Minerals in Himalayan Pink Salt Spectral Analysis

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Minerals in Himalayan Pink Salt:
Spectral Analysis

Plus, everything you wanted to know about Himalayan Salt but were afraid to ask.

Himalayan Pink Salt: A Brief History

Below is a spectral analysis of Himalayan pink salt as it is typically found, reveals the wealth of natural elements it contains. The list is derived from a variety of analysis techniques deployed in order to fully identify all the trace minerals, electrolytes, and elements contained in a typical sample of Himalayan salt.

 

Himalayan pink salt is recognized for its distinctive color, flavor, and mineral content. I personally love Himalayan salt for many culinary and curative uses. In particular, I love that it can be ground down to virtually any size crystal grain, from a fine powder that’s great on popcorn to medium grains that can be measured easily for recipes to coarse grains that are great for a salt grinder.

 

Himalayan salt is extracted from salt deposits in Salt Range of Pakistan. The salt deposits formed between 600 million and 800 million years ago. They are the most extensive salt deposits in the world, and possibly the oldest. The area where the Salt Range is now located was once covered by a shallow salty sea. High temperatures and low rainfall led to the gradual evaporation of the sea, leaving behind layers of salt and other sediment that were in turn were covered by layers of other sedimentary rocks like limestone and sandstone before tectonic activity thrust the plate deep under the earth. Salt acts a lot like a liquid under high pressure, so as it was compressed by the rock above, it formed big blobs that go hundreds or even thousands of feet thick called salt domes.

 

The formation containing what we now call Himalayan pink salt were later uplifted by tectonic activity, exposing the salt deposits to the surface where they were discovered about 2000 years ago by Alexander the Great. But nothing came of it until… (as legend has it) the Moghul emperor Akbar the Great re-discovered a deposit on a hunting expedition and opened the Khewra Salt Mine, creating a great source of revenue to the empire and now the largest and oldest salt mine in Pakistan.

 

Himalayan pink salt is mined using a “room and pillar” method, which involves drilling shafts into the ground and excavating large chambers around the salt deposit, leaving enough pillars of salt in place to keep the deposit from collapsing. The large salt rocks are then hauled to workshops where the are broken up and mechanically ground and screened to the desired crystal grain size, or worked into various shapes such as lamps, blocks, platters, and even shot glasses.

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I received your pink Himalayan salt several years ago as a gift and have been using it ever since on a daily basis. I am an avid cooker and this salt is a staple in my kitchen, flavoring my family’s food everyday. I am convinced your pink Himalayan salt makes everything taste just right- no other brand can hold a candle to its flavor.

- Michelle Piechowski

Excellent!
I did lots of research around salt trying to extend the best flavor I could out of my fresh cooking And came across Bittermans salt and found it to be the highest quality. Is made the world of a difference to my cooking.

- Steve Fiore

Five common myths and misconceptions about Himalayan Pink Salt:

1. Himalayan salt is not from the Himalayas. Rather, it is primarily from the Punjab province of Pakistan about 100 miles south of the Himalayas. There are no commercially available salts from the Himalayas for wont of oceans, salt lakes, salt springs, and salt deposits. In other words, the term “Himalayan Salt” is a colorful name for the natural pink salts of Pakistan.

2. There is no such thing as “Himalayan Sea Salt” because there is no Himalayan sea! While the salt was indeed evaporated from a sea some 600 million years ago, calling it a sea salt is pretty misleading. Himalayan salt is halite, the mineral form of salt found in the earth. If you want a sea salt, buy a sea salt. If you want a rock salt (sometimes called a mineral salt), buy a rock salt!

3. Himalayan salt is 100% natural, but 100% natural doesn’t tell the whole story. Heavy machinery is commonly used in some places where Himalayan salt is mined, just as it is with industrial sea salt. However, some smaller mines do employ manual methods only—again, just as do traditional sea salts. If natural and/or artisanal production methods are important to you, choose a Himalayan salt (such as ours) or an artisanal sea salt that is produced from mines that still use old-fashioned manual techniques.

4. Many believe Himalayan pink salt contains unique minerals that are not found in natural sea salt. While it’s true that Himalayan pink salt contains trace amounts of minerals like magnesium and potassium, these minerals are also found in natural sea salt. Himalayan salt contains about 3% trace minerals—which makes them about average among natural salts in terms of mineral content. While industrially made sea salts contain less than 1% trace minerals, naturally made sea salts contain anywhere from 3% to 16% or more trace minerals.

