Himalayan pink salt: useful properties and contraindications

Some well-known scientists and nutritionists argue that there is nothing particularly beneficial for human health in the Himalayan salt. In contrast to them, preachers of a healthy lifestyle are delighted with the miraculous effect of the product on the body. Resolve the controversy is helped by research conducted in special laboratories and invaluable folk experience in the use of Himalayan salt.

A large number of different elements are concentrated in Himalayan salt. Depending on the amount of concentration of certain components, salt can be pink, orange-red, and black.

Polyhalite and iron oxide give Himalayan pink or red color. Pink Himalayan salt consists of large crystals up to 3 centimeters in diameter. Nowadays, it rivals table salt in popularity, but surpasses it in its usefulness.

Hindus are more accustomed to Himalayan black salt, which they call "kala namak. It is black only in its stony state. When crushed, it turns pink, but in a wet environment, it turns dark again.

What is pink salt and where is it extracted?

Pink Himalayan salt originates from the Punjab region, where the salt is extracted at its source, the Khevr Salt Mine. This product is the sedimentary deposits of the ocean that once stood there. That is why the age of this unique gift of nature is counted in millions of years. More than 600 years have passed since the time when the salt of the ancient ocean Tatis merged with the lava of the Himalayan rock formations. Hence the tribute to this mountain range in its name.

In addition, this salt is incomparable to others in its environmental friendliness. It is the purest natural product. The explanation for this fact is that there are no populated areas near the salt extraction sites. The purity of the product is also helped by the fact that no explosives are used in its extraction. All the work is done by hand. The extracted salt is dried under the rays of the sun. More than 300 thousand tons of pink salt a year.

Why is Himalayan salt pink?

The salt crystals contain a large amount of iron oxide, which gives the salt its peculiar color: something between red and pink. The iron oxide got into its crystals from fiery lava. Volcanic lava, rushing to the foot of the Himalayas, flowed into the ocean, mixed with the salt and evaporated it naturally due to the high temperatures. This process resulted in the unusual color of the product and the appearance of many minerals in it.

What is the difference between pink salt and regular salt?

The main features of pink salt are its light, subtle taste and peculiar smell. This is how connoisseurs determine the authenticity of this product. The main difference between Himalayan crystal salt and ordinary table salt is, of course, the color. Iron and minerals are preserved in the pink salt, which give it its unusual color. Bleaching table salt in production with chemicals deprives it of its natural color.

Pink salt is dried in the purest natural conditions under the heat of the sun, which is not the case with regular salt: it is heated to high temperatures. This also has a bad effect on its chemical composition. Often table salt is saturated with iodine for preventive purposes. But it is poorly absorbed by the body, because it is not a pure natural element.

To transport and store himalayka, no extraneous means are used. Whereas ordinary salt is treated with special substances, so that it does not caking, does not stick together in containers and does not dissolve in water. Salt accumulated in the body can lead to serious diseases. Pink Himalayan salt is fully absorbed by the body.

All this manipulation of table salt has given it a bad reputation. But instead of chemically processed regular salt, you can buy a natural whole product, pink Himalayan salt, which will not create health problems.

The micronutrients in Himalaya, which number more than 80, allow the body to absorb sodium and chlorine completely, without deposits. In contrast, table salt, because of the poverty of its composition of similar elements, leads to a deposit of sodium, threatening the emergence of health problems.

Composition and Calories

Pink Himalayan salt among all its congeners on the pedestal is assigned one of the highest ranks. Its unusual chemical composition contributes to it. It contains many minerals, balanced by nature itself. First of all, the higher usefulness of this dietary supplement compared to other types of salt is determined by the lowest sodium content - only 38%. It combined with potassium and chlorine regulates water-salt metabolism. When combined with magnesium, calcium and potassium, sodium neutralizes acids and normalizes blood pressure. Sodium affects tissue endurance, normal heartbeat, and regulation of blood pressure.

Pink Himalayan contains about 60% chlorine, always in combination with other components. Without chlorine in the body it is impossible to regulate processes at the cellular level and the full functioning of nerve cells.

