Social media has dubbed Himalayan pink salt as nature’s Mounjaro.
Historically, salt has been hailed as the nemesis with the NHS recommending no more than 6g of salt a day for adults (that’s around a level teaspoon). Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure, increased risks of heart disease and stroke, and potentially even kidney failure.
But videos circulating on social media have suggested that Himalayan pink salt could be the answer to your love handles.
Specifically, people are hailing a Himalayan pink salt drink. The elixer is made by mixing one glass of lukewarm water with ¼ teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt and the juice of half a lemon until fully dissolved.
Some people add honey, which has its own list of benefits, to make the drink more palatable. Other recipes add for ginger for an immunity kick.
It’s suggested that the digestive elixir should be consumed on an empty stomach – but does it really work?
Does Himalayan pink salt help weight loss?
Himalayan salt has been claimed to balance the body’s electrolytes, provide hydration, and improve digestion, whilst lemon contains vitamin C and antioxidants to improve digestion and suppress appetite. The water hydrates the body and increases metabolic rate.
Dr Ross Perry, medical director of Cosmedics skin clinics, said: “Because pink Himalayan salt contains trace minerals it can help with hydration, if you are well hydrated then this helps with metabolism and reduces cravings. It is also thought to help reduce sodium intake which can lower water retention and bloating, and finally it is thought to support adrenal function which is thought to help with energy and metabolism.”
However, Dr Perry warned that there are very few studies to back up the claims that this singular drink alone can help you lose weight.
Lucy Jones, chief clinical officer and dietician at Oviva, says that people are often drawn to these wellness trends because they use “everyday ingredients” and social media amplifies “anecdotal experiences without scientific backing”.
However, the general consensus is that this salty concoction will not aid weight loss, especially not in comparison to the ‘skinny jabs’, like Mounjaro and Ozempic.
These injectable medicines are used by those who suffer with type 2 diabetes or obesity to help manage weight.
Dr Anita Raja, GP and TV presenter, said: “When compared to modern weight-loss injections, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which have shown substantial efficacy in promoting weight loss alongside lifestyle changes, the natural remedy of pink salt, lemon, and honey lacks a solid scientific foundation.”
Endocrinologist and founder of Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness Dr Renee Young added: “A teaspoon of pink salt has nearly the same sodium level as table salt, and the extra iron or magnesium is present in amounts too small to influence calorie use or fat burning. For most people it behaves like any other culinary salt: it seasons food and, in excess, can make the body hold water rather than lose it. No high-quality study has shown that switching to pink salt by itself leads to fat loss.”
Dr Anita Raja also said that “the consumption of salt doesn’t intrinsically promote fat loss” and actually a high sodium diet could lead to water retention.
Instead, Dr Perry suggested that the salt be added into a healthy diet as an alternative to regular salt, as it could potentially speed up weight loss because of its health benefits. It will not help you lose weight directly, he said. Jones said Himalayan pink salt-lovers may feel temporarily lighter, but this is just a false sense of effectiveness.
More pressingly, Jones said people should not use Himalayan pink salt as a replacement for medication.
Are there any negative side effects?
When consumed in moderation, the detox drink is considered to be safe. But drinking too much, as with anything, can have undesirable consequences.
For example, Dr Giuseppe Aragona, GP and chief medical advisor at Prescription Doctor, said excessive salt intake, including from pink salt, carries its own risks such as high blood pressure and heart problems.
What’s special about Himalayan pink salt?
Himalayan pink salt is mined in the Himalayan Mountains of Pakistan and is pink because it contains trace minerals, like iron oxide. It contains around 80 other minerals that are not found in regular salt, and it is for this reason that it is considered better for you.
Dr Aragona said that whilst it is marketed with health claims, it is essentially just sodium chloride like regular table salt. The trace minerals do not impact weight loss.
In comparison, sea salt comes from evaporating seawater, fleur de sel is from harvesting salt from saltwater ponds, and table salt is iodized and refined salt.
Also found in the Himalayan Mountains is Himalayan black salt, which is volcanic salt roasted at high temperatures and filtered through charcoal.
What can you do to lose weight?
Diet-enthusiasts may be reluctant to hear it, but Dr Young said that eating “whole vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and lean protein” is the way forward.
She added, “healthy weight loss rests on steady habits that create an energy deficit without depriving the body of nutrients.”
Diets can actually do the opposite of what participants want them to do. “Yo-yo dieting, where weight goes down and then back up, teaches the body to store fat more efficiently and can frustrate anyone trying to improve health markers,” she said.
