Benefits of Himalayan Salt Lamps
Air Purification:
Air purification is often the quintessential goal for most buyers. Air-purifying house plants are often bought for this reason as well. There is no doubt that cleaner air in your home is better for your health.
Himalayan salt lamp by its salty nature is able to easily attract water vapor to it. With this water vapor often comes indoor air pollutants, including allergens, mold and bacteria. When the water hits the heated lamp, the salt traps the pollutants but releases the water vapor. This cycle repeats while the lamp is on and warm. By removing pollutants from the air, the salt lamp leaves you with cleaner, healthier air.
It is absolutely true that the salt lamps are hygroscopic: they do suck water vapor from the air. Salt in the air has long been seen as a health booster, and sea air has been proven to help clear the airways.
In the 19th century, Polish salt miners (working in the same mines which now produce “Himalayan” salt) were known to have fewer pulmonary health problems than the general population. There is ample scientific evidence of the health benefits of breathing salty air. However, rock salt isn’t particularly effective at spreading salt particles through the air.
Raise energy levels:
It is very well-known that positive ions can rob the body from much of its energy. No wonder we can sometimes feel so exhausted after finishing a task which involved the use of a laptop or watching a TV show even for an hour. Because these electronic devices are responsible for releasing positive ions into the air, a salt lamp is more than welcomed inside one's house. Negative ions, which the lamps emit, can make one feel more energetic, offering people a feeling similar to that of being in nature, surrounded by trees and breathing fresh air.
Eases Asthma and Allergy Symptoms:
Himalayan salt is now used in inhalers to bring relief to asthma and allergy sufferers. Salt therapy is also used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. COPD is a debilitating and degenerative lung disease characterized by the restriction of airflow in and out of the lungs. According to the Lung Institute, “Some people have found salt therapy to be an effective option for relieving symptoms of lung disease, resulting in easier breathing.”
Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated highly impressive salt therapy benefits, including : • 85 percent of mild and moderate asthma cases • 75 percent of severe asthma cases • 97 percent of chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis cases
Salt therapy for breathing problems is said to have begun with Siberian salt mine workers in the later 1800s who had a surprisingly small number of respiratory problems compared to people around them with less salty professions. Nowadays, you can find salt caves at various spas, and this salt cave experience is also trying to be re-created with the invention of salt pipe inhalers. Salt lamps are another smaller-scale way to bring the salt cave experience (and hopefully the health benefits) home.
Improve breathing:
Studies show that negative ions increase cilial activity while positive ions have a negative effect. Cilia are the microscopic hairs lining the windpipe (trachea). In other words, more negative ions in the air means your lungs are kept cleaner from foreign particles. So theoretically, a Salt lamp helps you filter the air you breathe in and keep your lungs clean.
Enhance your sleep pattern:
The salt lamps are natural negative ion generators. This means the air quality is drastically improved with their help. It is well-known that an air rich in dust particles and any toxic compound for that matter is linked to a poor night rest and irregular sleep patterns. This happens because the positive ions present in it reduce the blood flow to the brain. A weak oxygenation process usually means there is more stress involved, which is one of the factors that can impact the brain's health in the long term. Also, some people cannot sleep well unless there is at least one source of light inside the room. The weaker that source, the better, so a Himalayan salt lamp is great for this as well. In spite of the numerous colors that range from white to orange, the lamps emit a similar amount of light which is dim enough as not to disturb.
Reduce stress and make you feel more relaxed:
Aside from its negative ions, the salt lamp emits a calm light for which reason you are likely to find one in a therapist's office for sure. The color offers a sensation of warmth that will surely make one feel more at ease and relaxed. Furthermore, the objects are also used in chromo therapy, a kind of therapy that involves the use of colors as a means to balance the body's physical, emotional and spiritual aspects.
Make you feel better:
Again, the combination of the compounds it releases and its natural color turns a Himalayan salt lamp into a right help for people who struggle to improve their mood. Many of the studies conducted on the negative ions manner of action have associated them with an increase in the levels of serotonin, also known as the hormone of happiness. People suffering from depression or anxiety can benefit from owning it.
Increase concentration and enhance the thinking process:
Researchers claim that negative ions are truly wondrous and for a good reason. Most often than not, even a short time exposure to them can improve the blood flow; especially that directed towards the brain. The amount of oxygenated blood increases focus and provides one with a clearer thinking process.
Improve blood flow:
The brain is not the only organ that benefits from the negative ions' effect. When the blood flows better towards one part of the body, it is only natural for it to do so with any other organ, be it the heart, lungs or kidneys. This way, the vascular system will enjoy a good overall health with lowered risks of disease occurrence shortly.
The truth about the origin of ´Himalayan´ pink rock salt
First of all: there are no salt mines in the Himalayas. Pink rock salt is usually mined from Pakistan or Poland. “Himalayan” is just a descriptor, because a “Punjabi Foothills salt lamp” doesn’t sound quite so exotic.
What exactly are negative ions?
The big claim made for salt lamps is that they release negative ions into the air, which improve health and mood. Let’s take a quick look at the science behind this.
All matter is made of molecules. Each molecule has a positively-charged nucleus, circled by negatively-charged electrons like moons orbiting a planet.
When a molecule has enough negative electrons to exactly balance the positive charge from its nucleus, it is stable.
A positive ion is a molecule which has lost an electron, leaving a ‘gap’ in its outer layer of electrons; a negative ion has an extra electron.
The positive ion wants to bond with something to fill the gap, and a negative ion wants to bond with something to get rid of its spare electron.
Positive ions are known as free radicals. There are clear and documented links between free radicals and health problems such as cancer. The theory is that negative ions will bond with the positive ions in the atmosphere, neutralizing them before they can affect the molecules in your body. Negative ions have been shown to inhibit bacterial growth and slow the development of cancer cells.
In nature, negative ions are produced by moving water and released by plants during photosynthesis.
Positive ions are produced by certain weather conditions and by home electronic goods – that’s why the air feels ‘charged’ just before a storm, and why you sometimes feel a crackling sensation if you touch a switched-off TV screen.
