The Himalayan Black rock salt has better antioxidant properties, mineral composition and lower levels of sodium than the pink salt that is globally popular for its easy availability, a team of Lovely Professional University researchers have found after conducting a detailed study.

The lead researcher Devesh Tewari, Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at LPU hails from the Uttarakhand Himalayan region, where he says that the black rock salt is quite commonly used. "It is used especially in rural areas. It has been used traditionally for a long time as a home remedy for medicinal purposes to treat gastrointestinal tract-related disorders. When we went through the literature of salt research, we saw that almost negligible studies have been performed on the black rock salt. The pink salt is widely available and thus people use it more. We thought it would be fruitful to analyse some of the therapeutic benefits of this salt."

According to their research, the black rock salt was also found to have lower levels of sodium (Na) than both the pink salt and regular table salts making it a healthier option for those with medical conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease. When it comes to the structure, the black salt was found to be irregular in shape with a quadrilateral, cubic, irregular crystalline structure. It also contains important minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium which are beneficial for human health and thus make it more suitable for consumption than conventional table salts. The researchers explored the geochemical characterisation of the Himalayan black salt using technologies like FE-SEM, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), elemental content using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) and in vitro antioxidant activity by different methods for the first time.

Speaking about their future plans in the same area of research, Devesh said, "At this point, preliminary research has been done. We need to explore more of its benefits. The black salt is also mentioned in Ayurveda, in numerous formulations the salt has been used or is required. We want to promote its benefits, improve the popularity, which may also lead to the socio-economic upliftment of the marginalised communities in the Himalayas who produce it. We also want to conduct pre-clinical studies for different kind of disorders where this salt can be used for treatment purposes."

The researchers had been conducting the study on the Himalayan Black Rock Salt for the past two years. It was conducted in collaboration with the Uttarakhand Technical University, DBS PG College, Dehradun, Kumaun University and Bourgogne Franche-Comté University, France.