Himalayan Salt Lamps Create Negative Ions for Positive Health Benefits
Have you noticed the Himalayan Salt Lamps at Baltuska Chiropractic? I enjoy having them around to help purify indoor air and for their soothing orange glow. I was first exposed to them when I was a Chiropractic student shadowing an amazing doctor who had been in practice for almost 50 years! I remember the feeling and ambiance that they provided in his practice and made a note to implement them into my own practice when the time came.
What are Salt Lamps?
Salt lamps are simply large pieces of pure, food grade, Himalayan Salt with a small bulb inside.
The importance of negative ions:
Salt lamps are natural negative ion generators. At any given time, there are both positive and negative ions in the air.
Negative ions occur more often in nature and they are often created by things like lightening storms, sunlight, waterfalls, and ocean waves. This is one of the reasons we feel renewed or refreshed after a storm or at the beach.
Positive ions are often created by electronic devices like tablets, cell phones, stereos, computers, TVs, microwaves, and vacuum cleaners. Positive ions can often exacerbate problems like allergies, stress and sleep difficulty. Negative ions can then neutralize, quench, or bind to positive ions and help cleanse the air and protect us from potentially harmful effects.
The unique combination of salt and a light source in these salt lamps are what cause the negative ions. Salt is naturally hygroscopic, meaning that it attracts water to its surface and this water evaporates quickly due to the small amount of heat from the light source. The protective negative ions are generated during the evaporation process.
Since things like airborne mold, bacteria, and allergens often carry a positive charge, they can also be neutralized by negative ions.
Negative ions have been shown to increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy. They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation. And for a special one in three of us who are sensitive to their effects, negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air.
Places like waterfalls and beaches where negative ions are naturally produced can have a negative ion concentration of up to 10,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter whereas busy cities can have negative ion levels as low as 100 ions per cubic centimeter.
Salt lamps are a very affordable and effective for home and office use. You will especially appreciate them in winter months when you aren’t able to spend as much time outside.
