Monks in 13th century Europe discovered the benefits of halotherapy for a multitude of respiratory and inflammatory illnesses, and now it is being revisited as a highly beneficial therapy in the 21st century. One does not need to visit an ancient salt cave to experience the restorative effects of natural salt therapy - it has become a standard therapy in many modern spas. The use of salt therapy for health spans history, from ancient Greece, (where the name "halo" meant salt) to the 19th-century discovery that salt miners suffered far less respiratory disease than miners of other materials in the same area.
Proven in Clinical Studies
A leading Polish surgeon at the time, Dr. Bochkowsky, was aware of the history of halotherapy in Poland and was inspired to conduct a study of coal and mineral miners who were exposed to halotherapy. He then published a peer-reviewed paper in 1843 stating his impressive findings - that mineral salt therapy was indeed beneficial to coal miners who were suffering lung and respiratory ailments as a result of their occupation.
Over a century later, the Russians adopted halotherapy as an accepted treatment for bronchial distress, asthma, sinusitis, even tuberculosis. Because of political tensions between the US and Russia during the mid-20th century, the benefits of halotherapy were not shared and did not make it to the US until fairly recently.
A clinical study conducted in St. Petersburg, Russia found that 85% of patients with mild-to-moderate asthma showed marked improvement, as did 75% of severe asthma sufferers, and an astounding 97% of patients with acute bronchitis and other bronchial-related diseases. The Lung Institute in Tampa, Florida reports that many COPD sufferers experience positive results from salt therapy. Other ailments that respond well to halotherapy include chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, cough, colds, influenza, sinusitis, respiratory allergies, respiratory infections, and tonsillitis.
Breathe Easy
The efficacy of halotherapy is due to the sodium chloride (the chemical name for salt), an essential element for the regulation of mucus in the lungs and upper respiratory system. In patients with chronic lung conditions, the levels of naturally occurring sodium chloride decrease, which causes increased mucus production. When patients with these conditions are exposed to an environment rich in microscopic sodium chloride in the air as an inhalant, the benefits can be nearly instantaneous, as they enter the respiratory and pulmonary systems without having to be ingested and metabolized. For conditions such as sinusitis and bronchitis resulting from infections, the natural antifungal and antibacterial properties of salt, when inhaled in a halotherapy environment, can provide great relief to sufferers of these conditions.
Not Just Any Salt!
Halotherapy is performed with natural mineral salt that is mined from the ground… not the same thing at all as table salt. Salt mined in the Himalayan Mountains of Pakistan are the richest in trace minerals, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine, manganese and a host of other minerals the body needs to function optimally. There is no substitute - Himalayan salt is the standard for maximum benefits to your health.