In addition to the components listed above, pink Himalayan salt has collected iron, molybdenum, boron, vanadium and other useful substances in a huge list of 80 elements, making up 3% of their total number. These elements help sodium and chlorine to be fully absorbed by the body. 100 grams of the product contains 0.1 grams of protein and fat each, and 0.7 grams of carbohydrates for a caloric value of 5 kcal.

What is the usefulness of pink Himalayan salt

The usefulness of pink Himalayan salt for most people who care about their health is obvious, because its components are necessary for the normal functioning of the body useful macro-and micronutrients. Thanks to this food additive normalizes the activity of the digestive organs and the processes occurring in them.

General benefits

1. People suffering from gastritis, pancreatitis, using Himalayan salt in their diet, can gradually recover from these diseases.
2. Hypertensives and people suffering from constipation will feel the usefulness of this product.
3. In periods of hangover, many experts recommend using Himalayan salt, because thanks to potassium and magnesium it reduces the load on the cardiovascular and central nervous system.
4. When a person wants to lose weight, he tries to protect the body from fat deposits. Pink salt, triggering the metabolic process, speeds up digestive processes and does not allow fat to be deposited.
5. Himalayan is widely used in the fight against cellulite.
6. Older people will also find the health benefits of pink Himalayan salt. The reduction of important micronutrients for the body in old age is difficult to stop. Himalayan salt can help in this. Regular and proper use of salt for a week will lead to tangible results both externally and internally.
7. Thanks to the normalization of metabolic processes, swelling disappears. If there have been inflammatory processes, they may slow down or stop altogether. Cells are regenerated and renewed, joint pains are alleviated, and the skin is visibly rejuvenated.

For Women

Using this dietary supplement, women will feel an improvement in their bones, hair, skin, nails, and muscles. Thanks to the intake of salt through food, there is a more intensive absorption of useful substances into the blood. Consumption of Himalayas normalizes the content of glucose and iodine in the body. In women's bodies, hormone production is normalized, and reproductive functions are improved. Salt intake with food is especially indicated for women going through menopause. During menstruation, the iron in salt helps to control the secretions and make up for the lack of the mineral.

For men

This product is beneficial to the male body, as well as the female body, due to its rich content of useful trace elements. The calcium contained in it strengthens bones. In addition, it improves the biochemical parameters of the blood and normalizes blood pressure. If a couple has problems with conception, then the man should take pink Himalayan salt with food.

For men, as well as for women, salt is useful for cleaning the body from slagging, from radionuclides. In the treatment of prostate and impotence, Himalayan salt also has a positive effect.

Women and men can feel the usefulness of pink salt in cold seasons, because strengthening the immune system is the merit of salt. Regular use of this food additive improves a person's well-being and raises the mood.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women before including pink Himalayan salt in their diet, should seek advice from specialists. Salt will undoubtedly benefit expectant mothers in the prevention of osteoporosis. Thanks to her women will have normal sleep and reduce stress. Himalayka helps to increase fluid intake. This is also important during pregnancy, because it maintains the necessary volume of amniotic fluid. But the selection of the daily norm of salt should be strictly individual.

When breastfeeding

Breastfeeding babies can not be a reason to reject the pink Himalayan salt. The presence in it of a huge number of useful trace elements has a positive effect on the baby through breast milk. Increased fluid intake because of the salt also has a positive effect on milk production.

For children

According to pediatricians, salt in the diet of children under the age of one and a half years should not be present. It is believed that the amount of salt contained in products is sufficient for them. In any case, the advice of a specialist in such matters is mandatory. Salt enters the child's body from the first days of life through the mother's breast milk.

For children, you can use pink Himalayan salt in the treatment of colds, skin problems or for healing wounds after animal or insect bites. To improve a child's immunity and disinfect his or her body, you can visit salt rooms with him or her, where, while playing, you can inhale Himalayan fumes. Interestingly, Pakistani children are given salt crystals instead of candy because of its pleasant taste.

Himalayan Pink Salt in Medicine

The positive effects of pink Himalayan salt on the body through food are not as significant as using it for medicinal purposes. To begin with, the salt crystals must be crushed with a hand mill.

