Taking care of your health can be complicated. There are so many things to think about that it sometimes feels as if you could spend all day just taking care of your health. That’s why it’s nice when you can use something simple. A Himalayan salt lamp could potentially be one of those few simple things you can do for your health that you can set and forget. Not only could a salt lamp help clear the air in your home, but it could also help gently detox your body and reduce some of the effects of stress.
A Himalayan salt lamp is a block of Himalayan salt that’s been hand-carved and has light fixings placed inside. The salt comes from underground mines in Khewra, Pakistan, which is on the western edge of the Himalayan mountains. The salt from this area is rare, unique, and instantly recognizable. Its color ranges from light pink to pinkish-orange depending on the concentration of the minerals in the crystal. The warmth and light heat the salt particles, and this can be of great benefit to the spaces in your house.
The pink salt used in these lamps is very different than normal salt. It’s believed to be the purest form of salt available and is rich in magnesium, iron, copper, potassium, and calcium. These nutrients are what give the salt its pink hue, and they’re also why this salt is said to have so many health benefits. You can eat this salt as well, and when ingested it can offer the following benefits:
This doesn’t mean that you should eat huge amounts of pink salt of course. Dietary sodium can lead to high blood pressure, cause fluid build-up, and affect the health of the kidneys and liver.
However, you’re unlikely to experience these side effects from a Himalayan salt lamp.
A Himalayan salt lamp is basically a big lump of salt, which naturally attracts water molecules to itself. This tendency is what many people believe creates the health benefits of these lamps. As the salt heats up, it attracts water molecules, including those that carry indoor air pollutants like bacteria, mold, and allergens. Advocates of these lamps believe that once the vapor reaches the lamp, the pollutants become trapped in the salt while the clean water vapor is released back into the air. And because the salt is constantly drying out when it’s heated, it repeats this cycle continuously.
There are no studies focusing on the benefits of Himalayan salt lamps directly. However, they are made of salt, which has known health properties including:
A Himalayan salt lamp may also generate negative ions, though studies supporting this claim have not been performed. Negative ions can have the following health benefits:
If you decide to try a Himalayan salt lamp, you could enjoy the following benefits:
The air in your house may not be as clean as it should be. Air pollutants like ozone can easily make their way into your home, and this can be very bad for your health. According to proponents of the Himalayan salt lamp, these devices can help to attract and remove these contaminants, cleaning your air.
All the devices in your house give off electromagnetic radiation including your television, computer, and cell phone. Toxic chemicals, pollution, and pet dander also charge molecules in this way. This means that your house could be filled with positive ions, small molecules that have a positive charge. Constant exposure to these molecules can increase stress, weaken the immune system, and cause fatigue. There is even evidence that it can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and cause certain types of cancer, dementia, and heart disease. A Himalayan salt lamp may release negative ions into the air, which may help to counter this radiation.
Himalayan salt is used in inhalers to relieve asthma, and it’s also used to alleviate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms and improve breathing. These effects have been demonstrated in numerous studies including research on people who suffer from bronchitis and cystic fibrosis. A Himalayan salt lamp may be a small and easy way to bring the benefits of this type of therapy into your house.
A Himalayan salt lamp may also help reduce anxiety symptoms. The pinkish light may encourage calm and relaxation, especially when compared to the harsh glow of overhead lights. Using this light may help foster feelings of calm and even improve your sleeping patterns as well. Proponents of these lamps also claim that the negative ions they put out encourage biochemical reactions in the body that increase serotonin levels. This is a chemical that naturally improves your mood, relieves stress, and helps to alleviate depression.
As the popularity of these lamps increases, so too do the fakes. If you want to enjoy all the health benefits of these lamps, then you need to make sure you’re buying the real thing and not some fake that won’t have the same effects. Here’s how to spot a fake lamp:
These lamps can be of great benefit to your health in general and they can also boost the functioning of your detoxification system and help alleviate adrenal fatigue symptoms too.
Chronic stress causes body-wide malfunctions and dysregulation as the adrenal glands start to degrade, leading to Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS). These glands are an essential part of the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response and work to put out cortisol, a hormone that primes your body during times of stress.
But when the NEM stress response is active over long periods, the resulting high demand for cortisol can cause the adrenals to become fatigued and start to fail to produce the needed hormones. And when this occurs, malfunctions will occur throughout the body and its systems because of the interconnectedness of the various circuits. This can be a very dangerous and frightening situation if it isn’t alleviated. And unfortunately, because chronic stress is becoming so common in the modern world, it’s also one that many people have to contend with.
The Detoxification circuit can quickly start to become unbalanced when you have AFS. This circuit is responsible for clearing the body of the reactive metabolites that the body creates as a result of stress. Metabolites are the products of metabolism, and they’re produced every time your body has to break down substances in order to excrete them. Metabolites can be produced when you eat harmful foods, are exposed to environmental toxins, or are under a lot of stress. And if not removed from the body, these metabolites can be toxic.
Typically, the systems in the Detoxification circuit render the metabolites inert and excrete them. This work is performed by the immune system, the liver, and the extracellular matrix (ECM). But when the Detoxification circuit becomes unbalanced and starts to malfunction, these processes can slow or even stop the breakdown of harmful substances in the body. And this leads to a toxic build-up throughout your system as well as devastating symptoms.
Balancing the Detoxification circuit and alleviating AFS can be a difficult thing to do. By the time people visit their doctor, they are usually experiencing a range of symptoms and circuit malfunctions that can be difficult to untangle. There is rarely one cause of the problems and symptoms associated with this disorder. That’s why a holistic approach that looks at the health overall, as well as the health of individual systems and circuits, is absolutely essential.
When your Detoxification circuit is malfunctioning because of AFS, a range of problems with your lifestyle and health will worsen the dysregulation. These problems will promote the creation of more metabolites. In AFS, metabolites build up in the ECM as the liver struggles to keep up with the overload of toxic metabolites. The toxic build-up in the ECM will put the immune system into overdrive, prompting rampant inflammation and the production of more metabolites, which worsens the situation.
Addressing the malfunctions in this circuit means correcting the many problems that are causing stress.
A Himalayan salt lamp can help rebalance the Detoxification circuit and reduce metabolite production by reducing or eliminating key causes of stress and sources of toxins. This includes:
These benefits may encourage better Detoxification circuit health, lower your overall stress levels, and improve adrenal fatigue.
A Himalayan salt lamp can be a wonderful decorative piece. It’s attractive to look at, and the light it gives off can be very relaxing and soothing. These are wonderful benefits of adding one of these pieces to your décor. However, you may also enjoy deeper health benefits from using these lamps. They could help to detoxify your body and reduce congestion of your detoxification systems. And these benefits are important if you are struggling to maintain or improve your overall health.
A Himalayan salt lamp is carved from salt sourced from the Himalayans. This salt becomes heated when it’s lit and has been used for generations to benefit overall health. It’s also an easy way to clean the air in your house and get rid of toxins. It may also help your body detoxify.
