2019 Study Reveals the Healthy Effects of Halotherapy

A recent study has confirmed the benefits of halotherapy, offering new support for dry salt as a wellness treatment. Results of the pilot clinical study run by Dr. Cindy Hollenbeck, a biochemist, showed improvement in lung function across all study participants. Her work, “Effect of Halotherapy on Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) and Forced Expiratory Volume in 1-second (FEV1) in recreational athletes above the age of 40 - Pilot Study,” adds to the body of research about halotherapy’s effect on respiratory health, skin health, athletic performance and general relaxation.
 
There have been many clinical studies in Europe and Russia, where halotherapy is not only supported but accepted as more than a wellness treatment. Continued studies in the United States will help bring this same level of understanding to our market.
 
The study, conducted between February and July 2019 at a spa and wellness facility in East Lansing, Michigan, measured changes in the amount of air exhaled in a forced breath. Dr. Hollenbeck focused on recreational athletes age 40 and older, nonsmokers who exercise at least three days a week and were not current halotherapy users. Participants received a dozen 25-minute sessions of dry-aerosol halotherapy twice a week over a six-week period.

Results showed increased lung function, improvement in sleep, increased energy during athletic activity and decreased feelings of stress. Key takeaways include:

• The full benefits of halotherapy range from bactericidal to mucokinetic and anti-inflammatory effects, which are all important for lung health.
• The dry salt stimulates the body’s internal processes for cleansing the respiratory system, removing buildup of foreign particles that cause various respiratory ailments and ultimately strengthening respiratory function.
• The microparticles of aerosolized dry salt trigger skin microcirculation and cellular membrane activity, enhancing overall skin health. Halotherapy’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties can aid in the repair process of skin concerns such as edema, psoriasis, rosacea and acne, where the main problem is bacteria and inflammation.

Dr. Hollenbeck, a biochemist who founded the World Halotherapy Association and serves as WHA president, shares two images from European studies showing the lung bronchi before and after salt therapy. These images should be posted in every halotherapy treatment room!

Halotherapy is taking on steam in the United States and is fast becoming an accepted alternative to help provide symptomatic relief of breathing and skin conditions. Halotherapy is a safe modality, backed up by more than 50 years of research in Europe and a revolutionary delivery process (the halogenerator) that makes it easy, affordable and effective for consumers to improve breathing and overall health in a drug-free, natural way.