Himalayan pink salt is the saltiest mineral salt available on the planet. It is made by nature, millions of years ago, through the process of dehydration and evaporating mountain water. Today, it is harvested and processed by some of the largest companies in the world, just offshore. There are thousands of companies extracting this exquisite crystal salt from the mountains of the Andes. These companies use different methods and processes, depending on the end products, to extract the salt from the mountains.
Pink Himalayan salt has many uses. It can be used in the curing of cuts and scrapes, for example. It is excellent for treating infections and burns, as it contains high levels of healing minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, sulphur, iron, potassium, and manganese. It also contains trace minerals like uranium, strontium, titanium, and lead. These minerals help to heal the skin without causing irritation or any pain. For cooking, it adds a touch of colour and flavour to food and can even enhance the taste.
Himalayan salt crystals have been found to contain a number of healing properties. It is widely used for home remedy cures, especially for fever and coughs. A pink Himalayan salt lamp, for example, can provide warmth and a soft glow for soothing tired eyes and throats. Salt lamps are mined from the Himalayas and other areas of the Andes mountains, where crystal salt is found naturally.
Many people believe that Himalayan pink salt may possess some sort of healing property. Some of these claims have been verified, though the scientific evidence is very inconclusive. It is not known if the trace mineral potassium found in this salt works to stimulate the production of thyroid hormone. The claim that salt lamps containing sodium thioglycolate may help to cure MS is not supported by scientific data. There is no conclusive scientific data on whether salt lamps do improve circulation, either, although many salt users claim that it helps to reduce swelling.
The use of salt in the diet has been a part of alternative medicine for several centuries. Indian healers have long used it in their treatment of arthritis, colitis, constipation, and kidney problems. Pink Himalayan salt can be used as a laxative, a blood purifier, an antibacterial agent, and an antiseptic. It is believed that this mineral has strong healing properties because of its trace minerals and alkaloids. Its water-soluble trace minerals help to lower blood pressure and increase stool size, while its alkaloids can act as a mild laxative and stimulate bowel movement.
However, it is not clear how much of these minerals are actually present in small quantities in the average salt crystal. Because no direct test has ever been conducted on the matter, there are always doubts. Scientists have, however, concluded that small quantities of the trace minerals found in this salt do play important roles in human health. These mineral deficiencies are believed to contribute to the development of kidney stones and to nerve disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Many health benefits have, however, been attributed to pink Himalayan salt in its traditional use, especially its effects on the thyroid.
Since the thyroid plays an important role in controlling body fluid production and regulating body temperature, any reduction in the thyroid function may have significant health effects. Because the thyroid gland produces a hormone called TSH (triglyceride-sodium chloride) to reduce sodium levels in the blood, excess levels of this hormone in the blood lead to the accumulation of sodium chloride in the cells. Excess sodium in the cells promotes the growth of cells prone to cancer, increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and causes damage to the kidneys, arteries, and brain.
Pink Himalayan salt contains two essential minerals; calcium and magnesium. Calcium helps maintain healthy bones and teeth, while magnesium helps maintain the smooth function of cardiovascular systems. It is believed that both minerals help regulate sodium intake when combined with sodium bicarbonate. The association between low sodium intake and the incidence of osteoporosis was hypothesized by researchers because low sodium intake increased the concentration of magnesium in the plasma and decreased the concentration of sodium. It was later found that high blood pressure was unrelated to sodium levels in the blood, implying that sodium restriction caused by hypertension (high blood pressure) rather than increasing blood pressure. Other associations between these two minerals were unexplained.