How effective are Himalayan salt lamps for our health?

Do they help in detoxing the body? Which Himalayan products are best for detox and to lower the radiation?

They are a gimmick. They look pretty and that may be enough reason to have one.

There are many sources discrediting any health claims.

Here's an excerpt from this one. Go outside. The air is better out there.
.....
Having personally tested a popular brand of rock salt crystal lamp in our lab, we can attest that it was all but worthless as a generator of high-density negative ions.

After measuring the negative ion output level from the salt lamp, we took our sensitive negative ion detector outdoors and measured a far higher lever of naturally occurring negative ions than the salt lamp emitted.

http://www.negativeionsinformation.org/saltcrystallamps.html

I can confirm in the very least that they do indeed taste like salt.

I really liked mine - I find crystals fascinating, and the light from the lamp was wonderfully relaxing, until the rainy season started and it drew moisture in and shorted out the electrics.  I dried it out but I've been too scared to use it ever since.

They are very cool to look at and if you run out of salt you can scrape off the amount you need.
Like Burra mentioned they are hydroscopic and that can lead to problems like she had with shorts in the wiring.
For me, gazing into the salt lamp is very similar to gazing into a fire, soothing to the spirit.

As far as the many claims of being healthful, I don't see how any of them could be even a little true.


I want to get one of the salt planks, to use as a serving tray for fish right off the grill. I think the flavor added would be grand.
We use Himalayan salt in a salt grinder for finishing salt.

Even I don't use Himalayan salt, sorry!

I have one, I love it. Not sure I've seen any particularly significant affects/benefits on my health, but I also am not sure I've seen any particularly significant affects/benefits on my health from a bunch of other "alternative" medicines: apple cider vinegar, raw honey, ginger, various herbal teas, rescue remedy, etc.

However, I've not been sick (except one short cold a few months ago that happened because I overworked by mind and body at a 5 day camping conference) for like three years, and my mental health has been very stable in the last year..

So, I guess my point is, "health" is rarely so specifically affected by one thing, so it's hard to attest to the effectiveness of every single tiny thing. I like my salt lamp, and I think it helps my mental health in subtle ways, and I think that's enough evidence for me.  

So this might be throwing the conversation off topic, and if so, I apologize and accept anyone just ignoring this, but just my two cents.

I think they could be very useful for one's health in condensing atmospheric moisture in a space one wants dry, such as in a shipping container. Might be worth trying out if I can find some at a thrift store. I can see a ventilation system that draws air over these things and then expels condensate as very handy in humid climates (this is probably some Dr Seussy Radical Overengineering)

Rebecca Norman, why?

I visited the Wieliczka' Salt Mine last year.

Sometime a few hundred years ago ( not sure of time frame) it was discovered that the polish salt miners where not only healthier than other miners, but also generally healthier than people above ground.  The horses that lived in the mines were also in remarkable good health.

Eventually this discovery led to the establishment of health spas and rehabilitation centers in the mines.

Would a salt lamp, rather than an entire salt mine, have any benefits?  

I don't know but after my visit to the mine I bought a lamp for both the living room and bedroom.

[url]http://www.williamsburgsaltspa.com/history.html

it sounds like a salt miner who kept bees in her spare time would live forever

Just saw this article today: http://m.kfvs12.com/kfvs12/db_349220/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=2yJnbbOo. Quote from the news article:

KFVS News wrote: If you own a rock salt lamp, you need to check it.
Three different rock salt lamps sold under the Lumière brand are being recalled because the dimmer switch and/or outlet plug may overheat and ignite.
The recall involved about 80,000 lamps.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the lamps are pink and are mounted on a wooden base or sit in a black metal basket.
They were sold at Michaels stores across the country from July 2016 through November 2016. They cost between $15 and $30.
The affected models are the Rock of Gibraltar Lamp, Carnival of Lights, and Basket of Rocks.
If you have one of the lamps, you should return it to a Michaels store for a full refund.
You can get more information about it on their website.

Rebecca Norman wrote:Even I don't use Himalayan salt, sorry!

Melissa Erin wrote:Rebecca Norman, why?

No special reason. It's a little hard to find the old folks who actually collect and sell salt where I actually live in the Himalayas, and I don't have a problem with commercial iodized salt so I just use that in my food. And I never even heard of a salt lamp until this thread.

Years ago we got one for Christmas. This year we got another one~ I took the light out and fed it to the sheep, aka salt lick.

Why is it that the only sources listing health benefits are the ones trying to sell me something?

-CK

just exotic salt to sell to western money.