5. Some people believe that Himalayan salt has health benefits. It very well may, but determining any medicinal uses should always start (and hopefully finish) with advice of a doctor or similar health expert. That said, salt is credited in various health traditions with helping to regulate blood sugar levels and reducing inflammation. Himalayan pink salt is frequently indicated in Ayurvedia, the ancient system of medicine that originated in India emphasizing the use of natural remedies to promote health and well-being. According to Ayurvedic principles, rock salt (specifically, the one we know as Himalayan pink salt) is said to have a balancing effect on the body's doshas (energies). It is also believed to support healthy digestion, improve skin health, and promote a healthy pH balance in the body. Himalayan pink salt is often called for in Ayurvedic cooking as well as in Ayurvedic treatments such as salt scrubs and salt baths. Understanding specifically why Himalayan tock salt is beneficial, and how to realize these benefits, is outside the scope of my expertise, but it is important to note that Ayurvedia considers different kinds of salts to have different properties. So under no circumstances is Himalayan salt to be considered a cure-all.

Did you know?

600+ million years old

Planet Earth's oldest food!

Ancient Ocean

Pure, clean flavor from a primordial sea.

Hand-mined

Our Himalayan Salt is mined by hand without the use of explosives!

Mineral-rich!

More than 80 naturally occuring trace minerals.

Minerals in Himalayan Pink Salt:
Spectral Analysis

The detailed spectral analysis* of Himalayan Pink Salt below shows all the trace minerals, electrolytes, and elements contained in Himalayan salt as it is typically found. Himalayan pink rock salt is popular among health food advocates who prize it for many reasons, the most popular being its unrefined nature and ancient provenance. Others still prize it for its relative abundance of trace minerals.

