We all know how important salt is for the proper functioning of vital body organs. Ironically, we are misled about many products and their benefits. Salt is one of them. Flip through any health magazine and you will be surprised to know about the variety of salts available and the numerous health benefits each of them claims to possess.
Walk between the aisles at the supermarket and you will be astonished to find a huge variety of salts neatly lined up on the shelves.
The markets are full of different types of salts. It is up to the consumers to know in detail about each salt before adopting it for their daily life usage. Everything that looks pure white and doesn’t get cakey does not qualify to be a good salt.
Good salt is jam-packed with all the beneficial nutrients required for the human body. It reaches its consumers in the purest and most natural form.
Let us talk about the two salts currently ruling the markets. Bamboo salt and Himalayan salt.
Bamboo Salt Vs Himalayan Salt
Both the salts are ancient and have been in use for a long time. It would not be wrong to say that they have been reintroduced to the modern man as their benefits were long forgotten.
What Is Bamboo Salt?
Bamboo salt dates back 1000 years ago. It was developed in Korea by doctor Kim II Hoon in collaboration with the monks. Bamboo salt has since been used as a folk medicinal remedy for various illnesses.
Bamboo Salt is made by putting sea salt in cases made of bamboo with three years of growth.
What Is Himalayan Salt?
Pink Himalayan salt is also sea salt but of a different form. It is extracted by hand from the salt mines located at the foothills of the great Himalayas. These mountains are situated in Punjab, a province of Pakistan.
The Himalayan salt mines are a result of massive sea evaporation that took place millions of years ago. For millions of years, this salt remained protected by layers of mountains. This makes Himalayan salt the purest salt present on the land.
Source
Interestingly, both the salts are obtained by very unique procedures.
Bamboo salt, also called Jukyeom, is filled in the bamboo cases. These cases are then sealed with yellow clay which is rich in minerals. The bamboo cases are then placed in metal cases and heated in a furnace that is fueled by pinewood. The process takes around 10 hours and the temperature required varies from 1000c to 1300c.
The complete process is repeated 3,6 or 9 times making the salt more medically effective. In ancient times, this process was done only twice but research has proven that carrying it more times increases its effectiveness. The multiple high heat roasting helps in the better amalgamation of nutrients from the bamboo and the yellow clay and helps in ridding off the impurities from the sea salt.
The medical efficacy of the salt reaches its peak when it undergoes the process 9 times. After this, if it is roasted, it starts losing its effectiveness. At the peak point, the Bamboo salt is called the purple Bamboo salt because of the purple hue it attains from high heat roasting.
The Himalayan salt is extracted by hand from the khewra salt mines. No explosives are used in the process ensuring the salt remains pure. The extraction procedure follows the doom and pillar technique, ensuring no damage is done to the salt mines.
The large chunks of the Himalayan salt are sliced, shaped, and ground as needed.
Appearance And Nutritional Profile
Scientific research has proven that Bamboo salt contains more than 70 trace minerals. The reason behind Bamboo salt’s enriched nutritional profile is the leaching of minerals from the bamboo tree trunks, the yellow clay, and the pinewood resin.
The major components of Bamboo salt are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, potassium, and zinc. At the same time, it is high in sulfur as a result of the bamboo tree trunk. This makes Bamboo Salt a highly alkaline food as compared to all the other acidic salts. This also makes Bamboo Salt a great neutralizer.
Another interesting fact about Bamboo salt is that it manifests the energy of the basic five elements from the raw ingredients and roasting process it undergoes. The elements’ details are:
Roasting=Fire
Yellow clay=Earth
Metal tray= Metal
Sea salt= water
Bamboo and pinewood= Wood
On the other hand, the Himalayan salt is labeled as the miracle salt owing to the plethora of health benefits it holds. The Himalayan salt is known to contain as many as 84 minerals and trace elements.
It is because of these minerals that this Himalayan salt gets its unique pink and orange shades. The pink salt is said to have the perfect balance of sodium and potassium that complements the proper functioning of the body organs.
Benefits
Bamboo Salt Benefits
- Bamboo salt generates hydrogen sulfide which works as an anti-gastric. It also has physiological effects that help in reducing inflammation, and hypertension.
- It improves insulin sensitivity.
- It is recommended to use Bamboo salt for the skin. It helps in removing dead skin cells and deals with skin problems like acne and freckles. For this reason, Bamboo salt soap is commonly used by beauty freaks.
- Bamboo salt is used for treating sore throat owing to its anti-inflammatory properties.
- Bamboo salt detoxifies the body. It safeguards the vessels and blood cells from bacteria and toxins. It also enhances the body’s antibiotic resistance.
- Bamboo salt acts as a blood coagulator and helps in fighting bacterial infection.
Himalayan Salt Benefits
- Himalayan salt is known to be the best air purifier. It cleanses the air of dust, dander, and pollutants.
- Himalayan salt balances the abundant positive ions in the environment by releasing negative ions. This creates a sense of peace and serenity.
- Himalayan salt works as an excellent cure for respiratory diseases.
- Himalayan salt elixir is an excellent way to make up for the lost electrolytes from the body.
- Himalayan bath salt is best for the skin. It removes dead skin cells and gives the skin a healthy glow.
- Himalayan salt detoxifies the body of harmful toxins and rejuvenates and invigorates it with energy.
Difference In Uses
Ways To Use Bamboo Salt
- Use Bamboo salt for treating tooth decay and toothache.
- Apply Bamboo salt on the scalp to treat hair loss.
- Use Bamboo salt to reduce body odor.
- Use Bamboo salt for nasal irrigation.
- Use Bamboo salt to reduce joint pain.
- Use Bamboo salt on the skin to decrease skin conditions.
Ways To Use Himalayan Salt
- Use Himalayan salt sole to reap a myriad of health benefits.
- Use Himalayan salt lamps to cleanse the air from pollutants.
- Use Himalayan salt bath soaks to relax, detoxify and rejuvenate your body.
- Use Himalayan salt inhalers to treat respiratory ailments.
- Use Himalayan salt scrubs to get glowing skin.
- Himalayan salt slabs can be used in the kitchen as cooking and serving platters.
- Himalayan pink salt iodine content helps in eliminating goiter.
- Himalayan salt bricks and tiles are used in homes and spas to build salt walls and salt rooms.
Bottom Line
Both these salts are beneficial for human health. It is upon the consumer to study and choose the most suitable salt for daily use.