Here's an excerpt from the website that Thor referenced.

☺☺☺It’s not often that we actually pronounce a product an out-and-out scam but we’re doing exactly that here. ☺☺☺  The material chosen to support his statement has come out against salt lamps. It usually isn't this easy.

I have researched and thought about this topic, and that of the health of salt miners and their horses, and I have come to the conclusion that monolithic amounts of salt may be the reason salt mines have such an effect on air quality.

I don't think Himalayan salt lamps are any more effective at improving your health than lava lamps, and they're less interesting.

-CK

I haven't looked into these, I've seen them around and I know people claim that they are "healthy/healing".....they sound like another scam to me.  Is it the ions they claim to be good?  I think one would generate more ions by moving water.  Say a small waterfall with perhaps salt water.?  And if you are really after the ions then get an ion generator....they work for sure.

Salt lamps can detox the body though.  Break off a chunk, put it in your mortar, and crush it to a powder.  Draw a hot bath.....add salt.  Soak in bath.

There are many awesome health benefits of Himalayan salt. It helps improve respiratory problems, balance our body’s pH level, natural digestion, purify air & aid sleeping disorder.

Yes, as mentioned above, if you crush your Himalayan salt lamp and put it in your food, it might be better for you than ionized table salt (unless you lack iodine in your diet).

I have yet to see any convincing evidence that these lamps are anything but a colourful decoration to which some people ascribe magical healing powers in order to sell more.

Just because going into salt mines has been used to treat respiratory ailments doesn't mean that it's possible to replicate that effect in your home with an overpriced bit of hollowed-out rock salt and a light bulb.

-CK

Chris Kott wrote:Yes, as mentioned above, if you crush your Himalayan salt lamp and put it in your food, it might be better for you than ionized table salt (unless you lack iodine in your diet).

I have yet to see any convincing evidence that these lamps are anything but a colourful decoration to which some people ascribe magical healing powers in order to sell more.

Just because going into salt mines has been used to treat respiratory ailments doesn't mean that it's possible to replicate that effect in your home with an overpriced bit of hollowed-out rock salt and a light bulb.

-CK

well said.

I was happy to read through this thread because I have thought about getting one before.  If I decide to, it will be because it looks good!  (and the aforementioned side effect of being a source of salt if you neglect to restock the pantry in time).

C. E. Rice wrote:

Chris Kott wrote:Yes, as mentioned above, if you crush your Himalayan salt lamp and put it in your food, it might be better for you than ionized table salt (unless you lack iodine in your diet).

I have yet to see any convincing evidence that these lamps are anything but a colourful decoration to which some people ascribe magical healing powers in order to sell more.

Just because going into salt mines has been used to treat respiratory ailments doesn't mean that it's possible to replicate that effect in your home with an overpriced bit of hollowed-out rock salt and a light bulb.

-CK

well said.

I was happy to read through this thread because I have thought about getting one before.  If I decide to, it will be because it looks good!  (and the aforementioned side effect of being a source of salt if you neglect to restock the pantry in time).

Hello Chris
Agreed but Himalayan salt lamp much like a lit candle and these lamps can be relaxing to look at. If you find the light soothing or enjoy its style, there is no harm in adding one of these salt lamp to your home.

The Himalayan salt lamp I was gifted actually ended up being momentarily bad for my health due to the aggravation it caused when it started to drip salt drops onto the receiver/CD player on the shelf beneath it and ruining it due to the salt getting into the vent slits and corroding the inners of the player. It happened in the summer months when the humidity and heat got a bit higher and caused the lamp to collect moisture from the air and start dripping. I threw the whole thing away after that along with the receiver/CD player. Waste all around. I didn't trust eating the salt since I wasn't sure about the purity of it. Lesson learned. I realized on hindsight that I could have at least recycled the cords and such, but I was in too annoyed to think about that in the moment. It would be good if the box provided a warning about the possibility of the salt starting to dissolve in humid conditions. I guess I could have also "gifted" it to someone else who uses A/C in the summer months which would likely prevent any drippings, but I was quite done with the whole thing.

I have never seen any scientific evidence to support the claims those who sell these lamps make. Usually the best they can do is claim to have the same effects of using a humidifier, the humidifier actually does those things better.
I do think they look cool in a darkened room, but there aren't any health benefits unless you use them as a salt supply.

One danger those salt lamps poses is sodium toxicity to pets. There have been numerous cases of pets licking the lamps, unbeknownst to their owners, and becoming seriously ill. Seriously enough to die. For some reason, the salt appeals to cats especially. They don't need to lick it much to get salt poisoning.