Himalayan salt lamps are beautiful lamps for using in your home, made from placing a lightbulb inside a big chunk of hand-carved pink Himalayan crystal salt. They are believed to carry a number of different health benefits along with their beautiful glow.
True Himalayan salt lamps are sourced from the Khewra Salt Mine in Pakistan. Believed to be millions of years old, this popular salt also contains minerals and trace elements that make it superior nutritionally, and that give it that lovely pink hue.
According to the Lung Institute, salt has the following health properties:
- Antibacterial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Loosens excessive mucus and speeds up mucociliary transport
- Removes pathogens (ie., airborne pollen)
- Reduces IgE level (immune system oversensitivity)
Himalayan Salt Lamps are believed to:
Cleanse the Air
Salt is hygroscopic, which means that it attracts water molecules to itself. The big chunk of Himalayan salt, warmed by the lamp inside it, attracts those water molecules from the air and absorbs it, along with any pollutants like mold, bacteria, allergens and dust.
Reduce Allergy & Asthma Symptoms
Thanks to its air-clearing and purifying ways, the Himalayan salt lamp may mean that those who suffer from asthma and allergies find their symptoms easing up. There are even Himalayan Salt Inhalers on the market! Place a salt lamp in the room/s in which you spend the most time and see if it improves your symptoms.
Neutralize Electromagnetic Radiation
Himalayan salt lamps are said to be negative ion generators. An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving the atom a net positive or negative electrical charge. Negative ions are created in nature by things like lightening, sunlight and water, especially running water (perhaps why a walk at the beach is so deeply rejuvenating).
WebMD explains some of the benefits of negative ions in the air:
“Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy,” says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.
“They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation.”
Salt lamps produce negative ions in your home, which is great to balance out the positive ions emitted from our devices and appliances through Electro Magnetic Fields (EMF). The negative ions help to neutralize the positive ions, and this theoretically improves our health.
