Himalayan salt is excavated in the salt mines of Khewra in Pakistan. The Himalayan rock salt crystals are beautiful with different shades of red, pink, and white, and are sometimes even transparent. These crystals have numerous health benefits and are more readily available than ever before.
Here we will cover some of the health benefits of the salt in cooking, bathing, and via Himalayan salt lamp. Then we’ll show you some of the many unusual lamps available for purchase.
Health Benefits of Pink Himalayan Salt
Did you know that the white table salt most people use is actually 96.5% sodium chloride? The other 3.5% consists of moisture absorbents and iodine. These moisture absorbents prevent the caking of the white salt while in its container but are they healthy for you?
Additionally, most of the world's salt comes from oceans and salt deposits. This wouldn't be a problem except for the fact that now our oceans are so polluted that salt must be chemically cleaned and heated to a temperature of over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also bleached to appear white and pristine. These processes strip the salt of the minerals and elements within it that have health benefits.
Which brings our conversation to pink Himalayan salt. Known to contain 84 minerals and elements that have numerous health benefits, especially when working together, Himalayan salt is 85.6% sodium chloride. The remaining 14.4% is essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium, sulfate, potassium, iron, zinc, selenium, bicarbonate, bromide, borate, strontium and fluoride. Himalayan salt is naturally occurring and mined by hand at high altitudes. This delicately pink salt hasn't been exposed to pollutants to the same degree as ocean-mined salt.
The health benefits of Himalayan salt are numerous. This relatively hard to find substance has been found to regulate your body systems and sleep hygiene. It promotes a healthy pH within cells, which can help reduce acid reflux. It also promotes lasting bone strength, sinus health, and vascular health, and aids in proper metabolism functioning.
It assists with the absorption of nutrients within your intestinal tract as well as balancing the electrolytes in your body. It also helps to regulate the blood sugar levels and prevents you from getting muscle cramps and goiter (iodine deficiency). Additionally, this salt improves circulation and helps remove toxins from your body. Finally, salt is essential for the regulation of blood pressure.
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Himalayan Salt Benefits:
Himalayan salt is one of the purest and most valuable available salts on the planet. It is completely natural and full of nutrients, minerals, and healing properties. This salt is the amalgamation of the eighty-four elements that are found in the human body.
Not only is Himalayan salt healthy for the human body, it's also useful for getting glowing skin and is widely used as a bath soak. It has natural healing properties that relax the body and mind.
Get The Himalayan Salt As Nature Intended It
Today, the ordinary salts that we use in cooking and other health care cosmetics are hazardous to our health. Himalayan salt has spent more than two hundred and fifty million years hidden beneath the earth maturing, with far less exposure to toxins.
This salt structure is a store of good energy. It has natural minerals and other unique elements that are found in a colloidal state. This means the cells are so tiny that the body readily absorbs them. When it comes to natural salts, nothing comes close to Himalayan salt and here are some reasons why:
It is important to note that while Himalayan salt is beneficial in many aspects related to your health, it isn't a cure for any medical difficulties you may have. Pink Himalayan is only capable of assisting your body to maintain good health and of course, a healthy lifestyle is crucial to achieving this goal.
Laura Myers, RDN
The Nutritionist says...
"The sodium content of regular white table salt and pink Himalayan salt is the same. A huge misconception I get asked about all the time is that people think they can eat more of the pink salt than white salt, which I don't recommend. Yes, it has more minerals BUT the sodium content is the same and needs to be limited. If you have hypertension or chronic heart failure, you need to limit ALL salts."
There is another way in which Himalayan salt can benefit us greatly, and it doesn’t involve cooking or bathing! By using a Himalayan salt lamp, we can receive the benefits of the negative ions these devices emit.
Himalayan Salt Lamp Benefits
Often, the air we breathe on a daily basis is not as healthy as it appears. The changing lifestyles and inevitable invasion of technology into our homes and offices have led to a steady build-up of impurities and pollutants in our environment.
