We reviewed and discussed the real benefits of Himalayan Salt Lamps. We’re providing the research information and we’ll let you decide. Are the purported benefits real or a hoax? Does it even matter to you?
Himalayan Salt Lamps are absolutely gorgeous, especially when their orange hue fills a room. There’s really something to be said about the benefits of complete immersion in a calming ambience. I personally own a Himalayan salt lamp in my office and in my bedroom for just that very reason. When I need to relax I know that my Himalayan Salt Lamp will set the mood. Despite their beauty, there are major questions about the validity of various claims to their benefits.
The Top Rated Himalayan Salt Lamp
If you want to add a beautiful salt lamp to your home decor then this is the one to take a look at. The number one rated Himalayan Salt Lamp on Amazon and the one I personally own is the Levoit Kyra Salt Lamp. It has over 1,200 reviews and 91% of them are at least 4 stars which is incredible.
Like most of the health fads and trends in the last couple of decades, Himalayan salt lamps seem to be the rage these days, backed with some interesting claims of medicinal and physical properties that help with many things from air purification to cancer prevention. But, it’s not just the lamps that are getting a lot of attention. Himalayan salt is used to flavor food, just like table salt, and the fitness community is going bonkers over its benefits. I have to say, it is distinctly flavor. The grounded salt that is, I’m not going around licking my lamps, yet.
The minute we move beyond the discussion of how beautiful these lamps are there are loads of people waiting in line to say that Himalayan salt lamps are nothing more than a hoax. This is understandable, because there’s a complete lack of any well-documented research to support the health benefit claims.
Still, others swear by their lives about the benefits of Himalayan salt lamps. There is deep belief in some circles that these stunning oxidized salt rocks can change your mind and body for the better. Although Himalayan salt lamps are so controversial because of the lack of scientific support, there’s something to be said for allowing people to enjoy what they enjoy.
If people believe that something benefits them and they manifest the benefits of what they believe, what’s the harm in letting it be? It’s not the first or last time that the power of the mind has allowed people to achieve amazing things. Heck, I’ve added extra miles and faster speeds on the treadmill just by finding the right song.
So, we’re not here to tell you what to think. Instead, we’re going to discuss what we’ve found to be the scientific theories behind these benefits and give you the freedom to come to your own conclusions. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at what Himalayan salt lamps are all about. Perhaps after reading this piece you’ll be able to answer this million dollar question for yourself. What are the real benefits of Himalayan salt lamps?
What Are Himalayan Salt Lamps Exactly?
Himalayan salt lamps are made from pink salt crystals that are found at the salt mines near the Himalayas at the western side of the Himalayan region near Punjab of Pakistan and Polish salt mines.
The lamps made from this pink salt usually have a pinkish or orange hue. Also commonly known as pink salt, this wellness product is used in a wide range of activities starting from cooking to salt baths. When shaped into a lamp, Himalayan pink salt releases negative air ions in the air that counteracts against dust particles that may be injurious to your health. This, in turn, leads to the spiritual and health benefits of keeping a Himalayan salt lamp around such as alleviating your mood, deeper sleep, allergy prevention and much more.
These lamps can be commonly bought either in individual pieces or in decorative baskets. Chemical analysis indicates that pink salt crystals are primarily composed of sodium chloride with trace amounts of zinc, magnesium and potassium.
Himalayan Salt Lamp Benefits
Now that we know the facts about what Himalayan salts lamps even are, let’s move on to the next question of their purported health benefits. Specifically, how and where do the health benefits kick in? What is the scientific basis of the benefits and properties of salt lamps?
We’re not eating these lamps. Although, low-key, I wonder if I chipped a piece off of my bedroom if it would take like the Himalayan salt in my salt-shaker. And, just in case you’re wondering about the health benefits of consuming pinks salts, there is little to no difference between pink salts and the common salts that we season our food with.
The Hygroscopic Effect
The first major benefit of salt lamps is that Himalayan salt lamps reduce and remove harmful particles from the air. It’s theoretical basis is that pink salt, or any salt for that matter, attracts water molecules which are present in the air. This is due to the hygroscopic properties of the salt. These water molecules contain different types of harmful molecules of bacteria, allergens and pollutants.
