# Any Benefits to Salt Lamps? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 3, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-benefits-to-salt-lamps/541849 "2010-06-03T22:58:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-benefits-to-salt-lamps/541849/1 "2010-06-03T22:58:10Z")
My friend has one of these things-it is a chunk of rock salt, with a 60 watt bulb inside it. It is supposed to cover all sorts of benefits (negative ions, cleaner air, etc.). Is there any truth to these claims? Is rocksalt good for what ails you? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-benefits-to-salt-lamps/541849/2 "2010-06-03T23:16:14Z")
[They provide](http://www.naturalsaltcrystallamps.com/salt-lamp-guide.html) a nice yellowish light, and help move needed American dollars into Pakistan. Personally, I prefer the purer white light of [Moroccan Selenite lamps](http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/selenite-lamps.html). ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-benefits-to-salt-lamps/541849/3 "2010-06-03T23:32:42Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Is rocksalt good for what ails you? Not if you’re a slug. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-benefits-to-salt-lamps/541849/4 "2010-06-04T01:57:58Z")
I’m holding out for the Bacon Salt upgrade. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-benefits-to-salt-lamps/541849/5 "2010-06-04T02:15:12Z")
They look nice. Any health or environmental benefits are doubtful. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-benefits-to-salt-lamps/541849/6 "2010-06-04T03:51:45Z")
I do not believe there are any health benefits. However, if there were, you’d presumably get the same benefit from rock, kosher or table salt at a much lower price. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-benefits-to-salt-lamps/541849/7 "2010-06-04T05:54:50Z")
How do these (or anything else) release “negative ions”? What do they do with the positive ions? Conservation of charge, and all that. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-benefits-to-salt-lamps/541849/8 "2010-06-04T14:11:59Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > How do these (or anything else) release “negative ions”? What do they do with the positive ions? Conservation of charge, and all that. The positive ions end up in the [Time Cube](http://www.timecube.com/) of course!