Probably all of us, including even small children, are well aware that you cannot drink water from the sea: it is not fresh, which means it is unacceptable and not suitable for human body. However, few people think about why such water is not perceived by our body.

About seventy percent of our entire planet is water. And literally: oceans, seas, lakes and so on. At the same time, only three percent of all water in the world is fresh, that is, suitable for drinking! Moreover, it would seem that there is water both there and there, so why is it possible to drink one (although not recommended), while the other is absolutely impossible? The thing is that sea and fresh water are similar to each other only in appearance.

If you bring liquid samples from a lake and from the sea or ocean to the laboratory, and then compare them at the level molecular structure, then we will immediately see that their composition is completely different. In addition, we should not forget about the fundamental importance of the absence of salt in fresh water. Sea water, on the other hand, is not only disgusting in taste (everyone who has swum in the sea or ocean at least once knows this), but also extremely dangerous for human life and health.

Some believe that in the most extreme case (for example, a shipwreck or something like that), you can and should quench your thirst with salt water, but this is fundamentally wrong. Such drinking will help only for a while, but then the desire to drink will return with a new, much greater force. This is a road to nowhere, because water with salt is toxic to humans.

The thing is that any liquid is carried through the liver and kidneys. This is a kind of filter in the system of our body. A large amount of salt, which is part of sea water, easily settles in these vital organs, which very quickly leads to their inflammation and disease. The kidneys do not have time to remove salt from the body, it lingers inside, forming stones. The further development of events is already obvious: without medical care man is doomed.

Imagine for yourself: in one liter of water from the sea or ocean there is up to forty grams of salt! This is just a crazy number, given the fact that for normal functioning a person needs to drink at least one and a half to two liters of fluid per day. Remember, for comparison, how much salt do you put in your cooking? One, two, three spoons? Now imagine a good few dozen of these spoons. That's the same thing.

Thus, drinking sea water during a hypothetical shipwreck (we sincerely hope that this will never happen to you), you will quench your thirst for only a couple of hours, but later on you will want to drink even more, so much so that you have to drink even more salty liquid. The body will begin to work for wear and tear, trying to overcome the oncoming dehydration, because in order to remove all the salt, you need a lot of urine.

As a result, within a few days of such drinking regime your kidneys will simply fail, and then problems with everything will begin gastrointestinal tract. In short, this will only delay the inevitable and make death even more painful (of course, if qualified help). In general, there is little pleasant.

Even living on the ocean, people need a source fresh water. And all because the ocean is salty. In general, fresh water, compared to salt water, is many times less on the globe, and it must be protected. It is worth understanding the question of why you can not drink and why it is dangerous to use it.

Sea water does not taste very pleasant, but there are many tasteless in the world and at the same time useful products, take at least fish fat. Therefore, it cannot be said that sea water is not drunk because of its taste.

Sea water is harmful because it contains a large percentage of dissolved salts (about 3.5% or 35 ppm) and other minerals.

The consequences of drinking only sea water are:

• kidney dysfunction;
• disorder of the digestive system;
• dehydration;
• swelling of the brain.

Of course, from one sip, none of this will happen, unless dryness appears in the mouth. But when a person is in the middle of the sea and he does not have fresh water, then such disorders will occur sooner or later.

Why salt water is bad

When we drink salt water, it begins to be absorbed into oral cavity, then in the esophagus. From small intestine it enters the bloodstream. The body and blood are also saturated with salts and other dissolved elements. The blood passes through the kidneys, which act as filters. Due to the high concentration of foreign substances, the load on them increases. In addition to the kidneys, the salt solution is not in the best way affects other organs. It corrodes the walls of the stomach, causing pain and vomiting.

Osmosis plays an important role in the absorption of water. From cells in a very saline solution, water diffuses outward. Cells shrivel up, so dehydration occurs. This is a paradoxical phenomenon, since, on the one hand, there is enough water in the body, and on the other, the cells do not have enough of it.

Sea water also contains magnesium sulfate. In small quantities it acts medicinal substance, but with increasing doses, it begins to act as a laxative and increases diuresis. As a result, the body loses more more water which accelerates dehydration.

If you use sea water for a long time and in large quantities, then instead of quenching your thirst, you will want to drink even more. Swelling of the legs will come, convulsions will begin, pulmonary edema and loss of consciousness are possible. If timely measures are not taken to restore the water and electrolyte balance, then death may occur.