1. To improve sleep, strengthen the body's defenses, normalize the digestive organs, the heart system, and improve the circulatory system, it is recommended to prepare a salt solution of Himalayan salt. A teaspoon of crushed salt is dissolved in a glass of boiled water. The dose of intake is one teaspoon three times before meals daily.
2. Salt baths are useful for skin problems, diseases of the thyroid gland. Salt baths for asthma help vapors enter the lungs. Together with them, minerals enter the epidermis layer, which contributes to the removal of toxins and impurities. To prepare a salt bath, pink Himalayan salt is dissolved in water having a temperature of 40 degrees. The calculation of the components should be as follows: 1.2 kg of salt per 100 liters of water.
3. Salt compresses normalize tissues and joints faster than it would happen without the use of pink salt. The same solution is suitable for a compress against bags under the eyes. Similar remedies for the treatment of wounds from insect bites will help. The recipe for a salt solution for a compress consists of a teaspoon of this salt and a liter of water.
4. Tonsillitis, sore throat, tonsillitis will be cured faster if you rinse your throat with a solution of Himalayan salt.
5. Inhalations with this salt will be useful in the treatment of lungs, throat, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia.

Many diseases can be cured by using Himalayan additive. But it is always necessary to observe the norms of its intake and to drink pure plain water.

Pink salt in cosmetology

"Himalayan miracle" can help not only in the treatment of various diseases. It is widely used in the cosmetic field. Scrubs, creams, masks, one of the components of which is pink salt, can refresh or soften the skin.

1. Exfoliating scrub: Mix mashed banana or blueberries or strawberries and half a teaspoon of crushed salt. All this is combined and applied to the face, avoiding the eye area. Massage for 1 minute, rinse off.
2. Recipe for a moisturizer with coconut oil: 2 teaspoons of crushed salt and 1 cup of oil combined in a tightly closed container and applied to face and neck. The remedy can be stored for a long time.
3. Salt water for washing: 2 tablespoons of Himalayan salt dissolved in a container of water at room temperature, will give elasticity to the skin after repeated washing during the day (by the end of the week the composition softens the skin).

Pink Himalayan salt has a worthy place in the field of cosmetology as an effective means of skin care for the face, neck.

Harm and contraindications

It is unlikely that among many products there is one that does not have any prohibitions on its use. The Himalayan salt also has such restrictions. Pink Himalayan salt is a medicine, so its pure use is discouraged. Even the fact that it is superior to all of its "congeners" in usefulness, does not cancel its limited use. The presence of large quantities of sodium chloride in this salt can lead to its excess in the body and cause edema, disorders of taste, reduction of calcium in the body.

While using pink Himalayan salt, table salt has no place in the diet, and the dose of Himalayan salt - no more than one teaspoon per day - should not be abused.

Despite the many advantages, pink Himalayan salt is contraindicated in patients with an open form of tuberculosis, purulent accompaniment of acute inflammatory processes. In the third trimester of pregnancy, women should stop including Himalayan salt in their diet. Complications can occur if a person has advanced glaucoma or thrombophlebitis.

A diagnosis of varicose veins or the danger of internal bleeding should be a signal to limit the pink Himalayan salt in the diet. This supplement becomes a forbidden product for people with individual intolerance and in case of kidney failure.

Any abuse of Himalayan raw materials is detrimental to health, and its dose of 30 grams at a single dose can lead to a person's death. Naturally, the use of pink salt with contraindications to its use is also fraught with problems of worsening diseases.

How to distinguish a fake from real Himalayan salt

Hand harvesting Himalayan salt and making it ready for sale in natural conditions in the place where it is made makes it a very expensive product. So the consumer should know: the cheap pink salt on the shelves of all the supermarkets can hardly be the real Himalayan salt. More often than not, dyed sea salt is sold as real Himalayan salt. This is instantly noticeable by the color of the water when a small amount of the product is dropped into it: it turns pink.

The specific smell of pink Himalayan salt can also be spoofed with chemical additives from the E series. Plain table salt is odorless.

