If you are a health nut and keep up with the health fads that keep hitting the market, you must have heard of the health benefits of Himalayan salt .
People all over the world are always looking to try new things that seem more promising than what they are currently using; in terms of health benefits.
In doing so, humanity has been observed to switch sides between natural and man-made products. It’s more of a tendency to follow things and keep flowing in a cycle. People embrace changes and better alternatives in search of the best for their health and end up with things that are centuries old and have established benefits.
Himalayan pink salt is one such example of the cycle that humanity has followed in search of the best and ended up with something that dates back millions of years.
History and Origin
The history of Himalayan salt is very interesting. Himalayan salt is extracted from salt mines located in the foothills of the Himalayan mountain ranges in Punjab, Pakistan. There are a total of six salt mines where salt extraction takes place from, with Khewra currently being the active one as of now.
This natural salt is said to be centuries old. It is the result of a shift in plate tectonics that took place in the Precambrian era. This shift in plates trapped an inland sea that evaporated over the years, leaving behind thick deposits of salt. These salt deposits were protected by the great Himalayas that advocate the purity of the salt.
Many years ago, Alexander the Great passed through the area of the salt flats. He along with the horses and men from his army stopped to rest a bit. One of the soldiers noticed that the horses were licking the rocks. These were actually the natural salt rocks .
This is how the salt mines were discovered. Over time, the salt mines have seen many rulers and since then the salt has been used as a valuable trade commodity.
Sustainability
The speed at which people around the world are accepting Himalayan salt and embracing it in their daily lives is quite remarkable. It makes one question the sustainability of Himalayan salt .
The good news is that there are a total of six mines that contain this natural salt. Three mines have almost 10 billion tons of Himalayan salt reserves . Khewra alone has 6.7 billion tons of salt, of which 22 million are currently accessible.
Currently, 300,000 to 400,000 tons of salt are extracted from the Khewra salt mines every year, which means that it can keep producing this amount of salt every year without any expansion for another 550 years easily.
Remember! We are not considering further expansion of the tunnels into the mountains and this is just one of the six mines we are talking about.
Contrasts Between Table Salt and Himalayan Salt
1. Physical appearance
Table salt is white in color. It is a fine powder that is easy to mix consistently into food to enhance flavor. Regardless of how muggy the weather is in your general vicinity, table salt will not become pasty, due to the added anti-caking agents.
Himalayan rock salt crystals come in shades ranging from pink to discreet shades of orange. It comes in huge squares and pieces that are then cut and ground at will. Since Himalayan salt is not refined or handled, the salt granules are coarse, unlike those of table salt.
2. Extraction
Table salt is extracted by evaporating seawater or breaking up rock salt by blasting.
Himalayan salt is extracted by hand with legitimate procedures that have been used for several years.
3. Composition
Table salt is manipulated and refined to achieve the white color and fine surface for which it is known. In this handling and refining, the salt loses a large amount of its components that are normally part of the salt and are exceptionally valuable.
Also, this salt has added iodine and is hostile to hardening agents added to it. The extraction techniques used for table salt are a further concern, as they add dangerous substances to the salt.
Ocean water is always polluted. When this water evaporates, the buildup includes salt and other polluting influences in ocean water.
Explosives recontaminate the salt with dangerous components that can represent a real danger to human well-being.
Himalayan pink salt is known to be the most perfect salt. Apart from sodium chloride, Himalayan salt contains 84 other minerals that are exceptionally valuable for human well-being. These trace minerals are the reason for the wonderful nuances of this salt.
Why choose Himalayan salt over table salt?
Studies support that a large amount of salt use could be detrimental to human well-being. Increases the risk of some heart and blood-related diseases. This is the main reason why there is so much pressure to reduce salt use.
The most commonly used salt is normal table salt. Due to handling and refining, table salt loses a considerable amount of its usual components. The absence of these components makes sodium the majority of the salt. This renders the salt useless and harmful. Added substances in table salt also pose a danger to general well-being.
Himalayan salt, on the other hand, comes with a multitude of advantages depending on its origin and extraction procedure. Since it reaches its customers in the purest form, it has several useful companion minerals present in it. These mineral companions assume an essential job in the functioning of the human body.
Furthermore, these minerals supplement the function of sodium within the body and transform it into a beneficial component. In addition to these advantages obtained through the use of Himalayan salt, it is known for some natural advantages that influence people in a constructive way.
Increasing uses and benefits of natural pink salt
The health advantages of Himalayan rock salt crystals include:
- Supporting thyroid and adrenal capacity
- Helps achieve hormonal balance.
- Helps achieve a fast metabolism.
- Contains 84 essential minerals for health.
- Helps produce sufficient amount of stomach acid.
The uses of Himalayan salt are not just limited to cooking and consuming. Himalayan salt can also be used in a number of different ways.
Himalayan salt block
Used as serving dishes, these blocks impart a better flavor of salt and mineral substance.
Frozen
The chilled Himalayan salt block can be used to serve cold cakes and sherbet, sushi, vegetables, and cheddar cheese.
Cooking with Himalayan salt blocks
Use the blocks to cook vegetables, shrimp, fish fillets, delicate cuts of meat or even brown an egg. The thick squares of salt disperse heat evenly, ensuring even cooking.
The best part is that Himalayan salt is normally hostile to microbial contamination, so tidying up only requires a quick wipe or wash.
Decoration
Salt blocks and lamps can be used in homes, as a stylistic theme, as gemstones, and as decorative pieces to brighten up a dull environment.
Himalayan salt detox shower
Mix in the tub for a detoxifying Himalayan salt shower to take advantage of the Himalayan pink salt bath. Benefits. Recharge supplements encourage flow and soothe sore muscles.
Rich in over 80 skin-maintaining and renewing minerals, the pink bath salt wash is a soothing and restorative experience for mind and body. A salt shower helps draw out poisons, deeply washes the skin, and eagerly purges the body.
For the most dominant detox result, prepare Himalayan salt as «salt water» for your shower: Use 1-2 pounds of Himalayan salt dissolved in a hot bath.
Potpourri holders and essential oil diffusers
The beautifully shaped salt blocks are used as oil diffusers and potpourri holders.
salt therapies
Salt inhalers and the ultrasonic salinizer can even be used in combination for optimal health benefits. The salinizer can be installed near the bed to benefit from it while sleeping at night. The only condition is to install it indoors and with the vents facing you so that you can inhale the tiny salt particles.
In addition to these two methods of salt therapy, salt is being used in many other therapeutic ways.
- Neti pot: Also called nasal irrigation. This method consists of inhaling salt water through one nostril and draining it through the other. Salt water clears the sinuses and relaxes the pathway.
- Crenoterapia: It consists of the consumption of salt water called sole.
animal lick salt
Himalayan salt is used as licks for animals, as it helps them in bone growth and muscle strengthening. These mineral licks also attract animals to land in case you want to establish a hunting ground.
Himalayan Pink Salt Skin Benefits
Himalayan salt is used in many facial toners and scrubs. Salt granules help remove dead skin cells leaving skin smooth and youthful.
Bottom line
In a nutshell, Himalayan pink salt is packed with benefits. It is nature’s gift to humanity and helps alleviate a number of health related problems caused by elements that rival nature.