Is it drinkable

The experience of people who find themselves as a result of a shipwreck on the high seas suggests that sea ​​water harmful. Imagine a boat with a person drifting in the ocean. There is no fresh water supply on the boat, and the sun bakes inexorably during the day. After a few hours, the person will begin to feel thirsty. How quickly this happens will depend on his physical condition and ambient temperature. But in less than a day, he will inexorably want to drink. I wonder what will happen if you drink sea water instead of fresh water?

Many do not hold back and do just that. Sometimes it saves a life, but in the case prolonged use leads to lethal outcome. Moreover, a person dies not so much due to lack of food, but from dehydration. The body can survive much less without water than without food.

Important! Nevertheless, experience shows that sea water can be drunk in order to survive. To do this, it must be diluted with the juice of caught fish or condensate, which can be collected.

It should be noted that the salinity of sea water is not the same everywhere. In some seas and bays it is lower, in others it is higher. The lowest salinity is in the Baltic and Black Seas, the highest salinity is in the Mediterranean and Red. Near the places where the rivers flow, the salinity will also be reduced, and it is less dangerous to drink sea water there. So, the salinity of the small Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov is low, because big river Don and other rivers.

Bombard experiment

French scientist Alain Bombard in the early fifties of the last century developed a plan for survival after a shipwreck. To confirm that this plan was working, he decided to experiment on himself. The bomber set sail alone in a rubber inflatable boat under sail from the Canary Islands to Barbados. As a result, he crossed the ocean, remained alive, but spoiled his health very much.

He sailed for 65 days. At the same time, he ate only plankton and fish that he could catch. He used the fish as a source of fresh water, grinding and squeezing the juice out of it on a press that he had designed in advance. He also consumed a small amount (no more than a liter per day) of water from the Atlantic Ocean, which is very salty.

However, he was unable to avoid dehydration. Due to loss of moisture and less consumption nutrients he lost 25 kg, his toenails fell out, his skin became covered with a rash, his hemoglobin level dropped significantly, and there were serious problems with vision.

However, he proved that in large quantities sea ​​water can be drunk and thus you can save your life if you find yourself in an extreme situation.

Surely you have been to the sea many times, right? And we are sure that you are aware of the fact that sea water cannot be drunk, unlike fresh water. But why? After all, visually it does not differ from drinking. In fact, even animals do not drink sea water, as it does not quench their thirst and has a strange taste. In addition, its use can be harmful to health.

Why you can not drink sea water: answers to questions

How often films are shown about those who were in the middle of the ocean and died of thirst. But how? After all, there is so much water around! Yes, there is a lot of it, but it is marine and if you use this liquid regularly and in large quantities, there will be a threat to your life.

Why can't you drink sea water? She is unfit for drinking. And the matter is not only in taste, but also in danger to life and health. Using it, there is a risk of death, as it leads to a decrease in the functionality of organs. Here are some reasons why it is forbidden to drink sea water:

High salt concentration. 1 liter of liquid contains 30-40 grams of salt, and this is a very, very much. daily requirement human body in salt - no more than 20 grams. The daily human need for water is 2-3 liters. It follows that after drinking 2 liters of sea water, your body will receive about 60-80 grams of salt.

A high concentration of salt leads to the fact that the kidneys do not work normally. It is they who must remove the substance from our body. How more people consumes salt, the worse the kidneys work, because they do not cope with their task. Thus, when the salt concentration is exceeded, dehydration of the body occurs, the body loses moisture.

Sea water contains chlorides, sulfates, heavy metals . These substances accumulate in the cells and poison the body. Therefore, if you accidentally took a sip and drank sea water, you need to drink fresh water as soon as possible in order to eliminate all of the listed substances from the body.

Magnesium sulfate - this substance has a laxative effect, it washes out all the vitamins from the stomach and intestines. It also speeds up the process of dehydration and intoxication.

Violation of the nervous system. When a person consumes liquids, hallucinations may begin after some time. The thing is that the substances contained in the water enter the blood, and through the blood - into the nervous system. It is not affected immediately, but gradually - after 1-2 days of drinking liquid.

Problems with the heart and blood vessels. An excess of sodium chloride leads to a violation of the rhythm of the heart, blood circulation, and even to coma.