Once these molecules are drawn in by the salt, it’s then evaporated by the heat generated by the bulb inside and the molecule particles stick to the lamp. Many common health problems like coughing, allergy and asthma can be minimized a lot by staying in close proximity of a Himalayan salt lamp.
The hygroscopic effect of the lamp reduces the particles in the air that cause these kind of problems. This is the most common reason as to why people purchase Himalayan salt lamps. However, some people believe that the scope of the hygroscopic effect isn’t nearly enough to be effective.
The Negative Ion Revolution
The second major benefit of Himalayan salt lamps is their ability to generate negative ions. A study by Dr. Michael Terman of the Columbia University Medical Center found that negative ion therapy could support mood enhancement. But, what does that really mean?
Well, negative and positive ions are caused by the electrical charges that are contained in all molecules in the universe. Positive ions are known as cations while negative ions are known as anions. To make it easier, any kind of natural occurrence where a large amount of friction is involved generates negative ions.
Natural phenomenon like sunlight, lightning storms, and running water of streams and rivers are just a few examples of high negative ion concentrations. In adequate quantities, negative ions provide multiple health benefits including treating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and increasing flow of oxygen to the brain which refreshes and revitalizes the mind as well as protects against allergen particles.
Even though the negative ionizer process is minimal and comparatively weaker than the hygroscopic effect produced by salt lamps, it is still effective within a minimum range. When purchasing a Himalayan salt lamp for yourself, its best to keep the limited ionization properties and range in mind when placing it in any room in your home.
So, if you’re going to pick a room to accent with your lamp try smaller rooms life offices or bedrooms over living rooms. Still, there are some researchers who like to point out the fact that similar to the hygroscopic effect of Himalayan salt lamps, the negative ion generation is also unlikely to be adequate enough to be of any practical benefits.
Air Purification Benefits
While they don’t have the large-scale air purification mechanism of air filters made for home use, Himalayan salt lamps do have some solid holistic air purification benefits.
In many European countries, many nature resorts are built around salt pits or salt mines due to the air purification properties of high salt concentrations. This was first noticed by Dr. Felix Boczkowski, a Polish researcher in 1843 who later started the European trend of building health resorts around salt deposits. The air purification happens through the hygroscopic effect that is carried out when the lamp is turned on.
Mood Boosting Benefits
This is something many supporters of Himalayan salt lamps strongly claim. If we look at it objectively, high amounts of negative ions can improve the flow of serotonin in the human body which is the chemical that regulates our mood control. While studies and research regarding this aspect of Himalayan salt lamps have demonstrated no consistent results on regular people, those who suffer from depression sometimes find that a salt lamp generates enough negative ions to improve their mental state.
Doctors and experts have yet to find the exact correlation between depression and the dosage of negative ions that help generate serotonin. But even if that remains undetermined, the fact still stands that serotonin levels in the human body can be increased through a Himalayan salt lamp which can improve your mood and concentration levels.
Sleep Aide Benefits
Even though the above claims regarding Himalayan salt lamp benefits can be taken with a grain of salt, this claim is indirectly correct. After getting in touch with multiple medical professionals and experts, we reached the conclusion that Himalayan salt lamps are in no way helpful for sleeping directly. However, the dim light that is emitted from a Himalayan salt lamp is very soothing and can help one relax more easily, which ultimately leads to deeper and better sleep.
Counters Electromagnetic Radiation
If you’re in the habit of using or staying near electronic devices like smartphones and computers for extended periods of time, keeping a lamp around those devices can be helpful as Himalayan salt lamps generate enough negative ions to effectively counteract the positive ions generated by most standard electronic devices. Not only that, the negative ions generated by Himalayan salt lamps are often enough to minimize the electromagnetic radiations generated by these devices.
So, Why Buy A Himalayan Salt Lamp?
Minor or not, Himalayan salt lamps do have some health benefits and spiritual benefits. We’ve covered the minor health claims, and frankly, spiritually anything that makes you feel good is an excellent resource. But, beyond that, these lamps are also beautiful pieces of art.
We came up with some cool reasons why a Himalayan salt lamp may be a really good fit for your home.
