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Water for Life

Article written by Kaye Sehm, posted

Water is one the most abundantly supplied elements of nature. There is no other element, with the exception of pure air, that is as important in sustaining life as pure water.

The importance of receiving fresh supplies of water is understood when we realize that our bodies are made of around 75% of water. The blood and brain are composed of 80-85% water. The fluid secretions - saliva, gastric juice, perspiration, urine etc, are more than 90% water, and these fluids need clean pure water to perform their functions. Around 65% of the body's water is found inside the cells and the other 35% is found outside the cells, either as blood plasma or as tissue fluid.

Water is absolutely essential for the vital functions of the body. It acts as a solvent which floats the blood corpuscles, nutrients and the waste elements. Yet other aspects of the relationship of having adequate water intake is discussed in a book by Dr F Batmanghelidj (pronounced Batman-ghe-lij).

Dr Batmanghelidj

Dr Batmanghelidj was born in Iran. He trained in England under the tutelage of Dr Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin. He was placed in prison during the Iranian revolution of 1979, and the government confiscated all his personal and family assets. But because he was regarded as a useful resident doctor amongst his fellow prisoners, his execution was delayed. "One late night at the beginning of his incarceration at Evin prison, Dr Batmanghelidj discovered the medicinal value of water in peptic ulcer disease. In the place of medication he did not possess at the time, he prescribed two glasses of water to an ulcer patient in severe abdominal pain. Within eight minutes the pain disappeared, and according to him a new era in advancement of medical science was born.

"For the next 25 months, he became completely engrossed in clinical research of the medicinal values of water in stress reduction, and treatment of stress related disease conditions of the body in Evin prison, "a most ideal stress laboratory." His trial came, and he had to answer 32 fictitious indictments carrying the death penalty. As his final defence, he presented the judge with an article on water treatment of peptic ulcers disease. His life was spared so he could continue his research."

He was later released from prison, escaped from Iran and went to America where he continued his research into the curative effects of water.

Since then, until his death in 2004, he was active in researching and promoting why we develop painful diseases and how water can cure the major body pains. Dr Batmanghelidj's medical discovery reveals that chronic dehydration causes major body pains and produces degenerative diseases that prematurely kill. This article includes some of the points taken from his book Your Body's Many Cries For Water.

Drought management

Most people assume that a dry mouth is the only signal that we are dehydrated, but this signal we can lose. We don't always recognize that we are dehydrated even though the mouth may be very dry. We need water to be able to chew and swallow food, to break it down and produce ample saliva. We produce around 2 litres of saliva even when we are dehydrated. The human body first reveals that it is dehydrated by its drought management programs. It also works in ways that bring on a crisis to call attention for a need for more water. This can be brought about by pain or inflammation or by having a feeling of tiredness, even though we have not done a good day's work. When we are tired and haven't used our muscles, this is a sign of dehydration. The human body manufactures energy from water. Water, when it goes through the cell membranes, generates hydroelectric energy exactly where that energy is required to perform a function.

What this is saying is that a dry mouth is not the only sign of dehydration. Scientific medicine treats certain symptoms with medication, but could it be our body has defence mechanisms that cry out for water? If we rely on having a dry mouth as the signal for water intake, this will lead to one's body being run on a deficit balance. For most people, the body is always under-hydrated. It is in fact, chronically dehydrated.

In early life in the uterus, the child will learn from its mother's chemical control system how to balance its water regulation. The water intake and the diet of the mother determine the optimum development of the child. As an example, the alcoholic mother will produce a mentally retarded child. This is because the mother is both dehydrated by the alcohol, and her protein, mineral and vitamin balance become abnormal. This is the direct and indirect effect of alcohol. The mother is undoubtedly zinc and vitamin B6 deficient as well. These two elements are vital for the healthy development of the brain of her child.

The following are accurate indicators of local or general thirst. Feeling tired, flushed, irritable, anxious, dejected, depressed, feeling inadequate, a "heavy head", having cravings for manufactured beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks, as well as having agoraphobia - a fear and dread of public places.