Sea water can only be drunk after the desalination process. Thanks to modern technologies scientists have learned how to remove excess salts from the liquid. But it is unlikely that you will find such water in stores.

If you can’t drink it, how did people survive after shipwrecks? AT There are only cases when a person was in the sea or ocean without fresh water for weeks. According to scientists, the secret is that they ate raw fish. Fish contains moisture that our body needs, albeit in small quantities.

Consequences of drinking sea water

Such experiments with health can lead to death. Dehydration, salt poisoning, mental disorders (hallucinations), damage to organs and systems, death - that's all possible consequences use of sea water.

If you are going to drink sea water for the sake of an experiment and look at the reaction of the body, we advise you not to do this in any case. Why? This leads to serious complications and dangerous diseases. Take care of yourself!

For almost every person summer rest associated with the sea. Everyone loves to swim without leaving the water for hours. Recent studies have shown that sea water is very similar in composition to blood plasma, which is why everyone likes to stay in it for a long time.

Sea water covers 3/4 of the globe. Sea water is the water of the seas and oceans. It contains a huge amount of trace elements, salinity is from 34 to 36 ppm - this means that each liter of sea water contains 35 grams of salts.

Salt water in the seas has become, according to scientific research, because of the rivers that leached salts and other minerals from the soil and delivered them to the seas and oceans. AT " big water»salts were gradually concentrated, which explains state of the art seas.

By the way, most lakes that do not have access to rivers contain salt water.

AT Everyday life a person constantly deals with fresh water - there are practically no impurities in it.

Another thing is the water of the seas and oceans - it is rather a very strong brine than water. In a liter of sea water, on average, there are 35 grams of various salts:

• 27.2 g table salt
• 3.8 g magnesium chloride
• 1.7 g magnesium sulfate
• 1.3 g potassium sulfate
• 0.8 g calcium sulfate

Table salt makes water salty, sulfate and magnesium chloride give it a bitter aftertaste. Collectively, the salts are about 99.5% of all substances, which are dissolved in the waters of the oceans.

Other elements account for only half a percent. Extracted from sea water 3/4 of the total salt in the world.

Academician A. Vinogradov proved that in sea water you can find all the currently known chemical elements. Of course, it is not the elements themselves that are dissolved in water, but their chemical compounds.

What is the density of sea water? ^

The density of water in the seas and oceans is measured in kg/m³. This is a variable value - with a decrease in temperature, an increase in pressure and an increase in salinity, its density increases.

The density of the surface water of the oceans can vary within 0.996 kg/m³ to 1.0283 kg/m³. The most high density water in Atlantic Ocean, and the lowest in the Baltic Sea.

On the surface of the water, the density can be lower than at the same point in the sea, only at great depths.

The density of the Dead Sea allows you to lie and even sit on the water - an increase in density with depth creates a pushing effect.

When you are at sea good way impress others - swim using one of the most beautiful and difficult swimming styles. How to swim with this style correctly - read and watch the training video in our article.

As for the standards for swimming and the table of standards, you can, this is relevant!

Why can't you drink sea water? ^

Almost 70% of the planet's territory is occupied by water and only 3% from it - fresh. The molecular composition of salt water is very different from fresh water, and there are practically no salts in fresh water.

Sea water cannot be drunk not only because it tastes unpleasant. Eating it can lead to various diseases and even death. All the liquid absorbed by a person is excreted by the kidneys - this is a kind of filter in the organ chain. Half of the liquid consumed is excreted in sweat and urine.

sea ​​water from behind great content various salts will make the kidneys work several times harder. Salt adversely affects this organ and leads to the formation of stones, especially since the concentration of salt in sea water is so high that the kidneys cannot cope with such volumes.

There are 35 grams of salt in a liter of sea water, our body receives from 15 to 30 grams of salt per day with food and at the same time drinks about 3 liters of water. Excess salt is excreted with 1.5 liters of urine, but if you drink only a liter of salt water, a person will get daily allowance salt.

The body simply does not have enough water received to remove excess salts by the kidneys and it will begin to produce water from its own reserves. As a result - dehydration in a few days.

The traveler Alain Bombard proved experimentally that sea ​​water can be drunk without harm to health during 5-7 days. But if it is desalinated, then you can take it constantly.

Sea water cannot be drunk, but nevertheless, there are types of salt water that are recommended for consumption. Read the article to find out which mineral water most helpful!

