Myths and fairy tales are entwined around Himalayan salt, tempers heat up – and many people spend a lot of money on the pink-colored salt. What’s behind it?
So-called Himalayan salt is basically a rock salt colored pink by iron oxides (rust) or algae, which consists of at least 97% sodium chloride, i.e. ‘common salt’. Rock salt, geologically called halite, is mined from salt deposits that were formed when the seas dried up about 200 million years ago and the sea salt formed by evaporation was deposited.
Due to geological processes, these salt deposits are now underground. Roughly speaking, rock salt is ‘million-year-old sea salt’. There are also salt deposits in Germany, for example in Lower Saxony and in Berchtesgadener Land.
So why should you buy the much more expensive Himalayan salt instead of ‘Alpensalz’? The sales strategists have come up with arguments that we would like to investigate.
“Himalayan salt comes from the Himalayas”
This statement ended up before the Qadi at the Cologne Higher Regional Court, because most of the so-called ‘Himalayan salt’ comes from the Punjab province of Pakistan, which is not in the Himalayas at all.
The court ruled that advertising the salt in this way was a consumer deception, because “anyone who reads the product information on the packaging would at least expect that the salt was won in a valley or at the foot of the high mountain massif and was therefore particularly pure. However, the salt does not come from the Himalayan mountain range.”
“Himalayan salt contains minerals and healthy ingredients”
Devotees and sellers claim the biggest difference to regular salt is the high mineral content. Some suppliers even advertise that the salt contains ‘all 84 elements’ (out of 94 naturally occurring ones). That’s more of a marketing gibberish: However, the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection (VIS) was only able to identify eight elements in a study of Himalayan salt, and it is certainly not wrong that elements such as arsenic or lead are not included.
The Stiftung Warentest was not able to find much in the highly praised Himalayan salt either: “Even in the Himalayan crystal salt, the laboratory was unable to detect the 84 elements that supporters ascribe to this type of salt.”
The Bavarian study came to the conclusion: “Additional elements are indeed present, but to an extent that is of no importance in terms of nutritional physiology.” Because in order to meet the need for these substances through salt, you would have to ingest a large (huge!) amount of salt , which is not acceptable from a health point of view.
The DGE recommends a maximum intake of 6 grams of salt per day.
“Himalayan salt is natural”
In principle, every natural salt (in contrast to industrial salt) is left in its natural state. It depends on what ingredients the seller adds. And you can’t always tell, because so-called ‘trickling aids’ such as lime do not have to be declared. That means: Even if no additives are printed on the packaging of the gourmet salt, there may still be some.
“Himalayan salt is unencumbered”
Himalayan salt was actually created at a time when there were no microplastics in the sea and when no pesticides got into the groundwater. But this applies to all rock salts.
“Himalayan salt lowers blood pressure and is healthy”
But on the contrary. And the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) finds clear words on this: “The connection between table salt intake and blood pressure is clear: A high table salt intake increases the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension).” Since Himalayan salt consists of at least 97% sodium chloride, i.e. salt, Increased consumption of this salt also leads to high blood pressure and cannot in any way lower it.
The consumer advice center NRW also strictly advises against it: “The advice to lower high blood pressure with brine is extremely questionable from a health point of view, because it can not only disturb the metabolism and water balance, but also put a strain on the kidneys.” A lot of Himalayan salt is to be consumed anything but a healthy idea!
“Himalayan salt balances the acid-base balance”
Advocates of the ‘alkaline diet’ often recommend Himalayan salt to restore the body’s acid-alkaline balance. However, this idea is not scientifically tenable, because a healthy person regulates the acid-base ratio all by themselves and does not need any special diet, specific base powders or well-travelled salt.
If there is no ‘overacidification’, no salt can help either. The DGE comments on this as follows: “However, there is no reason to fear hyperacidity caused by diet in healthy people. Various buffer systems in our body regulate the acid-base concentration in the blood and keep it constant. Taking additional ‘alkaline-enhancing’ dietary supplements is unnecessary.”
“Himalayan salt promotes health and well-being”
If you believe some advertising strategists, the expensive salt is a cheap panacea for almost all health problems. Some of these ideas should make you smile rather than buy salt. For example:
“Himalayan Salt Shows Promise for Blood Sugar Problems”
“supports the reduction of common signs of skin aging”
“reduces the development of respiratory and sinus problems”
“increases bone strength through minerals”
“promotes a healthy sleep pattern”
“improves libido”
“eliminates poisons”
One can also read about “vibrational components” and “living elements” through which the (low) mineral content “can be absorbed particularly well”. There are also various opinions on these statements from a scientific point of view, such as from the already cited Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection: “The bioenergetic effect, for which there is no scientific evidence to date, is therefore more likely to be assigned to the esoteric area.”
