You see it used in restaurants, spas, and even in the form of lamps. Pink Himalayan salt has become extremely popular lately because of the supposed health benefits it offers. Yet, as Time Magazine suggests, it may not be as packed with benefits as the hype leads on.

The uniquely colored rock crystals gain their color from minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. For this reason, many believe it offers health benefits of various forms.

In a lamp form, it is supposed to help people stay calm and sleep better by cleansing the air. In spas, the salt is promoted as a natural detox. Obviously, when eaten with food, the salt is supposed to deliver the aforementioned minerals.

However, some research states that pink salt can't live up to its reputation, especially since it's a benefactor for emotional health.

The belief behind it helping mood is that the salt releases negative ions, which are supposed to help people have better mood, whereas positive ions may increase anxiety. As Time suggests, this is why a nature walk is calming, because you can find negative ions near moving water.

However, not enough proof is out there to suggest that pink salt emits enough ions to imitate an outdoor trek.

What about physical health? Once again, while some may boast that pink salt tastes better, and it may, in fact, have more of these minerals, it is not enough for people to see a significant effect.

Unfortunately, it seems like the pink salt hype may be created under false pretenses. While it may have a unique taste and certainly an interesting look when put into lamp form, the health benefits aren't enough to make the medical community take note.

For more information, check out Time Magazine