The Benefits of Himalayan Salt Lamps
When you start looking at home decor options, Himalayan salt lamps would usually come up somewhere. Whether they’re displayed as part of a website that offers home accessories or as a suggestion for air purifying options, these salt lamps are certainly attractive enough to consider.
A bit of research would tell us about the health benefits of Himalayan salt as opposed to the white refined table salt that’s more common nowadays. Some people even get a whole slab of this pink rock salt for grilling their food on–they claim it seasons the items and makes them more nutritious to boot. However, can we also say that lighting a Himalayan lamp in our home can result in a lot of health benefits?
About Himalayan Salt Lamps
Himalayan salt lamps are available in several shapes, sizes, and even textures. While the simplest one might be just a lump of rock with a bulb inside, there are also carved ones that resemble smooth balls, cubes, or a sculpture of a bird, animal, etc.
When you get a lamp made of rock salt, it usually has a little hollow inside with a bulb fitted with it. When you plug in the lamp and turn the switch on, the bulb lights up. The glow from the lamp is a pinkish, warm light. It usually isn’t very bright, but it’s enough to cheer up a dark room or corner.
Looking for the Best Himalayan Salt Lamps
If you’re on the lookout for a true Himalayan salt lamp, make sure you choose one that’s from the Khewra Salt Mines located in Pakistan. The color of this salt is usually pink and can also be used for culinary and decorative purposes.
The salt from this region is said to be several million years old. When it’s crushed, the consistency is almost that of table salt. The pink color comes from the trace mineral amounts inside its composition. Not all salt lamps are created equal, though, so we might have to look up some reviews for the best Himalayan salt lamps in the market today.
Many people believe that there are several health benefits linked to using lamps made of Himalayan salt. Let’s have a look at these claims and see which ones have some scientific support.
1. An Improvement in Air Quality
Some say that lighting a Himalayan salt lamp can help to clear the air in our homes. Many vendors of these lamps may also claim that they’re good for alleviating the symptoms of asthma, allergies, and several respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis.
Unfortunately, there’s no real evidence that Himalayan salt lamps can do away with the pathogens in the air. If you want to improve your home’s air quality, it might be better to invest in a HEPA air filter or get some indoor plants.
There’s an ancient practice called halotherapy, which might help to improve the symptoms of a patient with respiratory conditions. Within this practice, it’s said that people benefit from inhaling the air in salt caves. Again, though, there’s not much support to make this practice a scientific or reliable one. In fact, this practice might be a risky one for those with respiratory disorders. There have also been tests conducted on air ionizers such as Himalayan Salt Lamps. Even though they inject a lot of negative ions into the air, there’s no support for the claim of benefits to asthma patients.
2. Mood Boosters
Another common claim in the favor of Himalayan salt lamps is that they have the potential to boost our mood. There have been animal studies that show how getting exposure to a large amount of negative ions can increase serotonin levels. Serotonin is usually termed a ‘happy chemical’, as it helps to regulate our mood and make us feel happy.
On the other hand, human studies don’t give us the same hope. There are no consistent findings of any effects of these lamps on a person’s mood or state of well-being.
Some research did reveal that humans exhibiting depressive symptoms might have an improvement in their mood if they got exposure to negative ions at high levels. Unfortunately, that link wasn’t really defined, so the researchers themselves are still in doubt. It’s also not likely that these salt lamps can release high enough levels of negative ions to get the same benefits as used in the studies.
If nothing else, someone who wants to meditate might find it soothing to stare at a Himalayan salt lamp during their sessions. The meditation process might serve to boost their moods, much like staring at a candle does. The benefit here is that a salt lamp is a flameless option and a much safer one, especially if there are kids and pets around.
3. Using the Lamp as a Nightlight
The warm pink glow of a Himalayan salt lamp might not give us many health benefits, but it can serve several other purposes. One of these is to act as a nightlight for children and perhaps older people as well. There are many people of all ages who might not be able to fall asleep without some sort of light source.
With a Himalayan salt lamp in the room, those with sleeping issues can probably get some rest. Not only is the glow a comforting one, but it’s also dull enough not to disturb anyone else in the room. This usage might be able to solve many issues between couples or help out children who are afraid of the dark.
Another benefit of using Himalayan salt lamps as nightlights is that their dim glow can promote sleepiness at the end of the day. If someone has problems falling asleep, having a lamp like this might be a good idea. Of course, this benefit isn’t limited to Himalayan salt lamps but can be true of any dim light source.
Conclusion
When we look on the internet, there are several blogs and articles that talk about how Himalayan salt lamps can potentially change the air around them. However, if we look at the scientific aspect of it, there’s no clear evidence for all these claims. In fact, it’s not even apparent whether the lamps produce any number of ions, let alone a high enough number to affect a person’s health.
While it’s unfortunate that Himalayan salt lamps don’t have any amazing health benefits, they’re still a nice touch to any ambiance. Their glow is a soft and comforting one, while their color is unique and soothing to look at as well. Getting a Himalayan salt lamp for a home or workplace interior might not be a bad idea, so see if you have any empty corners that might be perfect for such a conversion piece.
