Pink Himalayan salt has hit the health market in full force. It can be found even on traditional grocery store shelves. Generally, the grind is rather coarse, but it can also be gotten in a finer ground for those who like to cook with the pretty pink salt.
Besides just making an appearance on store shelves, it's hit the health world as a source of all kinds of healthy benefits. That brings you to the question, "Are the claims true?" Here are 5+ claims and whether they are fact or fiction.
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1. Air purifier. Some proponents of Himalayan salt say that it absorbs "water molecules from the air" and releases "negative air ions into the air." TIME says that the negative ions are supposed to remove dust and pollen particles that irritate people's allergies. Are these claims fact or fiction? Fiction. Time goes on to say that no scientific evidence supports these claims and that the number of negative air ions salt lamps release are minimal, not enough to improve the air quality.
2. Relieve seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Pink Himalayan salt lamps are said to relieve the symptoms of SAD. Is this fact or fiction? Both. According to WebMD, some people do experience lifted moods because of the salt lamps, but the evidence suggests that the improvement is probably a placebo effect. For some, just the act of turning on the lamp may improve their mood.
3. Less sodium. Because pink salt contains other trace minerals, many proponents claim that it has less sodium in it than traditional table salt. Fact or fiction? Fiction. Medical News Today reports that both table salt and pink Himalayan salt are 98 percent sodium. The only difference is that pink salt is usually coarser, so people may may not use as much.
4. Blood sugar regulator. Some marketers claim that the pink salt will help regulate people's blood sugar. Fact or fiction? Fiction. According to Healthline, no evidence is available to prove this claim to be true.
5. Rich in minerals. Pink salt is claimed to be an excellent source of extra minerals. Fact or fiction? Fiction. Pink Himalayan salt does contain trace amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium, says Medical News Today. Since the pink salt is 98 percent sodium, each of these minerals make up less then 2 percent of the salt. Unless you're eating an exorbitant amount of salt, though, these amounts are negligible.
6. Sleep aid. Another claim by proponents of salt lamps is that the lamps help improve the quality of sleep of people who are exposed to them. Fact or fiction? Fiction. TIME reports that the negative air ions that are supposed to improve sleep are so negligible that no positive effects come from exposure to the ions.
7. More natural. The health world claims that the pink salt is more natural than traditional table salt. Fact or fiction? Fact. According to Medical News Today, most of the Himalayan salt has no anti-caking agents or additives added to the salt, making it more "natural" than table salt.
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Will the pink Himalayan salt harm you to eat it? The only harm is to your pocketbook as pink salt tends to be much more expensive than table salt. Otherwise, the salt appears to be safe to consume; you just might not get all the benefits you were hoping for.