THE LIMITLESS BENEFITS OF THE SEA

Where does this comforting feeling, that overwhelms us when we breathe in the sea air, come from? How can we explain the rejuvenating effect a stay along the Brittany or Mediterranean coast has on our bodies? The first explanations are scientific and related to the composition of our oceans. Seawater contains all the mineral salts and trace elements, present in our blood (chlorine, sodium, sulphate, magnesium, calcium and potassium), and in the same proportions. When we breathe, in an atmosphere filled with this enriched salt, we compensate for some of our body's deficiencies. Sea water is also rich in antibiotic substances which help to strengthen our immunity. Lastly, when in motion, it is charged with negative ions, tiny particles that are beneficial for our health. Spending time at the beach also equates to sunshine and vitamin D from its rays, allowing the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus into the bones.

In addition to all these beneficial nutrients that we can find in our delicious summer cuisine. Oysters filter these celebrated marine minerals and are a source of zinc: an antioxidant that helps slow skin ageing, strengthens immunity and promotes healing. The healthy fats in sardines, herrings, mackerel, tuna or salmon provide essential fatty acids that the body is unable to produce on its own. Even seaweed—brown, green or red—can be eaten and helps the body to absorb trace elements from the sea.

The many benefits of seaside holidays on our physical health have been recognised for centuries. In the 19th century, doctors were already recommending their patients suffering from neurasthenia, asthma or tuberculosis to undergo treatment by the ocean. Osteopath Jean-Claude Secondé, a specialist in the benefits of the sea, gained this knowledge from his father. "As a child, in the 1950s, we used to go to the chemist to buy 30- or 50-cl vials of filtered seawater that we would break into a glass and drink. This enhanced the body's biological balance." In 1904, the biologist René Quinton published L'Eau de mer, milieu organique (Seawater: An organic entry) (Hachette BNF) in which he illustrates the therapeutic virtues of seawater. "We now realise our origins go back to the sea. We share more in common with marine animals than we might think," comments Jean-Claude Secondé.

With the advent of antibiotics in the mid-20th century, interest in thermal spa treatments for disease prevention gradually declined. But in recent years, seawater seems to be experiencing a surge in popularity. "People are beginning to lose confidence in the pharmaceutical industry and are becoming wary of over medication," says the author of Les Aliments de la mer: se soigner, rajeunir, mieux vivre (Food from the Sea: Health, rejuvenation, better living) (Delville Santé, 2006). "Natural solutions have been increasingly successful and inevitably, you could say that sea water can't do any harm."

Particularly at a time of global warming, air pollution is an increasingly important issue. Sea air is richer in oxygen and less laden with carbon dioxide (CO₂), pollutants and fine particles than the air we breathe in cities. Escaping traffic jams or the underground can be a lifesaver. To give you an idea, there are on average 50,000 bacteria per cubic metre in the city, compared to 200 by the sea. In 2006, researchers from the New England Journal of Medicine also found that inhaling concentrated saline solutions helped improve lung function. The sea cleans our lungs and improves respiration.

Holidays at the sea fulfil another modern need: mental health. Many of us feel a sense of serenity and fulfilment, hardly attainable elsewhere, when facing the ocean's blue expanse, hearing the sound of the waves and walking in the warm sand. The anti-stress qualities of seascapes can be explained by several factors. In The Sea: a Natural Therapy for our Well-being (Ed. Trédaniel, 2019) Dr Deborah Cracknell, a researcher at the English University of Exeter, explains that water is one of the predominant characteristics of the so-called "restorative" landscapes.

Looking at the sea can improve one's mood and bring about a calming effect. Immersing yourself in water or getting your feet wet provides beneficial sensations to the brain. This explains the current popularity of flotation therapy, which involves entering an airtight chamber containing saturated water with Epsom salt, facilitating floating. Finally, water, and its movement, transports us back to the original fluid that cradled us for nine months in the womb.

A sea atmosphere also allows you to sleep better. According to the "Sleep, Mood and Coastal Walking" report (by Eleanor Ratcliffe for the National Trust, 2015), those who walk along the coasts or near the sea, sleep longer that night. Better breathing indeed improves sleep quality, also enhanced by a sense of escape from everyday life, or even by nostalgia of childhood memories felt during these walks. To further strengthen the sea's positive effects on the body and mind, it is recommended to practice water sports such as swimming, diving, boating, or even yoga or running on the beach.

Where are the best places to enjoy these benefits in France? For specialist Jean-Claude Secondé, there is no doubt that the Atlantic coast or the English Channel offer the richest and most balanced waters. "These are active, highly dynamic seas, thus sea currents bring up mineral salts," he says, recommending Quiberon and the Bay of Biscay.

Over the border, Galicia, in the north-west of Spain, is another exceptional destination. "This is a place where endangered blue whales come to eat." There are so many reasons to preserve the natural resources (the exceptional waters that surround us) by combatting against pollution and over fishing. This conservation benefits marine ecosystems, our health as well as our happiness.