Another distinction of real Himalayan salt is its degree of saltiness: it is less salty than its "brethren".

The homeland of the original Himalayan salt is Pakistan, which should be indicated on the packages. The indication of India and Nepal may also indicate the original, not the fake salt.

The appearance of the salt crystals: uniform coloring, uniform size - will not cause doubt that this is real pink Himalayan salt. Not only the information on the package, but also the Internet can help you choose the right product.

How to use Himalayan salt for baths and saunas

Bath and sauna have long been a place not only to bring the body in a state of purity, but also for the recovery of the whole body, increasing immunity to many ailments. The use of Himalayan salt is useful for increasing the efficiency of treatment procedures.

High temperature increases the usefulness of minerals of Himalayan salt several times. The air turns into an antiseptic due to saturation with negative salt ions. Pathogenic microbes are destroyed, breathing improves due to the normalization of the functions of the bronchi and sinuses. Such a microclimate, similar to that of the sea, will be especially useful for asthma patients.

Pink Himalayan salt is capable of withstanding high temperatures, so it can be a building material for fireplaces or used to make decorative items for baths and saunas.

If you place the mineral in a decorative bowl and hang it over the sauna heater or in the sink, it will emit salt ions that have a beneficial effect on your well-being. Decorative partition of pink salt minerals can not only become a space divider, but also enrich the air with beneficial substances. Decorative panels on the walls of the steam room, tiles on the floor of the Himalayan mineral will bring aesthetic pleasure and give a health-improving effect.

To get the most benefit from the use of pink Himalayan salt in saunas and baths, you should consider the humidity. Moisture above 50% will negatively affect not only the durability of the material made of this salt, but also the effectiveness of the therapeutic effect. In general, this salt has a positive effect on the entire body, regardless of where it is used in a reasonable and rationed use.

Himalayan salt massage stones

Modern beauty salons have in their range of services massage using stones made of pink Himalayan salt. So-called stone therapy is the impact on the body with hot and cold stones. Using stones of Himalayan salt in such procedures brings maximum benefit due to the fact that it contains almost a hundred kinds of microelements. Such stones increase immunity, promote improvement of detoxification processes in the organism. People who have decided to lose unwanted pounds will also benefit from procedures with Himalayan massage stones. Massage stones made of this salt nourish the skin as well as nourishing cream, rejuvenate it and have a beneficial effect on blood circulation. An additional advantage of the massage stones is the healing of microcracks, elimination of allergic reactions and rejuvenation of the body.

When using massage stones to enhance the therapeutic effect, such as during a scalp massage for hair growth, it is recommended to combine salt minerals with oils. Preheated to an acceptable temperature, the stones will retain heat for a long time and increase the usefulness of the procedure. Due to such actions there is a deep cleansing of the skin, alignment of its relief, and restoration of the disturbed energy of the body.

How to store Himalayan pink salt

Store Himalayan pink salt in a cool, dry place with minimum moisture content, because it actively absorbs moisture. Exposure to sunlight, frost or heat is not recommended, as some trace elements may be destroyed. The container in which the additive is stored should have a tight-fitting lid.

If all the rules of storage are observed, pink salt will take a place of honor in the daily diet for a long time.

Interesting facts about pink salt

1. Pink Himalayan salt is produced in large blocks that are then cut into smaller pieces. This allows it to be used as a building material and raw material for decorative items.
2. Pink Himalayan salt has another name. The ancient Indian herbalists called it black. This is explained by the fact that when the salt is in its stone-like form, it is black. The reddish hue of the stone tells us that this is the future pink salt.
3. Its useful properties were known as far back as the time of Alexander the Great, on whose orders the product was exported along the Indian ridge, and on arrival it ended up in the homes of rich people: the price of salt was immeasurably high.

Pink Himalayan salt is considered the most titled, not only for the richness of its composition, but also because of the method of extraction and processing, which uses only manual labor and natural conditions. But the main difference in this additive is considered its taste: this is the taste of a chicken egg yolk.

Photo of Himalayan pink salt