The ancient traditional Hindu science of health and medicine, Ayurveda, recommends washing the nasal cavities with saline water daily. This practice, called ‘Neti’, has been used by yogis for the preparation of extended meditations and yoga practices to ensure clean and open airways, resulting in easy breathing.
It’s easy to dismiss Grandma’s advice to gargle with saline water as an old cure left by science. As Dr. Philip T. Hagen said, gargling with warm saline water soothes sore throats and speeds recovery from colds and flu, and can draw excess fluid from inflamed throat tissue, which also relieves the pain. Dr. Philip Hagen has also emphasized that gargling with saline water loosens thick mucus, which can remove irritants such as allergens, bacteria, and fungi from the throat.
The salt concentration in human blood is 0.9% by volume. Human tears and sweat are also saline. This presence of saline solution inhibits many potentially dangerous infections. For many centuries, salt has been used in food preservation. According to scientific literature, the amount of salt inhaled during a 45-minute Halotherapy / Salt Therapy session is 100 times less than the recommended daily salt intake. Also, most of the inhaled salt is removed from the lungs by breathing and excreting mucus.
The mechanism of action of salt therapy and food preservation are based on the phenomenon of osmosis. Osmosis is the tendency of a solvent, generally water, to pass through a semi-permeable membrane to a solution where the solute concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentration of materials on both sides of the membrane. Essentially, this means that if a cell is placed in a solution in which the concentration of mineral solutes is higher than its own, the cell will wither. In the context of Halotherapy / Salt Therapy, viruses and bacteria dry out in the lungs after inhalation of sodium and chloride (salt) minerals.
The bronchial cilia are constantly moving up the lining of the lungs and trachea to remove mucosa and foreign materials. Removing it protects the lungs from infection and makes it easier to breathe.
Experiments conducted by Dr. Albert P. Krueger and Dr. Richard F. Smith at the University of California have shown how negative ionization affects people who are sensitive to airborne allergens. The bronchi and windpipe, or windpipe, are lined with tiny filaments called cilia. The cilia normally maintain a whip motion of approximately 900 beats per minute. Together with mucus, they keep the human airways free of dust and pollen. Krueger and Smith exposed tracheal tissue to negative ions. This resulted in ciliary movement speeding up to 1,200 beats per minute and increasing mucus flow.
The mucus secreted in the lungs protects the lungs by trapping allergens, bacteria, and viruses. However, if the mucus is not cleared from the lungs, it becomes toxic, decreasing lung volume and obstructing the airways. As a result, physical action (Halotherapy / Salt Therapy) is sometimes required to improve lung function. “Surprisingly, scientists have found that bacteria have enough collective or chemical consciousness to bind together and form smart colonies. These smart colonies of bacteria are called ‘biofilms.’ (McCabe, 2004)
In the lungs, biofilms of bacteria act like a multicellular microorganism and are anaerobic, which means that they cannot live in an oxygen-rich environment. “A prolific variety of environmental niches are formed, and the biofilm provides protection against antibiotics and toxins (poisonous substances; in this case, negatively charged ions).” (Red, 2001)
Dry salt spray is negatively charged (like oxygen) and can oxidize the biofilm structure, which can lead to biofilm disintegration. Biofilm oxidation can be compared to metal oxidation. Therefore, the disintegrated biofilm structure can be removed from the lungs. Additional amounts of water reaching the lungs through osmosis (caused by salt minerals) dilute the biofilm, further accelerating the removal of the biofilm and mucus.
“The art of medicine is to amuse the patient while nature cures the disease.”
– Voltaire
McCabe, E. (2004). Flood your body with oxygen. Miami shores, Florida: Energy publications.
Netting, J. (2001, July 14). Science News, 160, No. 2, [17-32].
Disclaimer:
The information in this article should not be construed as medical advice. The information contained is the result of extensive study and research and should be considered as an opinion only. The information in this article is not intended to treat, diagnose, prescribe, or cure any medical condition. Always check with your doctor before taking any product or following any advice you have read in this article.
