What’s in ocean water?  Well, about 96.5% water – no surprise there.  But that other 3.5% is important.  It breaks out likes this, taken from Wikipedia – Seawater:

Okay, now it’s time for a quick chemistry lesson.  Most people know that table salt is known scientifically as sodium chloride. And some know that magnesium sulfate is also known as Epsom salt.  Epsom is a town in England where natural springs bubble up this salt.  Now, Epsom salt is also known as bath salt.  When it is dissolved, it is easily able to penetrate the skin’s surface which is why it is so popular when used for that purpose.

So, when sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate are dissolved in water, they separate into individual ion’s (disassociate is the fancy way of saying it).  In a hypothetical bath of salt water, there is 96.5% water (aka hydrogen and oxygen), 1.93% chloride (3.5% x 55%), 1.07% sodium, about one quarter percent of sulfate, and a bit more than one tenth percent of magnesium.  Add all that up and you get about 99.85%.  There is also a bit of calcium and potassium in the mix.

Why go to all the trouble to understand this?  Well, when you go for a swim in the ocean, why does it always feel so good when you get out? Yes, you may feel good because the water was too cold, but more likely you feel good because all of those dissolved salts have replenished those you may have been running low on in your body.  When salts are dissolved in water, they can easily pass through the surface layer of your skin.  That is why Epson salts are called bath salts and why a swim in the ocean makes you feel good.  These minerals, or salts play an essential role in your body.  Without them, we begin to lose our energy and well-being.  Even a short swim in the ocean can begin to replace some of these essential salts and minerals.

Let’s go back to seaweeds for a moment.  Now that we understand a little bit about the essential minerals in ocean water and we know that seaweeds concentrate these vital elements by the process of photosynthesis, we begin to understand how important seaweed is in all sorts of things.  Ocean Rescue is all about using the active elements of the ocean in our products. These are those active elements.  We get them from seaweed and from seaweed extracts.

To get specific about some of these elements, I turned to my friend Dan for some help.  He’s a seaweed expert.  He’s been nice enough to write the next section.  We’ve already covered sodium, chloride, and sulfate, so he’ll pick up the ball with magnesium, calcium and then potassium.

These salts make up about 3.4 percent of the ocean water. Together with trace elements, they are the building blocks of life. Minerals play an essential role in the body from synthesis of collagen and connective and bone tissue to regulating the nervous system and playing a role in cellular metabolism. Today, the lack of minerals in the American diet is a cause for concern. Soil depletion and junk food translate into severe shortages in the diet that result in lack of vitality, lethargy, poor skin tone and water retention to name a few:  Below is a listing of important minerals that are found abundantly in marine algae and their role in the body.

Magnesium:

A vital mineral, it plays an important role in collagen synthesis, regulating the nervous system, and bone density. Magnesium is a must for calcium assimilation. Shortages of magnesium result in nervousness, irritability, PMS, water retention and dull lifeless skin.

Calcium:

Issues relating to calcium shortage is a primary concern to women—especially those undergoing menopause who are vulnerable to loss of bone density. There is more to calcium however. Together with magnesium, it helps to relieve symptoms of water retention in the legs and thighs. Lack of calcium interferes with the efficient elimination of cellular waste via the lymph system. Toxic-bearing lymph causes a precipitation into the connective tissue that disturb the ecology of that area. It leads to tissue atrophy like cellulite. Calcium drains edema and helps to fix moisture into the skin cell.

Potassium:

Vital in cellular metabolism and cellular detoxification, this mineral is indispensable for the functioning of the nervous system and maintaining optimum efficiency of cellular metabolism, also known as the sodium-potassium pump. Increasing the efficiency of the sodium-potassium pump also assists in the elimination of toxins at the cellular level. Potassium shortages often occur as a result of excess sodium in the diet leading to this important source of energy escaping the body. Seaweed helps to offset this dietary deficiency.

Now, there really is such a thing as the sodium-potassium pump.  Click the link for a short animation.  Below is a chart of what we’ve been discussing.