Himalayan pink salt is said to be a pure, natural and healthy salt. This salt has been around for millions of years and stayed in a pristine environment thereby retaining certain minerals. The salt began to be mined (from Khewra mines in Pakistan) in the 1800’s and has been studied for its supposed health benefits. Himalayan pink salt is similar to table salt in that its primary chemical composition contains sodium chloride (NaCl). However due to the presence of minerals such as- calcium, sulphates, iron, potassium and magnesium, the salt got is ‘healthy’ edge over regular table salt. The presence of minerals could explain why Himalayan salt tastes and looks different.

When salt was discovered, it was most often used for cooking or preserving/ flavouring meat. Salt slabs have been used as chopping boards and as dishes. Being minimally processed, the salt seems to retain its nutrients and can be a natural alternative to table salt.

Table Salt

The more commonly used white table salt is also obtained from sea beds. It undergoes extensive processing and bleaching to give it its characteristic white colour. It is then fortified with iodine and anti-caking agents are added to it. This salt is important for its iodine content as this prevents problems like goitre. However, it is recommended to avoid too much salt on a daily basis. Salt has got a bad reputation because of all the chemically processed and junk foods that are available and intensively marketed these days. It is important to use minimal salt while cooking and limit the days intake to not more than 1 tsp (which gives 2300 mg of sodium).

Supposed Health Benefits:

Not much research has been done on the benefits of Himalayan salt and studies are inconclusive. However, they claim that the salt helps in respiratory health, detoxifying air etc.

1. Respiratory Health

Boiling the salt in water and inhaling the vapours seems to be beneficial in removing mucus and pollen, thereby making one less susceptible to respiratory ailments. This salt rinse can also be put into a netipot and used to drain the nasal passages.

2. Mineral Content

Himalayan Pink salt is believed to contain up to 84 minerals in trace amounts. However, this consists of only 2% since the rest of the 98% is made up of sodium chloride. With regards to health, you may not be able to actually benefits much from the minerals in this form. In addition, too much salt should anyways be avoided, due to health reasons.

3. Sodium

Due to the presence of additional minerals, it is commonly believed that Himalayan salt is lower in sodium chloride. But both salt varieties contain the same amount as seen. Pink salt is often found in crystals of larger size than the regular fine textured table salt. While using the salt, due to bigger

crystal size it could result in a slightly lower amount of sodium. You may need to use only a smaller amount for the same taste.

It is better to use less salt overall as we have seen due to the negative impact of excess salt on blood pressure. Excess salt burdens the kidneys as they need to work harder. When sodium is not removed from the body efficiently, interstitial fluid builds up and this causes an increase in blood volume and water volume causing problems like bloating, water retention and high blood pressure.

Uses:

• You can use the salt for flavouring meat and salads. It can be ground in small amounts along with other spices to create a flavoured salt that you can add in small amounts to your cooking.
• Bath salts can be made from Himalayan Salt crystals and can be used as scrubs.
• Salt lamps made from this salt is said to purify the air by absorbing toxins.

Bottom Line

Health claims tend to be relentless and sometimes misguided. In their craze to market a product as healthy, advertising turns to weak scientific evidence to help support their claims. While overall salt consumption needs to be limited, if you would like to avoid bleaching compounds and additives, you could try Himalayan Pink Salt. But keep in mind, that this is not an iodized salt and you may miss out on this important compound.

References

Wonderful Benefits of Himalayan Salt: The Purest Salt on Earth. Retrieved from https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/6-wonderful-benefits-of-himalayan-salt-the-purest-salt-on-earth-1683201

Hendricks, J. (2018). What Is Himalayan Salt Good For?. Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/181949-what-is-himalayan-salt-good-for/

Himalayan Pink Salt. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-and-nutrition-quackery-you-asked/himalayan-pink-salt

Is Pink Himalayan Salt Better Than Regular Salt?. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pink-himalayan-salt#section6

Natalie Olsen, A. (2018). Pink Himalayan salt: Does it have any health benefits?. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315081.php

Pink Himalayan Salt Benefits that Make It Superior to Table Salt - Dr. Axe. (2018). Retrieved from https://draxe.com/pink-himalayan-salt/

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: An Update. (2018). Retrieved from https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/pink-himalayan-sea-salt-an