much salt, so be aware of how much you consume, and don’t just add salt every time you think you need to add “flavor” to your food.
Where Does Our Salt Come From?
Most salt we consume comes from salt mines or evaporated ocean water. There are a few other sources like the Great Salt Lake in Utah where a large lake, like the Dead Sea, provides water that is evaporated and the salt harvested.
Some salt is heavily processed to remove impurities, and by doing so, the process also removes some of the beneficial minerals. In the 1920s most salt processors started adding iodine to their ground salt due to iodine deficiency issues in our population.
Are There Other Kinds of Salt?
Sea salt isn’t as highly refined as mined salt. It also isn’t ground up as often, so the texture tends to be more coarse and it has a darker color. The color comes from some remaining impurities, so some people will shy away from sea salt.
Table salt is the salt that typically comes from salt mines. Because we add it to our foods directly or as a recipe ingredient, table salt is generally ground very fine.
Kosher salt is a much coarser salt and is used in food preparation in the traditional Kosher fashion. Due to the Kosher approach, it is most often processed WITHOUT the addition of iodine.
Final Word
Himalayan salt actually has a lot of benefits, you just need to know WHAT you want to use it for. I hope this article was able to help you decide how to use this type of salt in your life, or at least prompt you to check it out to see if you could benefit from its use. Whether you’re trying to use more natural remedies, or you’d like to get more sleep, this product may prove to be your friend. May God Bless this world, Linda
Linda,
I have some Himalayan Salt, but I would never stop using iodized table salt. Iodine prevents goiters.
Hi Ray, I agree, I have all kinds of salt stocked. Great reminder. Linda
There are non salt options for fully useable iodine, among them sea kelp. I don’t buy iodized salt, the iodine in it is difficult and scant. for someone who uses little, we were deficient,,,Everyone here on sea kelp, since we eat no foods rich in iodine,.
Hi Denisa, interesting. Linda
Linda, yes i do buy pink salt at dollar tree also, same pkg at wally savings of 3-5$ depending on stores. kosher salt also for canning, and meat harvests.
Hi Denise, it’s awesome when we can find it cheaper. Linda
Denise, I knew kelp was good stuff, but we use iodized salt and have never had goiters, so…
Ray,
I have family members with goiters, and we eat almost NO fish of any kind/ are interior …. few other sources..so backups always good. Keeping thyroid loaded with good iodine protects from contaminated sources in the environment,.
Keep in mind-The dot agencies have increased the amounts of acceptable levels of contaminants in the air as “acceptable”. To “off set” increases since the Japan event a few years ago, is not an over reaction.. Those who had toxic exposures in the mid 40’s and received SEA KELP did very well and lived long lives, despite close locations to bad events.
Hi Ray, I love hearing it’s worked for you!! We do not want goiters! Linda
Discard the salt shot glasses? Better to use a mortar and pestle to crush them down and use in other recipes.
Hi Karl, great reminder, we all have mortar and pestle bowls! Thank you, Linda
Great post, Linda! I have some coarse Himalayan salt that I got at our local Texas owned grocery store. I do use it on my food, but not in cooking. I do have iodinated table salt as well. I use it in cooking. I didn’t know the health benefits of the Himalayan salt. Thank you so much for this information.
Hi Deborah, thank you for your kind words, my sweet friend! Life is good when we stock all kinds of salt. Linda
Is it used in cooking the same of regular table salt?
Hi MB Richardson, I use this salt in or on everything as well as Redmond Salt. I love different options, I think you would like it. Linda
Hi Linda,
I’m going to give a try this week. Thank you.
Mary
MB, yes.use pink salt the same.
That was an interesting article. Anything not stripped of its best properties is always a plus in my book! Ive never been a big fan of the color pink, but pink salt may be a great exception and a boost to my diet. Thanks for sharing all that.
Hi Terry, pink, I love your comment!! You may like a few options in your pantry. Linda
First I must say I love your newsletters. This particular topic may have slipped past your usual precise scrutiny and got bogged down by supposition . I have done a lot of study in this area since salt is so important to our health and life. I could site research and papers but one website that I have found sums it up well is scepticalraptor. I will leave it up to you and your readers as to what you wish to believe. Please continue with your newsletters and work .
