The Benefits of Pink Salt
Himalayan pink salt is pink salt mined in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains in southwestern Pakistan. The salt, which tends to have a pink tint due to iron mineral impurities, is used mainly for food preparation, food presentation and decorative purposes, although it is also used for healing and aromatherapy. It has been used for centuries both for healing and for enhancing the color of foods. Today, Himalayan pink salt is used largely for seasoning, curing and baking.
Himalayan pink salt has a close association with Hinduism and Buddhism, as it is believed that it was given this name by Buddha himself. According to legend, the bodhisattvas, or spiritual teachers, found in the caves of Kashi (Bodh Gaya in India) discovered a cure for a disease that destroyed the flesh of the previous king of Kashi, but they were unsuccessful in saving his life. Unaware of what they had done, however, the king burned down their caves, killing his companions, and drove his wife from him. He took the body of his last wife’s son as his own and lived in the caves with only his son, tending to the animals and tending the herds. In order to avoid further violence, the bodhisattvas decided to disguise the boy as a man, so that he would not be killed by the king. They took the salt by mixing it with water, ground it into a powder and mixed it with the milk of the cow (henna), created a new name for him and spread the word that he was a salt born.
Today, most people in the West consume regular table salt and most dieticians recommend increased intake of sodium, especially sodium intake in the form of sodium chloride. Yet, studies have shown that increased consumption of salt alone does not cause hypertension or any other chronic illness. Most scientists agree that a combination of eating regular salt and increasing sodium intake in foods is the real cause of hypertension. The amount of sodium you take it depends on your overall health, as well as your gender, sodium consumption during pregnancy, and your family history. While pink salt can help you decrease your sodium intake, its effect will only be beneficial if you are also consuming regular table salt.
The popularity of pink Himalayan salt comes from its color and the fact that it resembles the blood of a cat, making it a popular subject in many of the wellness and alternative medicine magazines. Himalayan salt can be purchased both in retail and online stores. It costs more at the online retailers because of the shipping costs involved, and the added cost of having the product shipped to you. Many prefer to purchase it from the brick-and-mortar stores because they feel more secure. You should always make sure that you buy salt that is packaged in an airtight container, because regular table salt tends to absorb moisture from the air.
A fluid balance is the foundation of optimal health and well being, and pink Himalayan salt takes care of this important factor by balancing electrolytes in your body. This helps to keep your heart rate elevated and your blood pressure lower. Many people have attributed their longevity to this type of mineral, and scientists are currently trying to determine why this substance helps to maintain a fluid balance.
Pink Himalayan salt was one of the first types of minerals used by man to treat his health. Although this mineral has been used for healing purposes for thousands of years, it has only recently been studied seriously by the medical community. There are no known side effects associated with the use of this product, and its effectiveness has been proven by numerous users. Himalayan pink salt is mined in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and it contains plenty of minerals including potassium, iodine, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, selenium, zinc, and iron.