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Two systematic reviews — one published October 2018 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences and an earlier one published in the Journal of Negative Results in Biomedicine — analyzed trends across large bodies of research and both concluded that there is insufficient data to clearly understand the influence of negative ions on health.
Studies that look more narrowly at the relationship between halotherapy and asthma are few and far between, with a limited number suggesting some benefit. A small pilot study published May 2017 in Pediatric Pulmonology, for example, linked halotherapy with notable improvements in bronchial constriction in response to a stressor in children with mild asthma. It’s not a perfect study, says Mark, but it certainly warrants more extensive research.
For now, though, there isn’t enough high-quality evidence to confirm that halotherapy works or to make scientifically backed recommendations for how people with respiratory issues can use it. (Studies have utilized anywhere from 5 to 25 sessions, each spanning from 20 minutes to multiple hours, says Keogh.)
Studies that look more narrowly at the relationship between halotherapy and asthma are few and far between, with a limited number suggesting some benefit. A small pilot study published May 2017 in Pediatric Pulmonology, for example, linked halotherapy with notable improvements in bronchial constriction in response to a stressor in children with mild asthma. It’s not a perfect study, says Mark, but it certainly warrants more extensive research.
For now, though, there isn’t enough high-quality evidence to confirm that halotherapy works or to make scientifically backed recommendations for how people with respiratory issues can use it. (Studies have utilized anywhere from 5 to 25 sessions, each spanning from 20 minutes to multiple hours, says Keogh.)