Salt Lamps – Do they work? How long will they last? What happens if I lick it?

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Everyone is getting into the Salt Lamp Craze (I have two!) but is anyone stopping to ask – Do they work? How Long Do they Last? What happens if I Lick it? Will it taste salty?

Do They Work?

The short, simple answer is yes, but they’re not as great as people make them out to be. Salt lamp benefits do include negative ion generation. This takes place primarily through the moisture evaporating on the heated rock salt, though the photoelectric effect may also have a role in ion generation.

However, as a negative ionizer, crystal salt lamps have a limited range and small output and aren’t considered nearly as effective as a good negative ionizer.

There is some claim to the cumulative effect of keeping the salt lamp on at all times and how this can slowly generate more and more negative ions and improve the air quality over time. One reported test showed significantly more negative ions after a few days of having the salt lamp on in the room tested versus the initial test.

This may well be the case, and pink salt lamps are certainly a beautiful addition to any room. Practically though, their negative ion producing range is quite limited. Don’t expect a small Himalayan crystal salt lamp to flood a large room with negative ions.

If salt lamps are a hoax, they’re certainly a very popular one. After many hours of reading research, articles, forums and comments about Himalayan lamps, I’ve found the vast majority of those who use them express various kinds of beneficial effects.

They are limited in their negative ion generation, especially compared to a true corona discharge ionizer. 

Despite this, it does seem that the majority of those calling Himalayan salt lamps a hoax also say they’ve never owned one. Perhaps they should give them a try. They might change their mind.

it’s difficult to back up these claims with scientific studies, though there is of course little incentive for research to be done on salt lamps in the first place.

Alleged Benefits:-

Commonly reported health benefits of Himalayan salt lamps include:

• Improving breathing problems and reducing allergies.

• Less colds and flu (due to less airborne viruses).

• Increased relaxation and calmness and less stress.

• Improved ability to concentrate and work for longer periods around electrical equipment like computers.

• Fewer headaches and migraines.

• Reduced symptoms from disorders like rheumatism and arthritis.

• An improvement in skin diseases.

• Easier to get to sleep at night.

• A better overall sense of health and well being.

• Reduces Static Electricity in the air.

• Cleans & Deodorizes the air.

• Increases Energy Levels.

• Neutralizes Electromagnetic Radiation.

With over 5000 hits on Amazon it’s plain to see people are buying into these claims. Prices range from $15 to $187 and everywhere in between, so there’s one for every budget.

If it’s $15 is it real?

Good Question – here’s how to tell if your Salt Lamp is a Fake.

7 sure signs that your Salt Lamp is a FAKE  (just click the link)

For your viewing and purchasing pleasure here is a bonafide Salt Lamp << Himalayan Salt Lamp>>

OK – so what are Himalayan salt lamps?

Himalayan salt lamps are blocks made from pure, food grade, salt crystals and serve as a perfect air ionizer. (The name is misleading, because they do not come from the Himalayas).

Himalayan salt lamps can be solid pieces of salt or large crystals in a basket. The lamp has a small bulb inside and can also be used as a decorative object.

But is it just a chunk of salt with a light bulb inside? Well yes, but no, there’s much more to it than that.

Let us explain to you how it works.

Himalayan salt lamps emit negative ions (which is not bad at all no matter how negative it may sound). 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 lightning storms, sunlight, waterfalls, and ocean waves. This is one of the reasons people often report feeling renewed or refreshed after a storm or at the beach.

Positive ions are often created by electronic devices like computers, TVs, microwaves, and even vacuum cleaners and can often exacerbate problems like allergies, stress and sleep trouble. Negative ions can neutralize positive ions (they bond together) and help cleanse the air.

Moreover, the lamp is a very pure source of light and its multi-coloured glow has a soothing effect that relaxes you.

Positive ions can be a problem, because having too many positive ions in the air can leave you feeling slow-witted, lethargic, and generally low on energy. In early times, this wasn’t a big deal. There was generally a fairly even amount of positive and negative ions floating around, so people never really had any problems. However, these days people have dozens of electronic devices around them at any given moment, most of which are turned on and running. Which means they have a huge amount of positive ions floating around them, as well. No wonder so many people are so often low on energy!

Salt is a natural source of negative ions, due to its chemical make up. However, salt by itself is inert. What a Salt Lamp does is heat the salt in order to make it release those negative ions. Once the negative ions are released, they bond with the positive ions in the air. This is a natural thing, and happens all the time in nature. You most often see it after a massive rainstorm. This is why you so often feel invigorated, energetic, and generally happier after a good rainstorm. The negative ions have bonded with the positive ions, and cleared things out.

Salt lamps can do that for you in your home, every day. So if you’ve been noticing yourself feeling more and more lethargic, slow-witted, and generally low energy, the problem may be that you’re dealing with too many positive ions floating around you. If that’s the case, then a salt lamp can help you deal with that very things. So go out and pick up a salt lamp, and see how that works out for you!

Salt naturally absorbs moisture and humidity from the air, and in turn, some of the pollutants which are contained within it.

It is this property of heated, natural salt that leads many people in European nations to visit hot salt springs – for their calming and rejuvenating properties. Short of visiting a salt spring, arranging Himalayan salt lamps around your office, bedroom, bathroom and living room can help to clear the air, and even provide stress relief and enhanced focus.