Excellent Home Décor
Barring discussion of validity of health claims, Himalayan salt lamps are unique and super funky pieces of interior décor. They’re a definite conversation starter, and these lamps are also ideal for people who want to use eco-friendly products to do their part in preserving nature. One excellent suggestion that we can give is that if you have a backyard with a small pool or patio, you can use a couple of Himalayan salt lamps to easily to create a dimly lit dreamy background environment. They are not as expensive as LED lights and have the added benefit of adapting to any type of surrounding décor.
They’re Relaxing
Honestly, the mere point of how relaxing these lamps are serves as more than enough evidence that they benefit ones health. Himalayan salts lamps have a subtle and soothing glow that subconsciously put the mind at ease without any effort.
After a long day of hard work and pressure, just sitting and relaxing while basking in the pinkish glow of a Himalayan salt lamp makes for a truly relaxing and mesmerizing experience for the mind and the body. And, if you pair these lamps with fresh-lush green indoor plants you can really feel like you’re immersed in an exotic jungle of an ambience in your home. Done right, it’s like you’re in heaven.
Many people doze off to sleep in this relaxed and easy state of mind, which is perhaps why people so strongly believe that Himalayan salt lamps make for an excellent sleep aid.
PTSD Support Benefits
Those dealing with stress or PTSD disorders are often treated with light and color therapy. Exposure to artificial lighting often leads to increased levels of stress and trauma in many patients, so doctors suggest exposure to natural lighting for them in later hours of the day.
If you’re suffering from a mild case of stress, shock or trauma, Himalayan salt lamps can greatly benefit you with its therapeutic natural lighting. We’re certainly not saying that a Himalayan salt lamp can treat PTSD, you should definitely be working closely with a trained therapist. However, these lamps be an extra source of support, just like your choice in wall color.
Energy Efficient
While not a very common practice, a smart home set-up with Himalayan salt lamps of various sizes can greatly reduce your power bills. Just check this fantastic setup to get a rough idea of all the fun and creative things you can do with a couple of Himalayan salt lamps to your home décor.
Choose The Best Himalayan Salt Lamp
With winter just around the corner, this is the perfect time to buy yourself or gift someone you love a Himalayan salt lamp. After considering all things mentioned above, if you’re still up for buying a Himalayan salt lamp, here are a couple of handy tips that you should keep in mind when buying one whether it’s online or in person.
The Size Of The Lamp: How Big A Salt Lamp Do I Need?
Size is an important factor to consider when purchasing a Himalayan salt lamp. The smaller and more common version of Himalayan salt lamps stand 6-10 inches in length and weight around 5-6 lbs, while the larger ones can go up to 50 lbs in weight and 3-4 feet or more in length. The small ones are a good fit for bedrooms while the larger ones can be used in living rooms and other rooms in the house.
Pro-tip: Using a bunch of small and medium sized lamps can have better lighting effect than using a single large salt lamp.
The Color Of The lamp
Although commonly described as to having a pink color, it’s actually orange colored with a pinkish hue. The trick to ascertaining and differentiating a high-quality lamp from a low-quality one is simply by checking how dark the hue of the lamp is. A darker orange hue generally indicates superior quality. Also check if it’s mentioned ‘100% Himalayan salt’ anywhere in the packaging.
The Surface Of The Lamp
Check if the surface of the salt lamp is rough or smooth. While a smooth and carefully sculpted lamp looks nice and refined, it doesn’t provide the minimal benefits that should come with a standard Himalayan salt lamp. The roughness of the surface of the lamp determines the hygroscopic potential of the lamp.
The Bulb Of The Lamp
The heat generated by the bulb of the lamp is responsible for the hygroscopic effect of the lamp, so make sure you use heat-generating bulbs instead of LED lights when lighting the lamp.
Our Verdict
Himalayan salt lamps are certainly beautiful and have some minor health benefits according to what scientific evidence is available. But our verdict is that aside from stress relief Himalayan salt lamps likely aren’t the full-fledged health product they’re purported to be. Still, stress is the genesis of so many diseases that it’s hard to argue that whatever you can do in your home to limit it, you should just do it. We’ve talked enough, now it’s time to hear from you. What’s your verdict?
Your Verdict
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