10 Benefits of Himalayan Salt
Himalayan salt has many benefits. The salt, which is often referred to as the healthiest salt, can be used for nutritional purposes, culinary purposes, as well as therapeutic purposes.
Many people use the salt as a healthier alternative to table salt. It can also be used to create homemade body scrubs and bath soaks. The Himalayan salt lamp has also become very popular as it is said to radiate positive energy.
Historically, the salt was used to preserve meat and fish. Pink Himalayan salt contains over 84 minerals and trace elements including calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and iron. This makes it a very beneficial ingredient to add to your meals.
Benefit #1: May Be Healthier than Table Salt
One of the benefits of pink Himalayan salt is that it is sold in its purest form, making it a more balanced and healthy choice in comparison to table salt. Table salt is heavily processed and mined, whereas pink Himalayan salt is often mined by hand, which allows for many minerals to stay intact.
Commercial table salt, the one we buy from stores, is typically 97.5% to 99.9% sodium chloride. In contrast, Himalayan salt is 87% sodium chloride. Table salt is mostly comprised of sodium chloride, with the remainder compounds including harmful compounds. In addition, table salt undergoes a bleaching process which includes toxins that can be harmful to human health if consumed in excess.
Benefit #2: Improves Respiratory Problems
Not many people know this fact, but salt can help with respiratory problems. The Lung Institute states that salt is an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, which loosens excessive mucus and speeds up mucus clearance. Salt can help remove pathogens in the air such as pollen and can even decrease oversensitivity to allergies.
In fact, there are even Himalayan salt caves. These spaces are filled with salt and visitors can walk through and inhale the salt to gain the benefits of the salt, especially those pertaining to respiration. There are studies to back up these salt caves. In fact, studies have revealed these caves to be a highly effective drug free therapy to help treat chronic bronchitis.
Benefit #3: Balances Body’s pH
Having a balanced pH level is essential for overall health. pH is an abbreviation for the power of concentration of the hydrogen ion present in a solution. It is expressed as a number on a scale of degrees of pH from 0 to 14. The pH scale indicates the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, which is an indicator of the number of hydrogen atoms present. A pH of 7 is neutral, a pH of less than 7 indicates an acidic solution, and a pH greater than 7 indicates an alkaline solution. This is a very important thing to know about our bodies because the pH of our body fluids affect how healthy we are and how long we will live.
When our bodies are too acidic or to basic, Himalayan salt can help bring our bodies back to a normal pH. Specifically, the salt helps remove toxins from the body that affect our pH levels.
Benefit #4: Natural Digestive Aid
How we digest is often a sensitive topic. Many people do not want to share their troubles in the bathroom, but the truth is, many people suffer from bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. This is where the idea of a Himalayan sole comes into place. A sole is simply a saturated solution containing purified water and Himalayan salt.
If used daily, the use of the sole can stimulate the peristalsis of the digestive organs, balance the stomach acid, and support the production of digestive enzymes of the pancreas. These factors help ease digestion, which can be very beneficial to individuals who have trouble with hard or irregular stools.
Benefit #5: Air Purifier
One new trend that has been sweeping everyone’s shopping cart is the Himalayan salt lamp. It is simply a lamp that is a block of pure Himalayan salt. It is believed to clean the air of toxins, thus cleaning the air we breathe in.
How does the Himalayan salt lamp achieve this? By its inherent nature as a salt, the lamp attracts water vapor to it as well as air pollutants. The water vapor evaporates due to the lamp’s heat, but the dust and allergens remain in the salt instead of getting into your body.
Benefit #6: Can Help with Sleep
Everyone enjoys a good night’s sleep. However, that is not always possible as some people have trouble staying asleep the whole night, or falling asleep altogether. Himalayan salt can help encourage better, more restful sleep. This is because of its high mineral content.
Too little salt in the diet is associated with disturbed and irregular sleep patterns. In one study, subjects were placed on a low sodium diet, around 500 milligrams a day. These subjects woke up during the night almost twice as often and got 10% less sleep than those on a normal diet. Of course, an excess of salt is not good either as it can lead to an excess of health problems. However, avoiding salt altogether is also unhealthy, especially when considering a good night’s sleep.
Benefit #7: Helps with Soreness
Ever felt sore after a workout or maybe after sleeping in a weird position, resulting in a kink in your neck. Well, a bath infused with Himalayan salt is great for relaxing cramped muscles. As mentioned before, the salt has 84 minerals. This includes magnesium. The magnesium absorbs through the skin to help heal damaged muscles and other soft tissues.
Himalayan pink salt also works as a powerful detoxifier. When dissolved in water, Himalayan salt becomes an ionic solution that helps to draw the toxins out of the skin and adipose tissues. Himalayan salt is very easy to come by and due to its increasing popularity, major store chains, such as Walmart, are beginning to sell the salt.
Benefit #8: Hydration
Staying hydrated is important for maintaining the function of every system in the body, including your heart, brain, and muscles. Fluids carry nutrients to your cells, flush bacteria from your bladder, and prevent constipation.
When consumed in a solution, Himalayan salt provides the body with electrolytes, which regulate hydration. Some of the major electrolytes the salt provides include sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. These are the same electrolytes that sport drinks are loaded with. However, with the Himalayan salt mixture, you can avoid the excess sugar that sports drinks come with. Drinking this solution just once a day can have very positive effects on the body.
Benefit #9: Lowers Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a major issue in the United States. With millions suffering from the disease, it is essential to always stay on top of our heart heath. Himalayan salt is a salt, thus contains sodium. Due to its sodium, saying that Himalayan pink salt can lower your blood pressure makes a lot of people skeptical. However, when used instead of table salt, it can be very helpful as it is easier to process in the body.
Thus, your system won’t need as much water to clear out the excess sodium, therefore you won’t retain as much water, and your body won’t have to work as hard. The decrease in water retention helps decrease the possibility of high blood pressure.
Benefit #10: Asthma Relief
Many people suffer from asthma, and if you do not suffer yourself, it is likely you know someone who does. In addition, you have also seen an inhaler and may have also seen someone use one. Well, have you seen a Himalayan pink salt inhaler?
They exist and they have beneficial effects on asthma and bronchitis. Himalayan pink salt lamps are said to filter microscopic mold, mildew, dust, and pet dander particles from indoor air. People swear that adding one or two lamps to their room helps alleviate allergy symptoms tremendously. Even asthma sufferers claim to benefit from these lamps.