Himalayan salt lamps come in a variety of colours, so that you can create the ambiance that you desire in any given room. Besides being key to any office environment that is swarming with electronics, they are an excellent addition to a meditation space, as the refreshing air that you will enjoy while meditating with them around can greatly enhance your experience.

Studies Conducted in Japan

Many doctors and researchers in Japan have been studying the effects of negative ions. According to them, an insufficient number of negative ions in our environment results in suppressed immune, nervous, and digestive function, eventually leading to a variety of illnesses. Some doctors in Japan even treat their patients using a medical device that produces natural (not artificially produced) negative ions, with successful results. Below are some of the research results on the effects of negative ions.

In 1975, Nanzandoh Medical Clinic in Japan published some astonishing results from their research on negative ion therapy, finding it effective in the treatment of high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, tinnitus (ringing of the ears), as well as for various disorders of the nervous, respiratory, and digestive systems, thyroid gland, and skin. It was also found to speed recovery from illness and slow aging processes.

A clinic near Ueyamada Hot Spring in Shinshu, Japan, treated Alzheimer’s patients with negative ion therapy, and more than half were cured of the disease, recovering on their own with no further treatment! Following this, a medical team at Shinshu University also found that negative ions work to heal damaged cells in mice.

Dr. Tomoh Tsubushi, a medical professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University and sports medicine specialist, has closely followed negative ion research. In 1997, he concluded from his own studies that when negative ion therapy was applied after exercise, it quickly normalized blood pressure, reduced serum serotonin levels, and accelerated recovery time from exhaustion. In 2000, his paper on the beneficial effects of negative ions on the human body was published in Shuki no Kenkyu, a Japanese scientific journal.

According to research conducted by Shiseido, the world renowned Japanese cosmetics company, inhaling air containing 3,200 positive ions per cubic centimeter for 20 minutes resulted in thirst, loss of voice, and nasal congestion due to elevated serum serotonin levels. In contrast, inhaling negative ions for 10 minutes stabilized brain waves, resulting in a sense of calmness. In the group that inhaled negative ions, hardly any serotonin was detected in blood or urine samples. (Negative ions cause the body to convert excess serotonin – the antagonist for most of the problems – into a harmless chemical compound).

Studies Conducted in the U.S. and Other Counties

The following is excerpted from an article by Guy Cramer, entitled “Advanced Research on Atmospheric Ions and Respiratory Problems” (Certified Medinex Website, Sept. 2, 1996):

Harmful Effects of Positive Ions

Ions were first linked to human health by a Japanese medical study in 1910, which showed that patients with arthritis experienced greater pain when weather fluctuations elevated the percentage of positive ions in the atmosphere. As a result of this and other research, in Japan the close relationship between ions and health has long been widely recognized.

Cold fronts and low pressure systems increase the percentage of positive ions in the atmosphere, leading to a decrease in the number of negative ions in our bodies. Doctors in Japan report that under such conditions, the symptoms of their asthma and arthritis patients are aggravated, and the number of strokes increases.

In North America, the relationship between positive ions and asthma has also been studied. Positive ion winds (in which there are extremely high concentrations of positive ions) in Calgary, Alberta, southern California, and other places around the world have been found to coincide with increased incidence of asthma attacks (Guy Cramer, “Advanced Research on Atmospheric Ions and Respiratory Problems”, Certified Medinex Website, Sept. 2, 1996,).

Moreover, in recent years a number of doctors in Japan report that high levels of positive ions in the immediate environment – due to electromagnetic fields generated from computers, cell phones and other electronic devices – can both impair brain function and suppress the immune system, leading to a host of ailments. Symptoms include headache, lack of energy, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, nausea, stomachache, breathing difficulty, vertigo (dizziness), poor concentration and mental performance, and sleep disturbance. When blood or urine samples from individuals reporting such symptoms are analyzed, extremely high levels of the stress hormone serotonin are detected. This hormone is known to be potentially harmful to the body at high levels, and it is thought that positive ions may work to increase serum serotonin. (Negative ions, on the other hand, cause the body to convert excess serotonin into a harmless compound).

Nikola Tesla’s research showed that too many positive ions in the air will cause you to feel depressed, lethargic and full of aches, pains and complaints. More negative ions in the air cause you to feel energized, calm and clearer. The air is actually purer, fresher and cleaner.

Positive ions turn into free radicals in the body, oxidizing cells throughout the entire system. They damage healthy cells and increase the acidity of the blood. When cells are oxidized, lactic acid levels rise drastically, resulting in a variety of maladies, including cancer. The balance of the endocrine, immune, and autonomic nervous systems is thrown off, and blood and lymph circulation declines. As a result, aging processes accelerate, and premature aging occurs.

How long will a salt lamp last?

Barring any accidents, a Himalayan salt lamp will last forever. Its crystalline form is more than 250 million years old so you can expect it to last for decades in your ownership.

These lamps can be on for 24/7. You can keep them on all day and even at night if you want good sleep. Himalayan Salt Lamps utilize a low wattage bulb and do not draw a great deal of electricity. The are generally safe to leave on at all times.

What happens if I lick it?

YES, these lamps are edible! You can literally scrape off the salt from the lamp and use it on your food. There is nothing added to these large shapes of Himalayan salt other than the wooden lamp base.

If you LICK your salt lamp, it will taste like salt.

 

XO

Anna