Skip to Content Skip to Navigation Accessibility Policy Click to login to your Account
Get $25 off when you stock up on 4 or more wellness favorites Shop Now
Shop All
Featured New Arrivals Subscribe & Save Deals of the Week Build Your Own Bundle
Shop by Category Coffee Mix-Ins MCT Oil Supplements Collagen Protein Bars On-The-Go
Not Sure Where to Start?
Not Sure Where to Start?
Take our quiz to get product recommendations tailor-made for your wellness goals. Plus, score 20% off! Take the Quiz
Shop All Products
Best Sellers
Coffee The Original Ground Coffee The High Achiever™ Enhanced Coffee The Original Coffee Pods
Supplements Greens Vitamins A-D-K Apple Cider Vinegar Max Gummies Sleep Gummies
Mix-Ins Bulletproof Original Creamer Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil Unflavored Collagen Peptides InnerFuel Prebiotic
Create Your Custom Bundle
Build Your Own Bundle
Save up to 20% when you stock up on your go-to product or mix and match all your Bulletproof favorites. Bundle & Save
Shop All Best Sellers
Coffee
Shop by Form Ground Coffee Whole Bean Coffee Coffee Pods
Shop by Roast Light Roast Coffee Medium Roast Coffee Medium-Dark Roast Coffee Dark Roast Coffee
Enhanced Coffee The High Achiever™ The Maximizer™ New The Original + Collagen Coffee Pods New Keto Coffee Pods
The Maximizer™
The Bulletproof difference
Make your morning routine work harder with premium coffee plus metabolism and gut health support. Shop Now
Shop All Coffee
Supplements
Shop by Form Capsules & Softgels Gummy Vitamins Powders
Shop by Benefit Daily Wellness Immune Support Stress & Sleep Gut & Digestive Health Energy Support Brain Health Bone & Joint Support
Your Wellness, Your Way
Save 20% with the Daily Wellness Bundle
Create your custom supplement bundle, and save on everything you need to feel your best. Bundle & Save
Shop All Supplements
MCT Oil
MCT Oil Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil MCT Oil
Products with MCT Oil Brain Octane Softgels CoQ10 Energy Apple Cider Vinegar Max Gummies Energy Gummies Coffee Creamer Keto Coffee Pods Bulletproof Starter Kit
What is MCT Oil?
What are MCT Oils?
Learn more about the quality fat that supports sustained energy, boosts metabolism and provides brain fuel.† Learn More
Shop All MCT Oil
Mix-Ins
Coffee Creamer Original French Vanilla Hazelnut
Quality Fats Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil MCT Oil Grass-Fed Ghee
Powders Unflavored Collagen Energy Collagen InnerFuel Prebiotic Greens
Build Your Perfect Cup
Save 20% On Your Custom Coffee Routine
Save up to 20% on everything you need to make Bulletproof Coffee when you build your own bundle. Bundle & Save
Shop All Mix-Ins
Collagen
Collagen Peptides Unflavored Chocolate Vanilla
Collagen Plus Support Gut Health Energy Sleep Immune Defense
Products with Collagen The Original + Collagen Coffee Pods New Collagen Protein Bars Collagelatin
What is Collagen?
What is Collagen?
Learn more about this amino acid rich protein that helps support glowing skin, flexible joints and strong bones.† Learn More
Shop All Collagen
Protein Bars
Collagen Protein Bars Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Vanilla Shortbread Fudge Brownie Lemon Cookie
Protein Crisp Bars Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coconut Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Chocolate Mint Chip
Bundle Your Favorite Bars
Bundle Your Favorite Bars & Save 20%
Can’t choose just one? Get all your favorites and save up to 20% when you build your own bundle. Bundle & Save
Shop All Protein Bars
About
Company Our Story Contact Us Store Locator Accessories & Apparel
Learn The Bulletproof Diet Books Recipes Blog
Online Exclusives Subscribe & Save 20% Earn Bulletproof Rewards Become An Ambassador
The Recipe That Made Us Famous
Bulletproof Coffee Recipe
What exactly is Bulletproof Coffee? How do you make it? Get the answers to all your butter coffee questions. Learn More
Learn More
Deals
Bundle & Save Build a Bundle (Save 20%) Starter Kits (Save 10%)
Ways to Save Subscribe & Save 20% Give $15, Get $15 Earn Bulletproof Rewards Sign Up For Email & SMS Free Shipping Orders $49+ & Subscriptions*
All Benefits. No Hassles.
Current activation
Subscribe to your favorite products and never run out, get 20% off every order, change or cancel anytime and get 10% off order add-ons. Subscribe & Save
Shop All Deals
Subscribe & Save 20% Learn More Search Account Cart
Search

