My nana lived until she was 96 and for most of those years, she was in amazing health. I never seemed to remember her getting sick with the common colds and flus that went around every winter, and as someone who was seemingly constantly sick, I asked for her secret. She lived near the ocean, and she told me that she would often go and dip her feet in the salt water. That was it.
At the time, I thought this combination of incredible luck and slight superstition couldn't possibly be what was keeping her healthy. However, scientists at Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Exeter in England claim that living near the ocean does actually provide many health benefits.
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The first of many ways that the ocean improves health is more passive then direct. The mere presence of the ocean encourages a healthier lifestyle. People are more active; they become motivated by the beauty of the coastal paths and beaches around them to go outside and enjoy it. Those who live near the ocean are more likely to take a dip in the sea water when they can. Swimming in salt water boosts the immune system, as well as hydrates skin, and improves circulation. Those who live near the ocean get a literal beach body.
Surfing has shown to be therapeutic for troubled kids, and the sound and sight of the rhythmic ocean waves relaxes people, sometimes to a near-meditative state.
There are also several effects the ocean has on you at a microbiological level. Sea water is rich in magnesium, which relaxes muscles and can improve sleep. The negatively charged hydrogen ions that are present in the salty air by the sea help absorb oxygen. They balance out serotonin levels, which will result in more energy and help those with depression.
Although often overlooked, the importance of vitamin D in your body cannot be undermined. Vitamin D from the sun is a component of autoimmune protection, will affect hormones such as endorphins, can lower the risk of certain cancers, and is an important factor in good bone health. At the beach, not only can you get Vitamin D from the sun (you should be spending at least 25 minutes a day in the sun to get the required amount), but Vitamin D can also be found from the rays reflected off the water.
Vitamin D deficiency is a cause of Seasonal Affect Disorder, a seasonal depression that is most common in the winter. Being near the ocean this time of year and getting enough sun can help to relieve some of the symptoms... the sea chemically makes you happier.
Love for ocean seems to be a universal constant. Throughout history, literature, songs and folklore there is a clear human need to be near the sea. It's been respected, loved and feared for as long as humans have been around. Millions throughout the course of human history have lived off of the sea, near it, and let it shape their whole lives.
Why though? Yes, the sea is beautiful, but so are the mountains and flowers. The sea is powerful, but so are the tornadoes in the Great Plains and the blizzards in the north. What about the sea creates this magnetic pull, this infinite fascination? Scientists now say that the ocean makes us happy in a way that no other natural beauty can.
