evidence: First mined in the 1200s, pink salt—commonly called Himalayan salt—is actually extracted from deep within Pakistan’s Khewra mountain range, roughly 200 miles from the Himalayas. Accounting for roughly 800 million pounds of salt each year, the Khewra Salt Mine sees its famous pink mineral used in everything from table salts to decorative lamps, and it’s even utilized as a restorative treatment in spas around the world. [...] "Due to the high amount of iron oxide, the salt takes on a pink color," Javed Ahmed Bhatti, founder and CEO of Ittefaq Salt, a Himalayan salt manufacturer based in Lahore, tells Popular Mechanics. The salt is also rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and iron. [...] Because Himalayan salt is less processed than your regular ol’ table salt, claims abound that the pink stuff is healthier due to its mineral contents. While there is little research on these claims, one 2010 study published in the Journal of Sensory Studies found that Himalayan salt does contain more calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron than table salt—but only in trace amounts. Per Healthline, these minerals "are found in such small quantities that it would take 3.7 pounds (1.7 kg) of pink Himalayan salt to obtain the recommended daily amount of potassium, for instance." In other words, no need to rush out and buy pink salt—the cheap stuff at your local supermarket is practically the same, nutritionally speaking.