The Natural Health Benefits of the Ocean
“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.” Isak Dineson
It has long been believed that the ocean has many health benefits and natural curative powers. The smell of the air rolling off the ocean feels restorative. A big, deep breath of ocean air is delightful, especially after being cooped up inside all day. The moist ocean air seems to wrap one in a cozy cocoon of serenity. Perhaps when feeling stressed one should seek a natural cure: a swim in the ocean.
The ocean has long been believed to be a natural cure for illness. Taking a dip in the ocean is an age old cure for some illnesses. In the early 1900s some families fled the environs of New York City to retreat to the fresh air of the seashore when tuberculosis struck a family member. Other families have a ritual throughout the decades of a yearly retreat to the shore during the summer months for relaxation and a respite from the stress of urban areas.
Dentists often recommend the old fashioned cure of gargling with salt water to help a tooth infection. Salt water is widely believed to have medicinal qualities. After all, the human body is composed of 75% water: the fluid is a salty water solution.
Ocean water may help heal cuts, minimize swelling, and lessen the pain of osteoarthritis. A relaxing float on top of the ocean surface is also a lovely way to work in some quiet time, just letting the waves lull you peacefully.
A swim in the ocean offers great exercise and may help your body to absorb some healthful impact from the ocean that isn’t even yet fully understood. Most people simply understand that at the end of the day at the beach, with salt coated on their body and their lungs full of fresh air they just feel great.
Follow President Obama’s mandate to volunteer to help the local community by spending an early morning at the beach picking up refuse from the sand. Give some of your time to help clean the beach and help keep garbage out of the ocean. Let’s keep the beaches clean to preserve the natural health benefits of the ocean.