Histamine

We need to consider histamine - a neurotransmitter. Our body manufactures histamine and secretes histamine when it is dehydrated. Histamine is a drought manager of the body. It regulates water intake and rations water intake throughout the body when there is dehydration. Normally water goes into the cells by diffusion. It flows through the cell membranes gradually and gets into the cells. When there is dehydration, there isn't enough water to flow in. This causes the blood to concentrate and draw water out of the cell. This mechanism will kick in the drought management of the body into action. Histamine regulates this drought management program. The major drought management programs are asthma and allergies. Asthma is a state of dehydration in the body when the body shuts down the lung system so that the water does not leave the body with every breath that we exhale. When air leaves the body it carries with it a lot of moisture. This is clearly seen in the wintertime when we breathe out in the cold air or by breathing on a mirror. The body cannot afford this amount of loss when it is dehydrated. Where there is excess water, histamine is inactive.

Water is the regulator of homeostasis. In other words, water balances and regulates every function of the body. When there is dehydration, something has to take over from water to regulate the functions. Histamine is what does this, it substitutes for some of the functions of water. For example, when water is not manufacturing hydroelectric energy for neurotransmission, histamine become active and releases energy from other sources such as the bondage of calcium that is in our cells. For each molecule of calcium that is connected to another molecule of calcium, one unit of energy is stored there. The bones and the calcium deposits in the body are energy storage areas. Histamine has the code to release this energy, so that the exchange between the cells inside and outside can take place.

An example of this is that sodiumpotassium relation. Potassium should be in the cell, sodium outside the cell. When there isn't enough energy to keep this in correct balance, histamine becomes active and releases energy to help restore the balance. Histamine is a major activator in the physiology of the body that tries to make it work normally. It can cause pain, produce asthma and allergies. These are processes of the drought management program of the body. Instead of giving it antihistamine, what the body is really asking for is water.

Newly recognized dehydration signals

Heartburn or hiatus hernia: Heartburn is a primary signal or crisis call for water in this part of the body. If water is not available, the regulator of the water flow system and its subordinate chemicals will increase flow to the area. This process will produce pain, telling the conscious mind that this area is dehydrated. There is a mechanism that makes a defence barrier against stomach acid more effective when water enters the stomach.

Arthritis: Water normally flows into the joint cavity through bone marrow from the base of the cartilage that is joined to the end of a bone in the joint. Cartilage is a watery substance. Water lubricates cartilage and gives the joint its gliding capacity. When there is dehydration, the bone marrow takes priority for water because they are constantly manufacturing red blood cells and new cells etc. If there isn't enough water to diffuse through the bones to reach the cartilage at the tip of the bone, so the cartilage become dehydrated. The nerve-regulated shunting mechanisms and the increased and swelling of the joint capsule produce the pain.

Angina: This occurs when the heart is also suffering as a result of dehydration. When we eat solid foods and we don't drink enough water, solid food is broken down with whatever water can be borrowed from elsewhere in the body. This helps liquefy the food, pushes it through the portal system which is a blood flow between the intestinal tract and the liver. The water takes this concentrated blood to the liver. The liver needs more water to function so it can metabolize the food. Now this concentrated blood goes to the right side of the heart, and from there it is pumped to the lungs. The lungs will also extract some water from this concentrated blood. Water has to evaporate. There is no control over this, unless the bronchioles are obstructed. Then this highly concentrated blood flows from the lungs into the left side of the heart and is pumped through the circulation. The first attack of this concentrated, acidic blood would be on the tender and soft membranes of the arteries of the heart themselves. That is how the these arteries and cells are damaged. Eventually part of the process of recovery of damaged cells is to cover them with a greasy material, so they not only lose their water, but they get protection. Cholesterol is the substance that the body uses as an internal bandaging system.

Cholesterol: This is why we have cholesterol attacks in the major arteries going to the brain and going down to the body. Cholesterol deposits on the arteries is a secondary phenomenon to dehydration of the body. We assume cholesterol is the culprit and even take cholesterol lowering drugs. Interestingly, we take cholesterol readings from the veins, and if cholesterol was the primary culprit, it should form a thick layer of deposit in all the veins of the body. But cholesterol deposits are not in the venal system, so cholesterol is not the problem. It is the secondary material that the body uses in order to cover damaged tissue. Cholesterol is a sign that the cells of the body are getting dehydrated. They have developed a defence against the osmotic force of the blood that keeps drawing water out of their cell membranes. Cholesterol is like a natural "clay". When poured in the gaps of the cell membrane, it stops the passage of water through the cell wall.

