Pink Himalayan salt is a natural stone mined in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal. It is a white crystalline form of sodium chloride, with its colour being altered by the addition of other additives.
There are numerous theories on its origin. Some say it came from ancient Greece; others say that it was used by the Sumerians; yet others believe that it was brought from Tibet.
Many claim that Himalayan pink salt has healing properties, owing to its unique, phosphoric form of iodine. Others believe that it was used to fight against the effects of colds and coughs.
It is often mixed with lime and eaten as a drink, giving many sick people the good feeling of their health improving. This, in turn, makes them feel healthier, despite the fact that they are still sick. The idea of purifying water is a very old one.
The mining of salt was carried out by the ancient Greeks as part of the ceremonies at the Erechtheion, or the Temple of the Mount, which is located on the west side of the mountain stream that flows into the Indus River. The Romans also mined it.
The practice continued in the medical field and the water for healing was also distilled. It became popular among doctors who did not want to drink the pure water. As a result of this the water was given a citric acid content.
Nowadays Himalayan pink salt is available in plenty from supermarkets. It is sold as a health supplement because of its de-mineralised properties, and its ability to remove calcium from the body.
The use of this salt to purify water has been very popular, however many of the claims made regarding its medicinal properties are questionable. It is still a matter of debate as to whether or not Himalayan pink salt can benefit the body's internal balance, with one side claiming that it can, and the other side claiming that it cannot.
Some claim that the mineral salts are effective in removing toxins from the body, which allows alkaline fluid to move freely through the body. Others suggest that they do in fact remove calcium, but actually add too much fluoride, and so strengthen the bones.
Some claims state that it can be used to ease the pains of arthritis, which contains lead. However, the mineral salt does not contain lead and is therefore safe for the body.
While all these salts may contain the same levels of minerals, they are definitely not the same thing as the hexose sodium chloride. Hexose sodium chloride is far better than Himalayan pink salt, as it does not contain the water solubility or phosphoric acid forms of iodine that the latter does.
One other popular myth is that Pink Himalayan salt is good for teeth. The salt is actually good for the teeth, and not only does it keep bacteria away from them, but it has the added benefit of removing tartar, which can prevent the plaque which causes tooth decay.