Himalayan pink salt
1. Origin and extraction of pink Himalayan salt.
Himalayan pink salt is a pure, natural, crystalline, unrefined pink salt that does not contain impurities, formed in the depths of the Himalayan mountains 250 million years ago.
Salt is an essential element for the existence of a living organism. The loss of a large amount of salt in the body causes serious consequences. Heatstroke, which occurs due to dehydration, is primarily because a large amount of salt is excreted from the body along with sweat. Therefore, during intense sports activities, it is recommended to eat some salt to avoid heatstroke.
However, salt salts are different. Depending on the origin, methods of extraction, and processing, salt for the body can be harmful or beneficial. All the salt on the planet is of marine origin. Natural sea salt contains almost the entire periodic table (except gases), and these are 84 elements and 200 chemical compounds. It is natural crystalline rock salt – the mineral gallite (from the Greek gallos – sea salt) – formed millions of years ago as a result of the drying of ancient seas and mined in salt mines, which did not go through the process of processing, heating, and refining – is valuable and correct for the body. Deposits of such salt exist not only in the Himalayas but also in Ukraine (in Transcarpathia), in Poland (Velichka), in Russia (Iletsk and Solekamsk), in Kyrgyzstan, and other places.
However, Himalayan pink salt has an exceptional value. The deposits of this pure crystalline salt were formed 250 million years ago, during the Jurassic period, when the continents were formed, and the earth’s crust was subjected to powerful geological influences. India, which was then a separate continent, was moving towards Eurasia, with outstanding, by geological standards, speed, forming the Himalayan mountains at the point of collision of the continents. The salt of the ocean that washed these once separate continents, and the salt of the ancient season, the territory of modern India and Pakistan, were gradually deposited on the newly formed rocks and pushed to a height of 3000 m. Active volcanic processes accompanied all this; the salt layers interacted with magma and were subjected to the enormous pressure of sedimentary limestone rocks.
Himalayan pink salt is mined in the salt mines of Pakistan, named after Alexander the Great. During the time of this conqueror and on his orders, valuable Himalayan salt was exported for the needs of the imperial families of the Old World.
The extraction of pink salt is carried out manually, without explosives. This preserves the environmental friendliness of the mineral, which arose at a time when man did not yet pollute the planet. The extracted salt is subjected only to primary purification – washed and dried in the sun. It is not processed by heating and refining, so the Himalayan pink salt retains all the beneficial substances necessary for the human body. Pink salt enters the market either in large pieces or in light or deep pink color crystals or a light pink powder.
In addition to pink salt, there are other varieties of Himalayan salt – black and red-orange. These salts are mined in different deposits and differ in chemical composition.
2. Chemical composition of Himalayan pink salt.
According to various sources, pink salt contains 82 to 92 microelements (there are only two sodium and chlorine). The chemical compounds found in pink salt crystals almost entirely repeat those found in the human body. At the same time, Himalayan pink salt does not contain harmful compounds and is difficult to digest by the body.
Depending on the ratio of minerals, pink salt has several shades – from peach to rich pink. Most of all, the pink salt of iron gives it such colors. In addition to iron, pink salt contains copper, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, boron, chromium, fluorine, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, zinc. Pink salt compounds also contain elements unusual for food products such as lead, plutonium, arsenic, gold, platinum, aluminum, tin, sulfur, radium, beryllium, uranium, and titanium.
3. Culinary properties and uses of pink salt.
Pink salt has its taste and aroma. Compared to table salt, the salinity of pink Himalayan salt seems to be more saturated, so you need to add less salt with it. Its rich taste perfectly complements the taste of the dishes themselves, including raw dishes and salads. The aroma of pink salt does not have specific shades, like black salt, to be used in any word without restrictions.
In the composition of pink salt, rich in trace elements, the content of sodium chloride itself is less than in table salt. Therefore, pink salt is considered less harmful than table salt, but it also has beneficial properties for the body. This makes pink salt an ideal substitute for table salt, especially for salt lovers who are health conscious.
Another area of application of pink salt in cooking is cooking on a salt bar. A flat bar of Himalayan pink gallite placed on the fire acts as a frying pan. On such a bar, you can fry meat, fish, scrambled eggs, seafood, and more, with or without oil. It is unnecessary to pre-salt the product and salt during the cooking process. At the same time, pink salt, which has antiseptic properties, relieves the food cooked from bacterial flora.
Himalayan pink salt has become a trendy attribute in the restaurant business. On it, expensive restaurants cook food and serve snacks butter on salt bars, use glasses of pink salt for alcoholic beverages, and use them as an element of decor.
4. Medical properties and benefits of Himalayan salt.
Himalayan salt, formed from the waters of ancient oceans under the influence of geological processes, has a colloidal structure, which means its good absorption in the body at the cellular membrane level. Himalayan pink salt in the body is easily divided into components, does not transform the metabolism process, and is entirely biologically receptive to the body.
Pink salt can be used by those who suffer from swelling due to fluid retention in the body. Unlike table salt, it does not cause such phenomena, but on the contrary, it normalizes the water-salt balance in the body.
In addition, Himalayan salt improves blood circulation and the state of the cardiovascular system, helps detoxify the body, remove heavy metals, toxins, and salt deposits, helps balance the P.H. level, relaxes the muscular system, enriches the body with minerals, stimulates the digestive system, improves metabolism and condition. Skin.
However, we must not forget that Himalayan pink salt is still salt and contains sodium chloride, and therefore it should not be abused. The safe amount of this salt is one teaspoon per day.
The beneficial properties of pink salt are manifested not only when eaten. This mineral ionizes the air and creates a favorable climate in the room, which helps balance the nervous system and positively affects the respiratory system, normalizing the body’s bioenergetics. Salt lamps are made from Himalayan gallite. Artificial salt caves are laid out, saunas are trimmed with pink salt, and used in decorating rooms.
Pink salt is used for taking baths, which have a beneficial therapeutic and cleansing effect, for rinsing, inhalation, and compressing. However, salt baths have several contraindications: prohibited during pregnancy, tuberculosis, blood diseases, acute inflammatory processes, tumors, glaucoma, several skin diseases, chronic renal failure, venous insufficiency of the legs. Before taking salt baths, it is better to consult a doctor.
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