Let’s dive right in to our open thread. One of our earliest regulars, Colt, dropped this one on me:

Kap what do u think of Himalayan salt? Is it a fad? Can’t remember if it’s been blogged yet

I posted about salt here in April, but I didn’t examine the details of pink Himalayan salt. If you’ve been here at Kaplifestyle for very long, you know I never turn my back on an opportunity to blow up a fad. Challenge accepted. Let’s get it on.

This mystical “Himalayan salt” is a rock salt mined in the Khewra Salt Mine, the second-largest salt mine in the world, located in Khewra, Jhelum District in Punjab, Pakistan. The salt sometimes boasts a pink color. Luckily, I didn’t have to head to Pakistan to get it; it’s readily available at Whole Foods. They sell the stuff for 88.78 cents/ounce. The generic “fine sea salt” comes in at 3.74 cents per ounce. For 22x the price, I’m expecting this salt to send my squats through the roof. I can assure you, it does not.

I couldn’t discern any taste difference, either. I tried my regular eggs with both Himalayan salt and my regular sea salt, but found no taste variation.  So what gives? Is there a different nutritional profile? I found some information that made me giggle. Here are a few of my favorites from natural-salt-lamps.com:

Himalayan salt is profoundly amazing. It is 200 Million plus years old and has been nurtured by earth energy and pressure over this time. This ancient sea salt has been alchemized over millions of years into a special energized crystalline form in a process analogous to how coal gradually becomes a diamond. The 84 minerals in this salt are in an ionic form which is molecular instead of colloidal like regular sea salt. It is therefore more easily absorbable and much more use-able by our bodies than any sea salt. Sea salt because of its relatively large size is difficult for the body to digest and use whereas ionic Himalayan salt is molecular and virtually no digestion is required.

Profoundly amazing. I should spend more on it because it’s smaller and easier to digest? Hmmm. I can buy it in both coarse and fine ground form, just like sea salt. I don’t think these grandiose claims are quite enough. I need some science. I found a study so scientific that the results are undeniable.

Many sensitive people feel the energy from the salt immediately upon drinking a glass of the water with sole added – I find this is true for at least 1 of 10 people who sample it when I am present. See how you feel after drinking it!

Whoa. Conclusive.

Lest you think that this entire post is going to be busting on Himalayan salt, it’s not. There are some positives. If nothing else, it has minerals. From livestrong.com:

Himalayan salt is said to contain 84 minerals that are good for your health. However, not all of the ingredients in Himalayan salt are technically minerals; some, such as hydrogen and oxygen, are elements but not minerals. Spectral analyses done on Himalayan salt show that it contains both macrominerals, such as calcium and chloride, as well as trace minerals including iron and zinc.

It seems to generally be a quality product. Additionally, because of the structure, Himalayan salt can be bought in large slabs and used for cooking or unique presentations. You won’t find blocks of sea salt in your local gourmet store.

Oh yeah, this was a post to answer Colt’s question, “Is Himalayan salt a fad?

Let’s agree on a definition. How about this one:

An intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object’s qualities; a craze.

No, Colt. It’s not a fad. I think there is some value at the margins for Himalayan salt. A very, very small amount of value. This is a good time for a reminder. Whenever a product has lots of bold claims around it, look for equally bold proof.

The floor is now yours. No rules.