Most of us already know about allergens, dust mites, and the usual air pollutants like smoke, chemicals, etc. However, there is something else in our environment that is proving to be as bad as the older pollutants that we already know about.
So, what is it? Positive ions! Experts believe that increased air pollution and impurities such as positive ions are possibly leading to increased incidences of asthma, allergies, depression, and other respiratory and mood disorders.
Fortunately for us, Mother Nature provided us with solutions when we lived in a simpler time. Today, we can simulate those benefits with Himalayan salt lamps. These lamps are extremely effective and easy on our wallets too.
What are Positive and Negative Ions?
Ions are atoms or molecules that contain an unequal number of electrons and protons. Electrons and protons are tiny particles that make up the atoms along with neutrons. The protons and neutrons make up the center of the atom, whereas the electrons are in shells around them.
Electrons carry a negative electrical charge whereas protons carry a positive electrical charge. The number of electrons is always equal to the number of protons in stable atoms and molecules. However, unequal numbers of protons and electrons in an atom give it a positive or negative charge depending on which are more numerous, the electrons or protons. These charged particles are what we refer to as negative and positive ions.
Negative ions appear in the atmosphere due to natural processes like sunlight, moving water, wind, and radiation that break apart the air molecules. Sunlight, lightning storms, ocean waves at the beach, and waterfalls often create negative ions in the atmosphere.
Part of that feeling of euphoria or bliss you might experience after a thunderstorm, at the beach, up in the mountains, or beside a waterfall is due to the negative ions released by nature.
Ion researcher Michael Terman, of Columbia University, New York confirms this in his statement, “The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods.”
Conversely, electronic devices such as air conditioners, refrigerators, microwaves, televisions, and vacuum cleaners release positive ions. In fact, most homes and offices today have many of these appliances and are likely to show a flat zero when measuring the number of negative ions in their airspace. Indoor areas in modern life contain way too many positive ions. It is believed that positive ions exacerbate several health conditions such as depression, mood swings, asthma, and allergies.
You can’t really reduce your electronics and appliances that significantly, but you can certainly reduce the positive ions with Himalayan salt lamps. You can neutralize positive ions from the atmosphere by exposing them to negative ions. That’s because the negative charge of the negative ions is likely to neutralize the positive charge of the positive ions.
Unlike other air pollutants, normal air filters cannot keep the positive ions at bay. Hence, Himalayan salt lamps are an effective way to tackle the positive ion problem in your home and office atmospheres.
What are Himalayan Salt Lamps?
Himalayan salt lamps are made from rock salt or halite found in the Himalayan salt mines of Khewra in Pakistan. The Himalayan rock salt crystals are beautiful, with different shades of red, pink, and white, and sometimes even transparent. This particular rock salt emits negative ions when exposed to light, in addition to possessing several other health benefits.
Himalayan salt lamps are made up of a single big crystal of Himalayan salt with a candle or bulb inside. Alternatively, you can place some of the salt crystals in a basket with a bulb below them. These lamps give out an attractive glow and are great for ambient mood lighting. The brain interprets low, amber-hued lighting the same as it does darkness, so salt lamps also make fantastic night-lights.
Himalayan rock salt is hygroscopic in nature, which means it becomes moist or melts when exposed to air. This property is what works in its favor when it comes to releasing the negative ions.
As the light from the incandescent light bulbs or candles inside the Himalayan salt lamps falls onto the salt, it makes the water or moisture on its surface evaporate. This process of evaporation produces and releases the negative ions into the surrounding atmosphere.
The negative ions clear the air of positive ions that could have potentially harmful effects on our physical and emotional well-being by neutralizing them. The best part is that studies on individuals with chronic and winter depression by Columbia University showed that negative ion generators are likely to relieve depression with as much success as antidepressants.
Still not convinced? Here’s what the Director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C., Pierce J. Howard, Ph.D. has to say about the benefits of negative ions: “Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy. They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation.”
All in all, Himalayan salt lamps are inexpensive and they work effectively in cleansing the air around you. What’s more, they even make your office or home look pretty with the glow they produce!