High Blood Pressure: There are two oceans of water in the body, one is inside each cell, the other outside each cell. The water we drink goes into the ocean inside the cells. The salt we take regulates the volume of the ocean outside the cells. When we don't drink enough water, part of the ocean of water inside the cells becomes depleted. Because we need water to manufacture urine and the liver to function, the body has to get some water for these functions, so it operates a reverse osmosis program. So it gradually absorbs salts, expanding the volume of water outside the cells, and from that filters water through tiny perforations in the membrane that is created for this crisis. When the body is deficient in water, 66% of the water shortage is reflected in the cell volume, 26% is lost from the fluid volume that exists around the cells, and 8% is lost from the blood volume. Hypertension is a marker of the 8% loss, but the damage is done because of the loss from the 66% cell volume. Water is the best medication for high blood pressure because it gets into the cells directly and is the best diuretic available. Water can get rid of excess sodium at the same time it flows into the cells directly.

Back pain: This is due to an insufficient amount of water. Most of the pain experienced in the back is from strain, injury or over work of the back muscles. Cells need ample amounts of water to flush out acid particles created by work or stress. When we become dehydrated, the cells are unable to rid themselves of these acid components. As a result, the cells produce kinins, which are hormones that remain dormant unless your water level drops too low or your salt level goes too high. The pain produced by kinins is a signal to get water into your system. Also the disks in the lower back that separate the spinal vertebrae shift either toward the back or toward the front. The ability of these discs to act as shock absorbers and shift one way or the other in response to stress is completely dependent upon adequate amounts of water. As discs are compressed with movement, they extrude water. When that pressure is relieved or the discs shift frontward or backward, a vacuum is created inside the disc space and water rapidly flows in, rehydrating and cushioning the vertebrae. Without this powerful water surge, discs flatten and slip out of alignment, causing acute and chronic pain. It is reported that 80% of people who suffer from back pain will recover if they increase their water intake.

Colitis: Because the body tries to conserve water when dehydrated, the passage of food through the digestive tract is slowed down. The large intestine tries to extract all the water out of the excrement it can. This will cause constipation. The process can cause a spasm which we call colitis.

Asthma: As stated earlier, asthma is a sign of dehydration when excess histamine is produced to promote water intake and ration the available water. Asthmatics have an increase in their histamine content of their lungs. Bronchioles are constricted which mean less water evaporation during the act of breathing. So when a person is about to have an asthma attack, they should drink two or three glasses of water and then place a tiny pinch of salt on the tongue. Let it dissolve. This salt on the tongue will register in the brain that salt has entered into the body. The brain will shut off the mechanism of constriction of the bronchioles, because salt is available and salt is the best antihistamine there is. Salt can be used as a sleeping medication. When a person cannot sleep at night, they can drink one or two glasses of water and put a tiny grain of salt on the tongue. Let it dissolve and this can help produce sleep.

Salt

Salt is a vital element to the human body. The first most important element to the body is oxygen, then comes water and after this, is salt. Salt regulates and maintains the volume of the ocean outside of the cells. These two oceans must be in balance. For every ten glasses of water, on an average, we need to take at least half a teaspoon of salt as seasoning throughout the day. If we drink water and don't take salt, we will wash some of the minerals out of the body. Salt deficiency produces its own set of problems which is another subject. But asthma is a problem of both water and also very importantly, salt deficiency in the body.

Chronic fatigue and depression: These are the results of water deficiency in the body. Water is a direct source of energy for all living tissues - the energy of hydrolysis. When there is not enough water for the brain cells for their optimum requirements of energy, their efficiency is affected. Continued stress and dehydration will lead to a loss of vitamin B6 and zinc from the reserves of the body. This in turn will cause a lower level of some brain chemicals. The missing functions of these brain chemicals will show up as mental disorders, such as depression with suicidal tendencies, schizophrenia, bipolar, etc. These are metabolic and will respond to correction of the imbalance caused by prolonged dehydration.

Diabetes: This is the end result of brain water deficiency, to the point that the brain's neurotransmitter systems, particularly the serotonergic system are affected. It has been shown that in the diabetic brain, serotonin production is decreased. The brain increases the glucose threshold so that it can maintain its own volume and its own energy requirements. The brain needs glucose for its energy value and its metabolic conversion to water. It is believed that water provides more of the brain's energy needs from the manufacture of hydroelectric energy than the energy provided by sugar. Diabetes should be treated with an increase in daily water intake, a salt intake of unrefined Celtic sea salt, a balanced vegetable protein diet and exercise.

