Health
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Page 2 of 2 Heliotherapy - sun therapyEveryone is now aware of the danger of sun as a cause of skin cancers, but when sun is used appropriately it is said to boost immunity and stabilise mood. Skin treatments combine this with sea salt baths under the supervision of a doctor.PhytotherapyPhytotherapy consists of treatments with wild-growing herbs, plants, flowers or leaves. Used in salt baths, oils or infusions, their effect can be superior to pharmacological treatments for some medical conditions. Perfect for combining with sea salt.ThalassotherapyThis means therapeutic baths using warm seawater. The application of seawater (which is very similar to the body's own internal fluids) allows magnesium and potassium to be drawn into the blood stream while toxins are actively eliminated.IsraelIf ordinary seawater and sea air is good for you, then how much more efficacious must be the far saltier water of the Dead Sea? Indeed, research seems to bear this out.The beneficial effects of the Dead Sea salts on the skin and their unique therapeutic and beautifying powers have been recognised since ancient times. Cleopatra, considered the most beautiful woman in the world, had pharmaceutical and cosmetic factories built near the Dead Sea. Their remains can still be seen today at Ein Bokek and Ein Gedi. The Dead Sea is a unique body of water. More than 400m below sea level and with water ten times saltier than those of the ocean, its water is unique, and so is the atmosphere above it. There is an atmospheric pressure high enough to filter the sun's harmful UV rays, more oxygen than at sea level, and more calming bromine in the air around the Dead Sea than anywhere else on earth. After the establishment of the State of Israel, scientific articles relating to various fields of medicine began to appear showing that the Dead Sea region, and the Dead Sea itself, has a beneficial effect on skin, joint, respiratory, eye and other disorders. The Sea is fed by the Jordan River and by mineral springs whose waters resemble those of Evian and Karlsbad. But, surrounded by mountains, these waters have nowhere to go other than up into the air. And so they evaporate into the hot, dry desert air, enriching its atmosphere with the natural chemicals they carry - and leaving behind a lake with 320 grams of salts and minerals in every litre, with a lining of viscous, black, cosmetic mineral mud. Today, tens of thousands of people come to the Dead Sea to enjoy the spa and discover the desert. Others seek relief from unsightly and incurable skin diseases, from arthritis and rheumatism, and most recently from respiratory problems. They are helped in several ways. Sunlight The sun shines at the Dead Sea almost every day of the year. But it shines through an extra atmospheric layer - because the area lies far below sea level - and through a natural sunscreen of evaporating water and chemicals from the body of water as well as a thick ozone layer. This weakens the harsh and dangerous ultraviolet B (UVB) rays chiefly responsible for sunburn and greatly increases the amount of safe sun-exposure time. This makes the region ideal for helio- (sunlight) therapy. Patients can safely spend 3-6 hours a day under the sun's healing rays to relieve disorders ranging from skin conditions such as psoriasis to joint diseases. Mineral-rich atmosphere The evaporating Dead Sea waters leave behind them a unique array of chloride salts - magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium and bromine. One of these, bromine, is well-known for its calming effect, and is found in air around the Dead Sea in concentrations 20 times greater than anywhere else on earth. Thermo-mineral waters The hot springs that feed the Dead Sea contain high concentrations of salt and hydrogen sulfide. The high saline and mineral content carry the body's weight and enable everyone to float. Dead Sea mud A mineral-rich alluvial sediment, saturated with sulfide compounds and minerals, this mud holds heat well, and can be smeared on the body to cleanse the skin and to relieve arthritic and rheumatic pain. |