Now that we’ve covered the value of Himalayan salt in general, and of salt lamps in particular, let’s look at a few in all shapes, sizes and even colors that are currently available.
Fifteen Gorgeous Himalayan Salt Lamps
1. For all you cat lovers out there
Source/Get it here: Urban Outfitters
Allergic to cats but still want one around the house? This lamp might be the compromise you’ve been looking for. Like cats, this lamp gives off a calming and laid-back vibe. Want one for your home? You can buy it here.
2. And, of course, for you dog people
Source/Get it here: Etsy
Who doesn’t love dogs? Show your love for these cuddly creatures with this adorable salt lamp shaped like a puppy. Your good old dog may not stay a cute puppy forever, but this puppy lamp surely will.
3. …and for those who prefer elephants
Source/Get it here: Urban Outfitters
Are you still not over that trip to Thailand? Commemorate your unforgettable trip with this elephant lamp that’s just as majestic as the real thing.
4. Here’s another animal we’re sure you love
Source/Get it here: Ebay
We told you salt lamps came in all shapes, didn’t we? Case in point is this one that’s shaped like a dolphin rising out of the water. Get one for yourself here.
5. Add elegance in your space with this swan-shaped lamp
Source/Get it here: Ebay
Here we have another water animal lamp, this time, a swan. This is a great and unique take on the glass swan décor we’ve all seen in other people’s living rooms.
6. Look at this cute lamp enclosed in a ceramic owl
Source/Get it here: Etsy
Are you a fellow creature of the night? Then this ceramic owl lamp is your perfect companion for those late nights of studying, working, or just lounging around in your living room.
7. You can’t go wrong with a classic design
Source/Get it here: Ebay
If animal-shaped lamps aren’t your thing, then you might find this traditional salt lamp more appealing. You can’t go wrong with this simple and organic design to complement and brighten up any space.
8. Or a basic color for a crisper and cleaner glow
Source/Get it here: Ebay
This white salt lamp might be the one you’re looking for if you’re after a brighter, less mellow glow for your living space. This is also a nice addition to small, dark spaces such as windowless bathrooms.
9. And, of course, you can’t go wrong with pink
Although millennial pink is no longer the color of the year it’s still a wonderful color nonetheless. What’s more, a pink salt lamp will surely give your room a nice, soft glow.
10. Pyramid-shaped lamps are a more creative take on basic designs
You also can’t go wrong with incorporating basic geometric designs in your decor. Impress your friends with this pyramid salt lamp the next time they come over for a dinner party.
11. And so is this raindrop-shaped one
Source/Get it here: Ebay
If you’re not into hard edges, this raindrop-shaped lamp might be a better choice for you. Plug this in on a rainy night and you got the perfect lighting for a night in as a storm is brewing outside.
12. This spherical lamp is out of this world
Source/Get it here: Etsy
Channel your inner seer with this sphere-shaped lamp that resembles a fortune teller’s crystal ball (or the planet Jupiter). With a lamp this big and cool, it’s definitely going to be the centerpiece of your living room décor.
13. And so is this autumn-inspired lamp
This next lamp is for all of you nature lovers out there. It’s not hard to see what makes this lamp so special. Just look at the intricate designs that make up the tree’s branches and roots!
14. Another beautiful lamp that incorporates trees
If you’re not into elaborate designs, this simpler take on the same concept is also great. Hey, nothing is more relaxing than a glowing image of a tree in your living room or bedroom, is there?
15. And finally, one that showcases a fruit-shaped design
Source/Get it here: Etsy
Let’s end with this amazing salt lamp enclosed in an apple-shaped steel casing. It’s definitely a perfect combination of classy, cute, and comforting that you’ll want to look at every night while you relax in your room.
We hope you enjoyed the article and this list of lamps, and found one that suits your personality and home décor. Trust us, not only will these gorgeous lamps look great as decorations, they’ll also help improve your mood and freshen up the air around your house.
Found anything you like? Tell us in down in the comments and share this article with your friends. See you on the next one!