Do you want to know what is the boiling point of water in airless space, in a vacuum? Then, this is really very interesting!

How useful is sea water? ^

In salty sea water is 26 trace elements that have a beneficial effect on human health, its beauty and youth. The list of trace elements includes bromine, potassium, magnesium, sodium, iodine, calcium, etc.

Experts advise not to immediately wash off salt water from the body after swimming in the sea - you need to wait until everything useful material absorb and take action. Sea water is also good for nails, especially for people who have thin and brittle nail plates.

For more effective treatment salt water recommended do not use polish.

Sea waves and swimming are among the the best means to fight cellulite and overweight. Trace elements activate metabolism, water helps to cleanse pores, removes toxins.

Water has a beneficial effect on all body systems: it normalizes thermoregulation, improves blood circulation and the production of red blood cells, normalizes the heart rhythm, increases vitality, hardens the body.

Dentists advise rinsing your mouth with liquid - sea ​​water is the best toothpaste, which supplies minerals to the teeth and whitens the smile. At sea they often treat consequences of injuries and rheumatic ailments.

A good way to improve your well-being and physical state, both at sea and in the pool - this is aqua aerobics. Read as much as possible detailed information in the article, bring your appearance to perfection!

One of the most popular and sought after swimming styles is breaststroke, it is very healthy. Read the most interesting about this style of swimming, take care of your health!

What benefits can sea water bring to our hair? ^

Sea water contributes disinfection of the scalp and strengthens well hair follicle . Water envelops every hair and does not allow environment have a detrimental effect.

Also, salt is able to absorb fat and cleanse the skin, so bathing is also useful for people with greasy hair. Regular bathing in sea water eliminates the need for daily use of shampoo.

Almost all trace elements in the water are ionic, which allows them to be easily and quickly absorbed by the hair.

Bathing in salt water will make your hair strong and strong. Today even traditional medicine the usefulness of sea water for hair is recognized.

Is it possible to use sea water when washing the nose? ^

Nasal lavage nowadays saline solutions has become one of the best home remedy for colds.

With the same success, you can use sea water. The benefits of regularly rinsing your nose with salt water have been repeatedly tested through clinical studies.

As a result, after analyzing international studies, scientists came to the conclusion that salt water helps with:

• rhinitis
• chronic sinusitis
• with inflammation of the nasal mucosa
• at respiratory diseases associated with polluted air

Rinsing the nose with salt water clears the mucus from the nose and prevents it from thickening. Also, sea water reduces the activity and content in the nasal cavity of substances that cause inflammatory processes, improves the performance of micro-cilia. Sea water cleanses the nasal mucosa from allergens and various bacteria.

Is there an allergy to sea water? ^

Allergy to sea water is very rare. It can make itself felt by the appearance of a rash or hives on the abdomen, arms, knees, neck.

Gradually, if no action is taken, the rash zones expand. This type of allergy is not accompanied by a runny nose or cough, there is no swelling. Not a single case has been medically recorded anaphylactic shock from an allergy to sea water.

The cause of an allergy to sea water can be a weakened immune system, diseases of the kidneys, liver, adrenal glands. Often there is an allergy not to the water itself, but to impurities in it or microorganisms.

An allergic reaction may be caused high content salt - this is what distinguishes the Black or Dead Sea. To overcome the crisis enough to use antihistamines.

Sea water is definitely good for health. Have you heard about melt water? This article describes whether it can be used for weight loss and much, much more!

In sea water, and just at sea, it will be useful to do aqua aerobics. This article describes in detail exercises for weight loss in water aerobics, read about it, very useful and important information!

Live and dead water are very beneficial for health. Read about what it is, what kind of activator is needed for their manufacture in this article:
take care of your health!

How can you make sea water at home? ^

It’s great for those who have the sea at their side – such healthy salt water is always nearby. Others have to be content with what they have at home. It is good that sea water can be made at home. Different applications require different recipes.

For gargling - a glass warm water and a spoonful of sea salt. For greater effect, you can add a couple of drops of iodine.

For a bath with "sea water" of the Black Sea, you will need 500 g of salt, 1 kg of the Mediterranean, and 2 kg of the Dead. The water should be at a pleasant temperature for the body.

You can add a tablespoon of baking soda. If the water is being used for healing, after leaving the bath, let the water dry on the body, rather than towel dry.

