The Sea And Health: An Inexhaustible Source Of Good Health

The sea and health are related. This is especially true because our brain responds positively in this environment: it becomes more relaxed, its perception improves, its creativity increases, and it becomes more mentally sharpened. Few places are as soothing as feeling the warm sand beneath your feet, listening to the sound of the waves and experiencing the coolness of the salty breeze.

Sailors, surfers and biologists always say the same thing: the sea has an enchanting effect. The sea attracts you, enchants and has a mysterious attraction to people from the very beginning. The incredible extent of blue water gives us a wide range of experiences. Sometimes it may be enough to just take a moment on the shore to recharge and discover how it improves our mood.

It is enough to recall the well-known practice Victorian doctors used on their patients. Those who suffered from melancholy, tuberculosis or simple love sickness were prescribed to breathe sea air. Therefore, the beaches have been an ideal therapeutic resource for both the rich and the poor since time immemorial. And it worked. Due to its power to improve mood, and due to the fact that the sea ​​and health have a special relationship, science continues to confirm this.

The sea and health: the therapeutic effect of aquatic environments

In 2011, a study conducted at a university in Sweden revealed that aquatic environments improve well-being and have a positive impact on our health. Both oceans, rivers and lakes therefore generate changes in our mental state, in the brain and in our body.

Such is the mystery and fascination for bluish scenes that many writers are determined to answer. One of them was the well-known marine biologist, Sir Alister Hardy. He is known for his participation in one of the first expeditions to Antarctica in 1925. Our body reacts well to healthy environments, he says.

When people left the savannah, reached the shore and discovered the sea, some changes took place. Suddenly we had access to new food, which was especially rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which is important for brain development and health. Also the therapeutic effect of the sea, with its powerful stimuli, can create an early and very powerful connection. Therefore, there is an abundance of studies and work on the subject.

One of them is that of Dr. Jenny Roe from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The study showed that when we are influenced by the sea, a whole range of physiological responses occur. We release endorphins, reduce cortisol levels and generate alpha waves in our brain. The early contact the human race had with the sea created a bond between them, it left a mark on us that still persists; it reminds us of the benefits; its undeniable effect on one’s well-being.

The healing power of the sea

The sea and health are related. The ocean produces what many scientists call “blue health”, and is summarized as:

The blue mind

• Our brains respond very positively to the sight of water. When one reflects on it, smells and feels it, it gives the brain a state of absolute relaxation. This ideal state of calm favors the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which increases our state of happiness.
• The sea also increases our creativity, reduces anxiety and improves basic cognitive processes such as memory and attention.

Ideal for the respiratory tract

The salty breeze is a gift of well-being for our airways. It releases them, cleanses the lungs, helps breathing and in addition it has an antibiotic effect. The sea is ideal for people with asthma and allergies.

Attachment and power

Both the sound of the ocean and the sight of these scenes dominated by movement, light and grandeur favor the entry of alpha waves into our brain. We enter a state of calm, and inner self-connection is improved. Furthermore, based on a work published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, the sea breeze contributes to a state of relaxation and connection with our interior.

The sea air is loaded with negative ions. This work shows that these negative particles are produced in all natural aquatic environments: the sea, rivers, waterfalls, etc. Their effect favors the production of serotonin, which leads us into a state of inner balance which in turn fills us with energy, with creativity, with motivation, with the courage to relate to ourselves, with an interest in being socialized.

We can never forget the important aspect. The sea and health have a direct relationship because it allows us to absorb vitamin D. As we know, this vitamin is important for many life processes. However, oddly enough, a large portion of the population suffers from vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, without a doubt, if we have a chance, listen to our instincts, to the primitive voice that knows and understands that the sea is a good place to spend the day. It is valuable, it is worth the health benefits.