Health
Himalayan salt health benefits may include:
- better digestion
- increased libido
- improved sleep quality
- regulated blood sugar and hormones
- regulated blood sugar
- anti-aging
- improved respiratory disease (with salt therapy)
Himalayan salt benefits also include being…
★★★★★
- Reduce your footprint + grow your own!
- Sustainable. Easy. Clean. Foolproof.
- Year-round solution for herb and veggie gardening.
- Pays for itself in no time.
- A great gift idea. We love it!
Environment
Water footprint: likely low
Carbon footprint: likely high, far away transit can be a major factor when calculating carbon footprints, this is a product unique to the Northeast Pakistan/Himalayan region and must travel far distances to reach most customers, conventional and ancient mining methods can contribute to greenhouse gas levels
Destruction: high, himalayan salt production is relatively destructive because it involves mine extraction from rolling red-brick hills that rise from marshes in Khewra, one of the oldest and largest salt mines in the world, it is a non-renewable, finite resource 800 million years old, once depleted it is gone forever
Himalayan salt is…
- Unsustainable
Animals
Kills: none, himalayan salt production does not require any animals to die
Harms: none, himalayan salt production does not require any animals
Indirectly kills or harms: unknown
Himalayan salt is…
Laborers
Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible
Living conditions: laborers often experience exploited, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Himalayan salt…
- May have labor issues
Where does Himalayan salt come from? 📍
Himalayan salt comes from Khewra. It happens to be one of the oldest and largest salt mines in the world in the Northeast Pakistan/Himalayan region.
Is Himalayan salt nutritious? 🥗
Himalayan salt is high in sodium and consists of trace minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
himalayan salt is gluten free.
Is Himalayan salt gluten free?
Yes, Himalayan salt is gluten free. Himalayan salt does not contain gluten. Himalayan salt is a type of rock salt and mineral, therefore making it a naturally gluten free food.
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
himalayan salt is not a common food allergen.
Is himalayan salt a common food allergen?
No, himalayan salt is not a common food allergen. Some people may experience allergic reactions to himalayan salt but it is relatively rare by comparison.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- crustacean shellfish
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- wheat
- soybeans
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
himalayan salt likely has a high carbon footprint.
Food not only has a water footprint but also a carbon footprint, known as CO2e, which stands for carbon dioxide equivalent. Since carbon measurements are a bit more difficult to comprehend, it is common to equate CO2e to the distance which a car drives in miles or kilometers.
When calculating carbon emissions, some factors may include…
- farm equipment
- animal feed production
- hothouses (greenhouses)
- food processing
- packaging
- transport
- refrigeration
- freezing
- package waste and more
It’s best to keep the following in mind when grocery shopping:
- shopping locally reduces transportation emissions
- food without packaging reduces waste as well as the carbon footprint
- refrigerated and frozen foods increase carbon emissions
- seasonal foods reduce carbon emissions from hothouses (greenhouses)
- growing plant-based foods at home is the most environmentally sustainable method with zero carbon footprint
Find out how much carbon your food emits with this: Carbon Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
himalayan salt is unsustainable.
A 2018 Oxford University study – which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet – found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of our farmland.
Consuming animal products and byproducts is not environmentally friendly and is one of the worst things for the Earth. Not only is meat production wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution. The industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
In fact, a 2010 United Nations report said that a global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world the worst impacts of climate change.
himalayan salt is vegan.
Is Himalayan salt vegan?
Yes, Himalayan salt is vegan. Himalayan salt is rock salt from the Punjab region of Pakistan and not an animal product or byproduct, therefore making it a vegan food.
Animals of factory farming suffer. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. Growth hormones allow all kinds of animals to become fatter faster and live short lives.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non-Vegan Foods List
himalayan salt is a product that may or may not have labor issues.
Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? The labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.
Some known problems include workplace health and safety, child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Additionally, workers can even experience harassment, humiliation and violence and unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks.
Such mistreatment is like modern day slavery. In fact, workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation. Fair trade organizations fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
Finally, we can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.
Conclusion
Himalayan salt pros include:
- numerous health benefits
- sustainable
- vegan
- gluten free
- not a common food allergen
Himalayan salt cons include:
- high carbon footprint
- possible laborer exploitation (as with most foods)
- pesticide ingestion and contamination if not organic (as with most produce)
Sources:
An Analysis of the Mineral Composition of Pink Salt … – NCBI
pink himalayan salt – FoodData Central
