How Himalayan Salt Lamps Work

Tim Russell/YouTube

Have you been wondering what the deal is with those salt lamps? It’s not just the nice ambient light. Salt lamps actually help filter the air, removing dirt, pollen, bacteria, viruses, pet dander, mold spores, positive ions, and more. Right now, salt lamps seem to be all the rage within the natural health community. Users report a dramatic change in the quality of air in their home, leading to many health benefits.

Reported Health Benefits of Himalayan Salt Lamps Include:

• Improves difficulty with breathing
• Reduces allergy symptoms
• Less stress due to a calming and soothing effect
• Better cognitive function, ablility to concentrate
• Less fatigue when working for long periods around other electronics
• Fewer headaches and migraines
• Reduced symptoms from many autoimmune diseases like rheumatism and arthritis.
• Skin is healthier, more supple
• Insomnia is relieved (though those who suffer from insomnia may not do well with the light on at night; reviews are mixed on this issue)
• Fresher air that smells better and feels better to breathe
• A better overall sense of health and wellbeing

See for yourself. If you typically sit and work at a computer for your job, this will be easy. Put a salt lamp on your desk next to you for a day and compare the difference. Anyone who is in tune with their body will be able to feel it easily, but understanding why this happens is a bit more complicated, but very illuminating (pun intended).

Positive and Negative Ions

An ion is a molecule that, through environmental influences, has lost or gained an electron. The names seem a little backward from our perspective. Positive ions have a negative effect on us while negative ions have a positive effect. Positive ions are usually carbon dioxide molecules that have been stripped of an electron. Negative ions are usually oxygen molecules that have gained an electron. Negative and positive ions are drawn to each other. They bind to neutralize.