Pink Himalayan salt is a pink-colored salt extracted from the Khewra Salt Mine, which is located near the
Himalayas in Pakistan.
The Khewra Salt Mine is one of the oldest and largest salt mines in the world.
The pink Himalayan salt harvested from this mine is believed to have been formed millions of years ago from the
evaporation of ancient bodies of water.
The salt is hand-extracted and minimally processed to yield an unrefined product that’s free of additives and thought
to be much more natural than table salt.
Like table salt, pink Himalayan salt is mostly comprised of sodium chloride.
However, the natural harvesting process allows pink Himalayan salt to possess many other minerals and trace
elements that are not found in regular table salt.
Himalayan pink salt is a pink-hued variety of salt that is sourced near the Himalaya mountains of South Asia. Himalayan
salt is believed by many to be a healthier alternative to common table salt, or sodium chloride. Though mined like rock
salt, Himalayan pink salt is technically a sea salt.
Salt is an essential nutrient required for many biological processes that has seasoned our dinners for thousands of years.
What is special about Himalayan salt?
Generally speaking, table salt is classed as being standard salt and pink Himalayan salt is classed as being that bit
more special. But why is that?
First of all, Himalayan salt has been mined and used for food preparation and preservation for centuries, since at
least the 1200s.
It’s not uncommon for Himalayan pink salt to be referred to as Jurassic sea salt, but it’s actually been around much
longer than that. 3
Its special and highly attractive pink colour is down to trace minerals that are naturally present within the salt
crystals. Interestingly, the finer the salt, the lighter shade of pink it is.
As for the trace minerals, Himalayan pink salt reportedly contains more than 80 minerals that aren’t found in regular
salt.
Traces of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine, iron, and zinc and more can reportedly be found in pink salt,
which aren’t present in sea sal
As pink salt often has larger crystals than table salt, it technically contains less sodium per teaspoon. It also has a
saltier flavor than table salt, meaning that a person can use less salt in a serving to achieve the same taste.
Both table salt and pink Himalayan salt consist mostly of sodium chloride, but pink Himalayan salt has up to 84
other minerals and trace elements.
These include common minerals like potassium and calcium, as well as lesser-known minerals like strontium
and molybdenum.
One study analyzed the mineral contents of various types of salts, including pink Himalayan salt and regular table
salt
Below is a comparison of well-known minerals found in a gram of the two salts:
Pink Himalayan Salt Table Salt
Calcium (mg) 1.6 0.4
Potassium (mg) 2.8 0.9
Magnesium (mg) 1.06 0.0139
Iron (mg) 0.0369 0.0101
Sodium (mg) 368 381
As you can see, table salt may have more sodium, but pink Himalayan salt contains more calcium, potassium,
magnesium and iron
Some of pink Himalayan salt’s commonly promoted health claims include that it can:
Improve respiratory diseases
Balance your body’s pH
Reduce signs of aging
Improve sleep quality
Regulate blood sugar
Increase libido
Himalayan pink salt can contain trace amounts of minerals that table salt does not, including:
Zinc
Iron
Calcium
Potassium
Magnesium
Pink Himalayan salt is a type of salt that hails from Pakistan.
As the name suggests, unlike sea salt, which is white, it’s pink in colour.
This particular salt is appealing on two different levels – a) the light pink colour and b) the fact it’s reportedly more
nutritious than sea salt. 1
Mined from the Salt Range mountains in the Punjab region of Pakistan, pink Himalayan salt is a rock salt that’s
formed by salt deposits that were formed when the Indian tectonic plate collided with the Eurasian plate.
The deposits were pushed up as the Himalayan mountain range formed. In contrast, sea salt is formed by seawater
evaporation.
Himalayan salt can be bought in many forms, including large rocks, blocks, plates, crystals, and coarsely and finely
ground particles, and can be used instead of sea salt. 2
The chemical name for salt is sodium chloride (NaCl). It has a sodium content of 40% and a chloride content of 60%
by weight.
Sodium is essential for good health since it aids in:
Muscles contraction,
Maintaining the body’s fluid equilibrium, cell structure, and shape
Sending nerve impulses between nerves as well as between nerves and muscles
Preventing low blood pressure by working on the kidneys, adrenal glands, and specific receptors on the tongue,
throat, and brain.
Chloride is significant because of the following reasons:
First, it helps in the equilibrium of fluid inside and outside cells.
Second, it helps in the maintenance of normal blood volume.
Third, it aids in keeping the blood pressure in check.
Fourth, it helps maintain the pH of the body’s fluids.
