The Many Benefits of Salt Therapy
Next to water, salt is the most required substance for our bodies. We need a balance of minerals and electrolytes for optimal health. Some signs of dehydration are headaches, lightheadedness, brain fog, and fatigue but staying hydrated means more than drinking plain old water. Salt can be added both environmentally such as in Halotherapy, Salt Rooms, and Floatation Therapy, and supplementally like Solé.
Here, I've researched the many wellness uses of salt, highlighting its mineral properties to understand how it can improve digestion, muscle, skin, respiratory, bone, brain, and heart health.
Halotherapy
Halotherapy is a standardized term for environmental salt therapy and has been found to alleviate many health conditions.
Halotherapy absorbs, filters, and releases water vapor into the air and saturates the space with trace minerals such as Zinc, Potassium, and Magnesium. These hold negative ions which balance the bombardment of positive ions that radiate from electronic devices and appliances in modern living. Negative ions produce serotonin, alleviating stress and depression in the body.
Respiratory diseases such as Chronic Bronchitis, Emphysema, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and Congestion can benefits from the use of halotherapy because it cleanses the respiratory system, thins mucus, and reduces inflammation.
For skin conditions such as Psoriasis, Eczema, and Acne, halotherapy stimulates cellular regeneration and reduces bacteria, inflammation, and itching.
Halotherapy Rooms
Halotherapy Rooms are lined with Pink Himalayan Salt Bricks and utilize a halo generator. This machine grinds pharmaceutical-grade sodium chloride into micronized particles and dispurses them through the air. A session in a small room is about 25 minutes.
Halotherapy Booths use the halo generator in a confined space for one or two people and expedite the sessions to 10 minutes.
Salt Caves are larger spaces lined with salt bricks or boulders, use a larger halo generator, and cover the floors with salt pebbles. This space is often used for group healing such as meditation, sound therapy, or yoga and sessions last for 45 minutes.
Salt Rooms in Korean Spas are lined with Pink Himalayan Salt Bricks and over the floor with salt pebbles. These rooms are heated to about 120°F and may or may not use a halo generator. Recommended sessions are 10-20 minutes.
Floatation Therapy
The salt in Floatation Therapy is a medical-grade Epsom Salt. Depending on the float tank or room, about 800 - 1500 lbs. of Epsom Salt are saturated in water to allow for ease of floatation.
With stillness, lack of sensory stimulation, and relaxation parameters, floatation benefits are manyfold with current research on its impacts on the mind. As for salt therapy, we look at the effects of Magnesium on the body. Magnesium promotes bone and heart health, supports ATP and muscle recovery, and removes free radicals.
Salt is also a natural anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and anti-bacterial. In addition to this added protection, each float facility filters its water with Ozone gas, hydrogen peroxide, and UV rays, maintaining a very clean environment for relaxing and healing.
Solé
The benefits of Solé are fun to talk about because there are so many and it’s so easy to implement.
Drinking Solé once a day has been found to improve our mineral status with its 84 trace minerals such as Zinc, Chromium, Sodium, Calcium, Potassium, and Electrolytes.
It assists in thyroid function to balance hormones, supports the adrenal glands to help with stress responses and fatigue, rehydrates the body, and flushes bad bacteria. It also helps with blood pressure, supports nutrition absorption, and reduces muscle cramps to aid in optimal recovery.
Solé is great for high-endurance missions such as marathons, hikes, and competitions. It helps in all sweating activities such as working out, sunbathing, and going to a sauna since it replenishes your much-needed salts.
I made my own Solé to see what all the praise was about. I used an empty glass bottle with a plastic cap, filled about a third with Trader Joe’s Pink Himalayan Salt Crystals, filled the rest with filtered water, shook it, and let it rest for 24 hours as seen in the 3rd image.
Once ready, I poured a dash of the liquid solution into a glass of water and drank it down. It tasted slightly salty and within minutes I felt it working. I noticed my skin looked glowy and clear and I felt curbed of my usual Crohn-related stomach aches. I was even energized with mental clarity to write this blog post in one sitting. Pretty cool stuff.
Salt helps with energy to work through tasks and reach a deep sleep when needed which is really what a healthy body is all about. Try all the varieties of Salt Therapy and see what works for you.
December 21, 2022