Millions of people worldwide enthusiastically attest that the seashore is a wonderful tonic for body, mind, and soul. But can it actually improve health?
For centuries, people have associated breathing “salt air” with better health — and now there is increasing scientific evidence that proves they were right.
“We have various pieces of evidence suggesting that living near, and visiting, the coast, might be good for health,” says Ben Wheeler, M.D., of the European Centre for Environment & Human Health at the University of Exeter Medical School in England.
In one recent study, Dr. Wheeler and his colleagues analyzed data on more than 48 million English residents.
“Our research suggests that populations living closer to the coast in England are more likely to report good health than those farther inland,” Dr. Wheeler tells
Newsmax Health.
Follow-up work Dr. Wheeler did with a detailed survey that followed people as they moved back and forth from the coast and inland is even more telling. It suggests that while people live near the coast they report better mental and physical health than when they live inland.
The analysis showed that the link between good health and coastal living was strong across all income groups, and actually was strongest in low-income residents.
As early as the 1700s, doctors were prescribing trips to the shore or stays at “bathing hospitals” for ailments ranging from depression to tuberculosis.
To this day, many European spas — which are covered by insurance and considered mainstream health treatment centers there — offer salt therapy.
Some of the most important salt-related research has come out of Australia.
After hearing anecdotally how surfing seemed to improve symptoms of cystic fibrosis, researchers wanted to see if inhaled hypertonic saline could help people with the disease.
So they randomly assigned 164 cystic fibrosis patients to breathe mist containing 7 percent saline or placebo. After 48 weeks, they found that the treatment group had improved lung function, fewer disease-related flare-ups, and a lower rate of absenteeism from work or school.
Their study was published in a 2006 issue of the
New England Journal of Medicine.
Another 2006 study published in the
European Respiratory Journal showed that inhaled hypertonic saline temporarily improved smoking-related problems such as coughing and excess mucus production.
More recent research shows that bathing in seawater may help patients with skin conditions such as psoriasis and contact dermatitis.
For example, a study published in the journal
Skin Research and Technology showed that ordinary seawater was more effective at
healing contact dermatitis rashes than standard treatment with cortisone cream.
The researchers concluded that two components in seawater, salt and potassium chloride, sealed damaged skin so it could mend.
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