Digestion: Requires plentiful supplies of water. The stomach relies on mucus lining the walls to shield it from the effects of the stomach's hydrochloric acid. A bicarbonate solution is produced from the cells in the lining which neutralises any acid attempting to break through the mucus. Water is needed to maintain this effective defence system. Too little water, and the mucus barrier is ineffectual, the acid will penetrate and lead to pain. Ideally, water should be consumed half an hour before a meal, in time to anticipate the production of digestive acid from glands in the stomach wall.

Ulcers: Often located at the valve between the stomach and duodenum. They are said to be caused by curved bacteria known as helicobacters. Many people have helicobacters in their small intestine, yet not all of them suffer ulcers. Histamine-producing nerves are located at this site, which monitor the amount of acidic food (chyme) that passes from the stomach into the intestine. Histamine has growth-hormone effects on these microorganisms, resulting in small intestine bacterial overgrowths. An adequate regime of water intake will allow all the functions relating to digestion to normalise. Prolonged water intake should be considered before more drastic drug treatments are entered into.

Spasms and cramps: Strokes are caused by arterial spasms and eventually their permanent closure within the brain tissue. All muscles need water and salt. It doesn't matter where in the body the muscle is located. When they are salt deficient, acid builds up and this causes cramps.

Ear problems: The inner ear affects our balance. Dehydration affects the consistency of the lymph fluid in the semicircular canal system. This causes dizziness and vertigo that some people register when they move their heads quickly.

Deafness: Dehydration alters the consistency of the lymph in the canal system which alters the range of vibrations that reach the hairlike nerve endings in the inner ear. This causes a type of nerve deafness.

The eye: It is important to maintain the correct fluid balance in the eye. Dehydration can alter the physiological balance inside the eye and be responsible for some types of visual loss. It can cause glaucoma. In an attempt to maintain the pressure inside the eye during dehydration, the drainage canal contracts and the pressure in the eyeball rises, sometimes causing pain.

Cataracts: An insufficient flow of water through the lens chambers stops the toxic waste from being washed away from the lens tissue. Excess toxic waste brings about a change in the consistency and inner structure of the lens, this is what is called a cataract.

Vitreous detachment: Dehydration causes the vitreous humor in the back of the eye to harden and separate from the nerve layer of the eye. Uveitis, a condition where the vascular bed under the nerve layer, forces water into the eyeball and inflames the vitreous humor.

Multiple sclerosis: This is an inflammatory condition that is produced by extreme dehydration of the body that has extended to the nerve tissue. This disrupts proper nerve function.This can affect the eyes as well as the nerves of the spinal column.

How much water?

Just how much water is needed every day? The organs of the body of a normal sized adult need at least 8-10 glasses of water to function properly. Each day the kidneys excrete 5½ glasses of water through the urine, 2 glasses through the breath, 2 glasses through perspiration and ½ glass via the bowel. At least this amount needs to be replaced to preserve the fluidity of the blood.

How to increase water intake

Use common sense when starting to increase your water intake. If your kidneys are working properly, increase gradually until you are drinking a minimum of 8-10 glasses daily. This will depend on your size - more if you are large or overweight. Remember that your body prefers slightly warm to cool water. Very cold water shuts down digestion and diminishes the thirst signal. It also uses energy to heat it to body temperature before the body can use it. The best time to drink water is between meals.

Drink 2 glasses on arising. Never drink for half an hour before or for an hour and a half after all meals. During the morning drink another 3-4 glasses, during the afternoon another 2-3 glasses, and then in the evening another 1 glass.

Never answer the body's thirst signals with tea, coffee, soft drink, Red Bull etc. Remember it can take up to six months to re-hydrate your body, so make a habit of drinking lots of pure unfluoridated, chlorine free clean water. Your body will love it!

Your Body's Many Cries For Water F Batmanghelidj MD Water: Rx for a Healthier Life F Batmanghelidj MD God's Healing Way Mary Ann McNeilus MD

Article written by Kaye Sehm, posted with permission.