What are the surprising health benefits of salt lamps?

The Commonly Cited "Benefits" vs. The Reality
Let's look at the most common claims:

1. Claim: "They Release Negative Ions that Purify the Air"
This is the biggest and most common claim. The idea is that the heated salt crystal releases negative ions, which then bind to positively charged particles (like dust, pollen, mold spores), making them fall to the ground and thus purifying the air.

The Reality: While it's true that negative ion generators can have this effect in a controlled, scientific setting, a salt lamp is an extremely weak ionizer.

The amount of heat produced by a small bulb is barely enough to release a significant number of ions.

Studies that show benefits from negative ions (like reduced depression in some cases) use commercial ionizers that produce ions at a much higher concentration than a salt lamp ever could.

Conclusion: Any air purification from a salt lamp is negligible and not effective for improving air quality in a meaningful way.