Element Ion Atomic # Concentration Method/Sourcel

Hydrogen

H

1

0.30 g/kg

DIN

Lithium

Li

3

0.40 g/kg

AAS

Beryllium

Be

4

<0.01 ppm

AAS

Boron

B

5

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Carbon

C

6

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Nitrogen

N

7

0.024 ppm

ICG

Oxygen

O

8

1.20 g/kg

DIN

Fluoride

F

9

<0.1 g

Potentiometric

Sodium

Na

11

382.61 g/kg

FSM

Magnesium

Mg

1

0.16 g/kg

AAS

Aluminum

Al

13

0.661 ppm

AAS

Silicon

Si

14

<0.1 g

AAS

Phosporous

P

15

<0.10 ppm

ICG

Sulfur

S

16

12.4 g/kg

TXRF

Chloride

Cl

17

590.93 g/kg

Gravimetric

Potassium

K

19

3.5 g/kg

FSM

Calcium

Ca

20

4.05 g/kg

Titration

Scandium

Sc

21

<0.0001 ppm

FSK

Titanium

Ti

22

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Vanadium

V

23

<0.001 ppm

AAS

Chromium

Cr

24

0.05 ppm

AAS

Manganese

Mn

25

0.27 ppm

AAS

Iron

Fe

26

38.9 ppm

AAS

Cobalt

Co

27

0.60 ppm

AAS

Nicke

Ni

28

0.13 ppm

AAS

Copper

Cu

29

0.56 ppm

AAS

Zinc

Zn

30

2.38 ppm

AAS

Gallium

Ga

31

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Germanium

Ge

32

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Arsenic

As

33

<0.01 ppm

AAS

Selenium

Se

34

0.05 ppm

AAS

Bromine

Br

35

2.1 ppm

TXRF

Rubidium

Rb

37

0.04 ppm

A

Strontium

Sr

38

0.014 g/kg

AAS

Yttrium

Y

39

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Zirconium

Zr

40

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Niobium

Nb

41

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Molybdenum

Mo

42

0.01 ppm

AAS

Technetium

Tc

43

Unstable artificial isotope

N/A

Ruthenium

Ru

44

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Rhodium

Rh

45

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Palladium

Pd

46

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Silver

Ag

47

0.031 ppm

AAS

Cadmium

Cd

48

<0.01 ppm

AAS

Indium

In

49

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Tin

Sn

50

<0.01 ppm

AAS

Antimony

Sb

51

<0.01 ppm

AAS

Tellurium

Te

52

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Iodine

I

53

<0.1 g

Potentiometric

Cesium

Ce

55

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Barium

Ba

56

1.96 ppm

AAS/T

Lanthanum

Lant

57

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Ceriuum

Ce

58

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Praseodymium

Pr

59

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Neodymium

Nd

60

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Promethium

Pm

61

Unstable artificial isotope

N/A

Samarium

Sm

62

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Europium

Eu

63

<3.0 ppm

TXRF

Gadolinium

Gd

64

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Terbium

Tb

65

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Dysprosium

Dy

66

<4.0 ppm

TXRF

Holmium

Ho

67

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Erbium

Er

68

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Thulium

Tm

69

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Ytterbium

Yb

70

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Lutetium

Lu

71

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Hafnium

Hf

72

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Tantalum

Ta

73

1.1 ppm

TXRF

Wolfram

W

74

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Rhenium

Re

75

<2.5 ppm

TXRF

Osmium

Os

76

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Iridium

Ir

77

<2.0 ppm

TXRF

Platinum

Pt

78

0.47 ppm

TXRF

Gold

Au

79

<1.0 ppm

TXRF

Mercury

Hg

80

<0.03 ppm

AAS

Thallium

Ti

81

0.06 ppm

AAS

Lead

Pb

82

0.10 ppm

AAS

Bismuth

Bi

83

<0.10 ppm

AAS

Polonium

Po

84

<0.001 ppm

<0FSK

Astatine

At

85

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Francium

Fr

87

<0.1 ppm

TXRF

Radium

Ra

88

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Actinium

Ac

89

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Thorium

Th

90

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Protactinium

Pa

91

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Uranium

U

92

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Neptunium

Np

93

<0.001 ppm

FSK

Plutonium

Pu

94

<0.001 ppm

FSK

g/kg – Grams per kilogram

DIN – German Standards Institute

ICG – Ionchromatography

AAS – Atom absorbtion spectrometry

TXRF – Total reflection - X-Ray - Floresence-Spectometry

ppm – Parts per million

FSM – Flamespectrometry

FSK – Frequency Spectroscopy

Source: From the book Water & Salt, The Essence of Life by Dr. Barbara Hendel MD and Peter Ferreira

 

* The chemical analysis of salts like Himalayan Pink salt generally involves several steps. Moisture is determined by the very straightforward but precise process of heating a sample and measuring weight loss. Chloride can be determined using titration with a silver nitrate solution. Sodium can be determined using flame photometry. Additional analyses may be performed to determine a host of other desirable minerals in the salt, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc., and to determine other naturally occurring but nonetheless undesirable minerals such as heavy metals. These analyses may involve techniques such as ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectroscopy, or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. For the sake of simplicity, all of these analytic processes are lumped together under the term "spectral analysis."

Five fun facts about Himalayan Pink Salt:

1. What makes Himalayan salt pink? Magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron are common elements in Himalayan salt. The pink color may come in part from magnesium, while the red is from iron oxide (yes, good old fashioned rust), though it is present only in trace quantities.

2. Traditional uses of Himalayan pink salt include cooking heating a big block of salt in the fire and cooking right on the block. While I have written two books popularizing and expanding on this technique, including the first book ever written on the subject, salt block cooking was likely invented by the Pakistanis, Afghanis, and Indians who had early access to blocks of salt. Namak mandi is a traditional meat dish that is popular in the Salt Range where Himalayan salt is mined. Lamb or beef is seared on a super hot salt block, allowing the salt to infuse into the meat, brown it, and add flavor. The meat then served with naan bread, salad, and chutney.

3. There is more than one Himalayan pink salt, tapping deposits that formed at different places and times. The Khewra Salt Mine in the Punjab province is the largest salt mine in Pakistan and produces the majority of the Himalayan Pink Salt sold to export markets like the USA. The Warcha mine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province produces a salt that is often darker in color than some other Himalayan salts. Some feel (I’m not so sure I pick up on it, personally) that salt from the Kalabagh mine over the fertile Indus river valley has milder taste compared to other mines. Color varies from white to pink to red to silver-grey and even, occasionally, blue. Purity (absence of rocky debris) varies greatly even within the same mine as great swirling marled formations are exposed within salt seams extending deep into the earth.

4. The Khewra Salt Mine in Pakistan produces 385,000 tons of salt per year, supporting the local economy as well providing a source of revenue from exports to other countries. While it is the largest of Pakistan’s mines by far, it delves into only a tiny fraction of a truly massive salt deposit running along much of the 186 mile Salt Range mountains from which it is mined. The deposit is as much as 1,600 feet deep in places, and miles in width. Estimates of the total reserves in Pakistan are all over the place, but are always going up.

5. Himalayan salt is not renewable, but nor it is not exhaustible. It will take millions of years for the salt you consume to re-evaporate into a salt flat, get buried under sediment, be thrust deep into the earth by plate tectonic forces, and compress to the pure pink halite you know and love as Himalayan Pink salt. But fear not, we won’t be running out of it anytime soon. There are 10.5 billion tons of salt deposits at the Bahadurkhel mine alone. At the current rate of 139,268 tons per year, it will last 75,394 years. And while our progenitures are waiting for more salt deposits to form, all of that mined salt will available along with 50 quintillion (50,000,000,000,000,000,000) kilograms of salt within our planet’s oceans.

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