Share

product
https://www.bulletproof.com/diet-articles/superfoods/is-pink-himalayan-salt-toxic/ article-7715 Is Pink Himalayan Salt Toxic? https://www.bulletproof.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/iStock_000040421954_Medium-300x160.jpg 1 USD InStock SuperFoods Diet Food Nutrition Supplements NUT06-00010 NUT06-00012 NUT08-00003 NUT08-00011 NUT08-00012 NUT08-00014 NUT08-00015 NUT08-00016 NUT08-00020 NUT08-00023 NUT08-00025 NUT08-00026 NUT08-00027 NUT08-00029 NUT08-00030 NUT08-00031 NUT08-00032 NUT08-00033 Toxins article
Home / Diet / SuperFoods
|August 3, 2021

Is Pink Himalayan Salt Toxic?

By Dave Asprey
Reviewed for Scientific Accuracy

Is Pink Himalayan Salt Toxic?

Toxic chemicals, whether man-made or from the earth, can wreak havoc on your performance and your long-term health.

So, you shop the highest quality products and do your research to ensure you’re keeping your family safe from toxic overload. And then an article shows up in your Facebook feed that makes you question your choices. Is the healthy food you’re eating actually toxic?

A lot of readers have been asking me about an article that discusses lead toxicity in Himalayan salt. The piece compares the lead contamination in pink Himalayan salt to the contaminated water that has caused disaster in Flint, Michigan.

That’s a strong claim. Let’s take a closer look and see whether or not it checks out.

Flint, Michigan on a global scale? No.

Back in 2014, residents of Flint, Michigan found toxic lead in their tap water, with levels of up to 13,000 times the allotted amount (which is zero for drinking water) in some homes. Two years later, not much has changed.

The above mentioned blog post posed that, if 5 parts per billion (ppb) of lead is considered a health concern in drinking water, and there is no real safe exposure to lead, then the lead content of pink Himalayan salt (about 100 parts per billion in one spectral analysis) is downright poisonous, and that it’s irresponsible to recommend Himalayan salt as an upgrade to normal table salt.

The author extrapolated that by consuming Himalayan salt, you’re actually getting “20 times as large a lead dose than [sic] what is harming the people of Flint, Michigan.”

The short rebuttal:

Most natural mineral supplements and food contain a small amount of heavy metals [1], but if your body is running well you’re well-equipped to handle them, and as long as you get your food and supplements from trusted companies that don’t add contaminants in the form of plastics, heavy metals, etc. during processing you don’t have much to worry about.

Now let’s get into the details. Here are two reasons you should not fear your pink salt:

1) You aren’t eating much of it

Lead is a naturally occurring element, not just in the environment, but in our bodies and in much of the food you eat. [2] It’s in soil, the air you breathe, and at more toxic levels in man-made items like old piping and paint produced before 1978.[3]

On average, you probably consume between 5-10 mcg of lead every day, much of it from seafood and foods grown in high lead soils. [4] Adults absorb 3-10% of the lead they consume, while children absorb much more (40-50%). [5] Small amounts of lead are pretty much unavoidable.

Now, this certainly doesn’t mean heavy metals are safe. But spectral analysis shows that the lead in pink salt is about 0.10 ppm, well within the legal limit of 0.50 ppm. [6,7,8,9] Water with 0.10 ppm lead would be a huge issue because you drink a couple liters of it daily, but you’re not eating liters of salt. You’re probably eating a couple teaspoons at the most. There’s not much lead in there, and if you’re an adult you’re only absorbing 3-10% of it.

It doesn’t make sense to compare lead in salt to lead in water.

More Diet Tips From Bulletproof

  • Keto Meal Plan
  • 10 Keto Snacks to Make Today
  • High Protein Foods to Work into Your Diet
  • Types of Collagen: What They Are & What’s Best For You

Where else does lead lurk?

