You Ask, I Answer: Himalayan Salt

Is Himalayan crystal salt worth the extra money?

Some of the literature claims it is the most nutritious salt in the world since it is all natural and free of preservatives.

-- Lorena Ibarra
(city withheld), FL

The literature you are referring to is written by companies that sell Himalayan salt -- not the most objective source.

I have read some of these pamphlets and the claims make absolutely no sense to me.

Makers of Himalayan salt, for instance, boast that their product contains all 84 chemical elements, lending it a "special harmonic vibration."

This is quite an odd statement, since that figure includes heavy metals like mercury and uranium. I certainly don't want them in my food!

And, what constitutes a "special" hamonic vibration? Who measures that? With what? How? And, above all, "so what?"

The most outlandish claim is that Himalayan salt is preservative-free. No salt has added preservatives because salt in itself is a preservative!

That's as absurd as saying that honey has no added sugar (sweeteners don't have added sugar because they already are a form of sugar.)

Himalayan salt is indeed "all natural." So are poisonous mushrooms.

In short -- salt is salt is salt.

In the case of Himalayan salt, you are looking at sodium chloride (aka table salt) and a small amount of naturally-occurring minerals that lend it a pinkish hue and subtly different flavor.

If you were thinking of purchasing Himalayan salt for health reasons, save your money and buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead.