Salt Therapy & Halotherapy: What the Evidence Actually Covers
A plain-English guide to halotherapy, dry salt aerosol research, evidence limitations and the difference between active salt therapy and passive products.
Halotherapy generally refers to breathing dry salt aerosol in a controlled environment designed to resemble a salt-cave microclimate. That is materially different from simply placing a solid salt object or mineral pouch in a room.
What research has found
Reviews report mixed and limited evidence. A 2014 systematic review focused on COPD found too little high-quality evidence to recommend halotherapy. A later review found signals of possible benefit as an adjunctive therapy but also noted the absence of official guidelines for salt rooms or dry-powder inhalers and called for better randomized trials.
A 2022 meta-analysis of rock-salt aerosol trials reported improvements in several respiratory measures when added to conventional therapy, but rated the underlying evidence low or very low quality.
Salt therapy and medical care
Do not stop prescribed treatment in favor of salt therapy. If you have asthma, COPD or another respiratory condition, discuss complementary approaches with a qualified clinician.
Related reading
Longevity Salt review · Longevity Salt alternatives
Sources
- Rashleigh et al. (2014), systematic review of halotherapy for COPD.
- Barber et al. (2022), review of halotherapy for chronic respiratory disorders.
- Cao et al. (2022), meta-analysis of rock salt aerosol therapy.