Hi G, thank you for sharing. Linda
Linda, I have read about some salt that is listed as Pink Himalayan salt , that isn’t….often in salt lamps. How do I know the real thing? Do you know the best brand?
Hi Chris, I have never used Salt Lamps. I would read what WebMD writes: https://www.webmd.com/balance/himalayan-salt-lamps Linda
Used to see it at Dollar Tree but haven’t in a while
I stock it and use it
Hi Matt, thanks for the heads up on Dollar Tree! I will check ours. Linda
Hi Linda:
I have used the Himalayan salt for many years. My daughter picks it up at Walmart and when I can’t find it anywhere else I order it from Swanson’s Vitamins. A bit more expensive but well worth the cost. I even have some big chunks saved if I can’t find it any other way. We don’t use any other salt because we have diabetes and Jack has heart problems. I do use canning salt to put things up with but do not use it for anything else.
Hi Jackie, you are always so kind my friend, I thank you for that. I love hearing it works for you and where you can find it. Linda
I LOVE this article!!!! Salt comes in so many shapes, colors and flavors. I have a wide variety of salts around. different salts for different foods. I use Celtic gray salt on turkey is tastes the best. I make an herbal salt (ground in the mortar and pastel) and I can with mostly Kosher salt. but my favorite is the Himalayan pink salt!!!
Thank you for continually bringing us this wonderful newsletter.
Hi Hazel, oh you are so nice, my sweet friend! Now, I need to check out Celtic gray salt. I have Hililayan BLack salt in the cupboard right now. Never used it. Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing about the gray for turkey!! Thanks again for your ideas! Linda
Another possible source for Himalayan salt (if you can’t find it elsewhere) is feed stores or livestock catalogues. I’ve bought, and used, salt from these sources! My animals get the big lumps (7 lb. or more) of Himalayan salt–they don’t go through it as fast as ordinary salt licks, but it seems to do them more good. The little horse I bought last June went through a lump in under a month–finally levelled off…
I’ve understood that the reason so many people (probably animals too) crave and eat more salt (and salty foods) than they should is that they are actually craving the micro amounts of minerals that *should* be in salt, but are lacking in highly processed table salt. Since I switched to Himalayan salt, I notice my husband’s salt craving has finally lessened by at least half!
Hi Rhonda, oh my gosh, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this comment! Thank you for sharing your story about your horse, and your husband. This will help many people! Linda
Thank you Rhonda for your information. I know I use way too much salt. Maybe Himalayan salt will serve me.
I buy a 25 lb bag of Redmond’s Real Salt as it is really the same thing as Pink Himalayan Salt, Redmonds is also pink (a lighter shade). Redmond’s is harvested here in the US which I completely and wholeheartedly support. I sometimes buy a 5 lb bag of Pink Himalayan Salt at Big Lots for $4 per bag (cheaper than Dollar Tree). I also make a point to buy a pound of Kosher salt per month for canning and smoking (smoked salt) purposes as smoked salt is a great gift idea. I also make a point to now always keep two 4 gal food safe buckets full of regular iodized table salt (2 for $1 = 2 lbs) in order to make and use my own bleach. I started making my own bleach right after the Covid shutdown due to the fact that there was not any to be found anywhere. Then I found and bought the Pur-Well Living Pur Chlor-itizer and haven’t bought liquid bleach since. I did buy a bulk bottle of Evolve bleach tablets but rarely use it unless I need something fast.
Hi Ravenna, wow!! I love Redmond Real Salt, I stock more of that product than other salts. I Love love love this comment, thank you! Linda
Hello, Linda! I’m so glad to have had the chance to read this article about Himalayan Pink salt. I’ve been using it for quite a while as my regular salt. I don’t use as much salt as I used to; when I was pregnant with my first daughter, I loved the Golden Arches food so much that I was almost toxemic. That experience made me used less salt in all ways. I love the taste of the Pink Salt, it tastes better than regular salt. Another situation I wanted to comment on is that since my first grandson was born, my oldest daughter is allergic to Iodine and cannot eat seafood because of the high content. As for using regular table salt, I’m not sure of. The fact that you’ve also made reference to other salts, I’ve seen them in stores and will actively try some of them. Have a wonderful day.
Hi Pamela, boy that would be scary during a pregnancy! Thanks for sharing the story about your daughter being allergic to iodine, I have never heard about that before. You have a wonderful day as well! Linda