One group of researchers examined the lead concentrations of various foods across several European countries. According to their findings, there’s lead in coffee, meat, algae-based supplements, various cereals, sugars, fruits, tubers, and more. [10] Many of the foods highlighted in the study as having higher concentrations of lead are also foods that people consume way more of than salt.

2) The benefits outweigh the risks

Before you toss your pink Himalayan salt, let’s talk about a few of its benefits.

Himalayan salt comes from ancient geological oceans, which may not have the same levels of pollution as salts extracted from much of world’s oceans these days. Himalayan salt naturally contains upwards of 84 trace minerals, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine, iron, and zinc, among others. Quality salt is hand-mined without explosives and tested for contamination.

The mineral content in pink salt isn’t a huge game changer health-wise, but it’s an easy way to get some extra nutrients in your diet. The minerals and other compounds in unrefined salt also give it a more complex flavor than you get from table salt. [11]

If you’re really worried about lead you could switch to table salt, but it won’t do a whole lot for you. Manufacturers refine most table salt at high temperatures, leeching it of any bioavailable nutrients. They then bleach the salt, and many manufacturers treat it with anti-caking agents so it doesn’t clump.

The result is a pure sodium chloride concentrate with no other minerals to speak of.

A note about heavy metal chelation

The author of the anti-pink salt article claims that “heavy metals in your body remain for life … there is absolutely nothing we can do to remove lead from the body with our current medical acumen.”

She’s mistaken. Chelation therapy involves ingesting compounds that bind to heavy metals and remove them from your body. [12] Even standard Western medicine has used chelation therapy for decades to treat heavy metal poisoning. If you think you have heavy metal buildup, I suggest you talk to a naturopathic or functional medicine doctor about chelation. It’s dangerous to do without a doctor’s supervision, but with medical guidance, it’s very effective.

And I wouldn’t sweat the pink salt. You’re getting small amounts of lead with almost everything you eat. If your body is running well and you live a healthy lifestyle, odds are you can handle the minimal toxin load that comes with everyday life. Have a great week and keep thriving.

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3560192/

[2] Rolfes S., Pinna K, & Whitney E. Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning; 2012.

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_paint

[4] Stipanuk M & Caudill M. Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition. St, Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2013.

[5] http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/contaminants/dhhssrl-rpecscepsh/index-eng.php#a8

[6] https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002473.htm

[7] http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=7&po=5

[8] http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=7&po=8 

[9] http://themeadow.com/pages/minerals-in-himalayan-pink-salt-spectral-analysis

[10] https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2831 

[11] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-459X.2010.00317.x/abstract

 

[12] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3654245/

Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Products sold on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for direct, individual medical treatment or advice. It is the responsibility of you and your healthcare providers to make all decisions regarding your health. Bulletproof recommends that you consult with your healthcare providers regarding the diagnosis and treatment of any disease or condition.

About Dave Asprey

Dave Asprey is an entrepreneur, author and the founder of Bulletproof. In 2011 Asprey introduced the world to the widely-popular Bulletproof Coffee and in 2014, through his New York Times best-selling book of the same name, the Bulletproof Diet. He is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, host of the Webby award-winning podcast Bulletproof Radio, and has been featured on the Today show, Fox News, Nightline, Dr. Oz, and many more.

TAGS

DietFoodNutritionSupplementsToxins

Related Bulletproof Diet Tips

inside of a fridge with health keto foods
Keto Meal Plan
10 Keto Snacks to Make Today
display of green vegetables
High Protein Foods to Work into Your Diet
bulletproof unflavored collagen peptides
Types of Collagen: What They Are & What’s Best For You
Sign up today & save 15%
SHOP
  • Coffee
  • Mix-Ins
  • MCT Oils
  • Supplements
  • Collagen
  • Protein Bars
  • All Products
Learn
  • Bulletproof for Beginners
  • Recipes
  • Newsletters & Guides
  • Bulletproof Blog
  • Books
CUSTOMER CARE
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs
  • Shipping Policy
  • Return Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
COMPANY
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Careers
  • Customer Reviews
  • Rewards
  • Give $15, Get $15
PARTNERS
  • Store Locator
  • Wholesale
  • Ambassador Program
  • Affiliate Program
Discover What Better Feels Like
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

†Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for individual medical advice. | ©Bulletproof 360, Inc. 2013–2023

  • Privacy Policy|
  • Terms|
  • Reseller Policy|