For foot baths in a bowl with warm water add two tablespoons of sea salt.
Sea water is a storehouse of useful substances for humans.

You can not neglect the rest of the sea, because bathing allows you to improve the body and even internal organs.

A small informative video on the topic “Why you can’t drink salt (sea) water:

Planet Earth is approximately 70% water, with water divided into marine and fresh water. It is believed that only fresh water is suitable for food and drink, however, only 3% of the total mass of water is fresh. Some are wondering: is it possible to still use sea water without harm to the body? The answer of doctors is categorical: in no case, and the explanations for such a ban are very realistic and rational.

Drinking sea water can lead to dehydration

The composition of sea water is replete with the presence of various salts, which makes such water quite salty in taste. In addition to ordinary table salt, the marine concentrate contains a variety of salts in concentrations that the human body simply cannot cope with. The water-salt balance of the body must be constantly maintained at a certain level, this is facilitated by work excretory system. The fluid that a person consumes during the day in different form, promotes the dissolution of salts in it and their removal from the body. In this regard, doctors recommend drinking at least 2 liters of fluid per day for normal water salt metabolism. A decrease in water consumption, as a rule, leads to the deposition of excess salt on internal organs: kidneys, joints, bone tissue. If a person begins to consume sea water with salt dissolved in it, the volume of salts increases dramatically, therefore, the amount of water consumed must also increase for salt metabolism. A person who consumes sea water must simultaneously pour into himself a large number of and fresh water to dissolve salts. If this does not happen, then the body begins to draw water from various resource reserves, tissues, which leads to dehydration of the body. Such a state is fraught serious consequences up to disruption of the normal functioning of all body systems.

The use of sea water threatens with severe kidney dysfunction

The main organ that is responsible for maintaining the water and electrolyte balance of the body is the kidneys. The amount of salts in sea water is such that the kidneys cannot do it. They just can't handle high content excess salt, which in turn will lead to severe violations kidney function? up to complete failure. Broken kidneys are a severe dysfunction leading to death. Therefore, sea water acts as poisonous substance for the human body, gradually poisoning it with salt and leading to a malfunction of the body as a whole and each organ separately. Initially, the stomach deteriorates from an excess of salt, as sea ​​salt, getting into it through the esophagus, settles on the walls and corrodes the stomach. This leads to erosive formations on the walls of the stomach, with subsequent possible perforation. The next organ that takes the hit of sea water is the intestines: sea salt, getting into it, causes severe disorder stool, violation intestinal microflora and dysbacteriosis. The kidneys are most affected by an excess of salt concentrate: being unable to cope with so many different salts, they simply stop and cease to function. Even a small intake of excess salt can severely damage the kidneys and cause stones to form, not to mention the targeted effect on the kidneys of a strong salt concentrate in the form of sea water.

The use of sea water threatens with mental disorders

Exposure to sea water as a result of its regular consumption leads to disruption of the functioning of the nervous system as well. The salt concentrate, getting into the blood, is carried throughout the body along with the bloodstream, touching the brain and nervous system. Damage to the nervous system occurs gradually, as salt accumulates in the body. Nervous system and mental functions are in close relationship, so the psyche quickly begins to suffer. That is why people who have been long time in the sea or ocean as a result of a shipwreck and using sea water for a day or more, received the so-called salt poisoning. Against this background, they began to suffer mental disorders until the onset of hallucinations. modern medicine there are cases when people rescued after a shipwreck after a few days lost their minds and spent the rest of their days in psychiatric clinics, since salt caused irreparable harm to their body: irreversible changes occurred in the human psyche.

The use of sea water threatens with diarrhea

An equally significant reason why it is not recommended to drink sea water is the risk of severe diarrhea. The composition of such water contains a magnesium salt, which acts on the body as a strong laxative. Back in the 20th century, doctors were aware of the laxative properties of magnesium salt, or magnesia, as this drug is called in medicine. Accumulating in the intestines, such salt causes diarrhea, a severe disorder of the stool. A person develops dysbacteriosis very quickly against the background of constant replenishment of the intestinal contents with water and magnesium salt. In turn, this leads to severe dehydration and severe exhaustion of the body. In addition to the fact that severe dehydration is caused by the body's attempt to cope with increased volume salt, it is aggravated by bouts of diarrhea, which makes the threat to human health and life more real, up to a quick death.