Health enthusiasts and marketers alike have fueled the popularity of lamps made of salt crystals by promising invaluable health benefits. We have decided to investigate whether these lamps truly possess almost magical properties.
The manufacturers carve large chunks of salt, typically pink Himalayan salt, to create fixtures called salt lamps. A light bulb is placed inside the lamp to ionize the air, attracting water particles that eventually evaporate as a salt solution due to heating. This is claimed to be the source of the lamps’ supposed miraculous properties. However, it is essential to note that the study we previously mentioned was conducted in Pakistan, a significant producer of Himalayan salt. No other studies have confirmed these findings.
While it is true that ionizing the air can have some beneficial effects on health, such as helping with seasonal depression, a meta-analysis of previous studies did not find a consistent effect of ionization on mood or sense of well-being. It is important to note that the studies used industrial-strength air ionizers, which a single salt lamp is unlikely to match in terms of power and effectiveness.
The belief that salt lamps can benefit individuals with lung diseases is founded on the practice of halotherapy, which involves treatment with salt inhalations. However, there is no definitive conclusion about its effectiveness, and the American Asthma and Allergy Foundation does not recommend using this method. Additionally, researchers have not discovered any statistically significant effect of ionized air on respiratory function compared to regular air. Although powerful ionization can purify the air of allergens such as dust and dust mites, it can also generate ozone in the air, which is harmful to people with respiratory diseases and asthma.
It is believed that ionization can help combat the harmful radiation emitted by computers and household appliances. However, we have previously debunked the myth that cacti can protect against such radiation and noted that there is no need to be overly concerned about it. This is supported by the expert opinion of WHO researchers.
There is some data indicating that negative ions can lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, this research is based on an experiment where rats consumed negative ions at very high concentrations. It is crucial to consider the scale of the experiment when interpreting these results, as rats are much smaller than humans, and the amount of negative ions they received was considerably higher than what a single lamp can theoretically produce. Similarly, as with studies on the effects of ions on mood, it is essential to consider the dosage and concentrations used in the experiment.
The effectiveness of salt lamps in producing negative ions is not confirmed by authoritative scientific studies. To test the effectiveness of salt lamps, Derek Muller, an American science popularizer, decided to conduct an experiment. He purchased a salt lamp and brought it to scientists at the California Institute of Technology, who turned on the lamp and used modern equipment to measure the amount of negative ions it produced. To their surprise, they found that the level of ions produced was not just low, but non-existent. This indicates that the lamp had absolutely no ionizing effect.
Caltech scientists explained that salt’s crystal lattice is unsuitable for such purposes because it requires too much energy to release negative chlorine ions, which is much more than a single lamp can produce. Therefore, salt lamps will not help with air ionization whether it is beneficial for health or not.
Manufacturers and sellers often claim that the high content of beneficial trace elements in salt can have some positive effects on our health. However, there are questions that arise even with this claim. Firstly, not all trace elements in salt are useful, as radioactive polonium and toxic arsenic are unlikely to be helpful to humans. Secondly, these elements are only present in very small doses in salt. Lastly, it remains unclear how these trace elements can transfer from the lamp into the human body.
We could not find any authoritative scientific research that confirms the healing properties of salt lamps. Moreover, many reputable medical portals and clinics have investigated the benefits of salt lamps, and all of them have concluded that besides their decorative functions and soft dim light, which can have a calming effect, such lamps do not offer any health benefits. Some experiments have suggested that these lamps do not produce any negative ions that are claimed to have a positive effect, although scientists have not yet reached a unanimous opinion on the usefulness of ionization.
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