Health: Two More Ways to Use Salt You May Not Know

Have you ever heard of halotherapy? I hadn’t either until a friend of mine mentioned “salt rooms” after reading these two previous blog posts (here and here). Then I read this article. I have known about the health benefits of natural, unprocessed salt, so these two uses were fascinating to me.

I had never, however, heard of salt rooms or salt caves, which apparently have been around for hundreds of years. It makes perfect sense to me that salt is such a powerful healing agent. I always think about how renewed and revitalized I feel at the ocean – not just swimming or walking in the salt water but breathing the air. As the article mentions, when you have a dental problem or sore throat, rinsing or gargling with salt water is often the first recommendation.

It’s the negatively charged ions as well as salt’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that are responsible for the health benefits. It sounds wonderful to me: You enter a room resembling a salt cave with walls covered in mineral salt. You sit in adjustable and comfortable massage beds. The room’s temperature and humidity is maintained for optimal conditions. The lights dim and you can choose to listen to relaxing music. Many people close their eyes and meditate. All sessions last for 25-45 minutes and you will finish feeling relaxed and energized.

Some of the conditions salt therapy is believed to improve include:

Asthma

Allergies

Chronic ENT illnesses (ear-nose-throat)

Bronchitis

Frequent ear infections

Frequent colds

Allergies to industrial and household pollutants

Hay fever

Smoker’s cough

COPD

Cystic Fibrosis

Pharyngitis

Sinusitis

Rhinitis

Tonsillitis

Snoring

Sleep Apnea

You can Google “salt rooms” and find out if there are any in your area you can try.

The other interesting use of salt is salt lamps, which you’ve probably seen around. They’re made from Himalayan pink salt crystals and can range in color from light pink to pink with an orange hue, depending on the mineral concentration. They create a soothing glow in any room and my son and daughter-in-law use one in the baby’s bedroom to create that calming atmosphere.

There are some interesting health benefits associated with their use including:

Purifying the air

Reducing stress

Easing allergy and asthma symptoms

Increasing energy levels

Improving sleep quality

Reducing electromagnetic radiation

Helping to improve certain skin conditions via reducing pollen in the air

You may be wondering how they “work.” Well the salt attracts water molecules that are circulating in the air in every room in your house. The water molecules attach to bacteria, viruses, dust, mold, pollen and other allergens. So it helps detoxify your room by capturing and holding these particles instead of allowing them to continue floating around for you to breathe in. As the bulb heats the lamp, the water vapor is released back into the air, while the lamp retains the contaminants.

They also release negative ions into the air. Those are oxygen atoms with an extra electron which occur in nature via the effects of water, air, and sunlight. That’s why being at the beach or near a waterfall rejuvenates and relaxes you so much.

The only two cautions I want to share about salt lamps are to make sure you are buying it from a reputable source and know it truly is made from Himalayan pink salt. Otherwise you won’t reap those health benefits. The other is to keep it away from your pets as ingesting too much salt can harm them.

These are two unique ways to reap the varied health benefits of salt. Have you used either? If so, share your experience.

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