True or False: Himalayan Salt Lamps Can Make You Healthier

It’s the newest craze sweeping the nation: Himalayan salt lamps. Not just for cooking, Himalayan salt can reportedly work wonders in a room, and can aid in everything from air purification to easing the effects of depression. It almost sounds too good to be true...is it? Let’s explore what we know.

What’s the deal with Himalayan salt?

Before we can talk about how the Himalayan salt lamps work, we need to back up and review the benefits of Himalayan salt itself. (Spoiler alert: There are many.) Unlike regular table salt, Himalayan salt has many minerals—84, to be exact. These minerals include calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and many, many more.

Not only does Himalayan salt set itself apart from regular salt in its unique health- promoting benefits, but it also looks different: It’s pink!

Where does Himalayan salt come from?

As you may have guessed from its name, Himalayan salt hails from the salt mines of the Himalayan Mountain Range. These ancient mountains are said to host some of the richest salt fields in the entire world. Read: This is the real deal.

So what are the benefits of Himalayan salt?

Glad you asked. Whether you’re consuming it or enjoying it in a lamp, Himalayan salt has tons of health benefits that make it an option worth exploring. Here are a few of the most notable.

• It balances your body’s pH levels. Himalayan salt’s unique blend of sodium and electrolytes works together to balance the acid-to-alkaline ratio of your body, which keeps things in check and functioning smoothly.
• It purifies the air. Himalayan salt acts as a magnet for water vapor and air pollutants, and absorbs the negative air toxins so your body doesn’t have to.
• It aids in the process of natural digestion. We get it, sometimes your body just needs to be cleansed. Himalayan salt is ideal for a salt-water flush (but check with your doctor before trying one).

How do Himalayan salt lamps work?

Now that you know why Himalayan salt matters, let’s talk about the easiest way to incorporate it into your everyday life: the Himalayan salt lamp. Himalayan salt lamps are made from (you guessed it) Himalayan salt. Thanks to a unique composition and the properties present in Himalayan salt, these lamps are able to reduce negative ions to cleanse the air around you. Negative ions are forces that increase the amount of oxygen in your blood. Think ocean waves and sunlight. The benefits of air ionization range from detoxing the air in a room to reducing mental disorders like depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder and others. These lamps are lit from the inside and emit an ethereal (yet powerful) amber light. They’re truly calming from the inside out.

Are there any drawbacks?

It depends on who you ask. Critics of the Himalayan salt lamp are skeptical because there’s very little research that backs up the clinical effects. In other words, these lamps claim to aid with maladies such as depression, but psychological studies can neither confirm nor deny that this is true. However, countless people swear by the healing properties in these lamps. So, science or no science, it’s up to you to decide.