You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty

Is proper hydration the cure for most modern ills?

For twenty years, an Iranian doctor documented his clinical studies on how water can cure many modern illnesses, without drugs. Yet, his research has been mostly ignored by the US and British medical establishment.

Acclaimed author of ‘You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty’, Dr Batmanghelidj discovered that many degenerative diseases and autoimmune conditions could be simply resolved by drinking more water.

Batmanghelidj first made the discovery in a crowded prison when he prescribed water to treat many sick prisoners during the Iran Revolution in 1979.

During his three years as a political prisoner in Iran, he treated patients with only water because it was the only medicine he had available. His patients recovered by simply drinking more water.

After his release, he moved to the US and continued his clinical research on water, making it his lifelong work. He discovered that many illnesses are caused by chronic dehydration.

“Most modern illnesses spring from a simple unrecognised cause – we don’t drink enough plain water! When our bodies eventually cry out in protest, we call these desperate thirst signals: asthma, diabetes, arthritis, ….

Batmanghelidj wrote eight books about his research on water, including the best-seller “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”, which sold over 1 million copies worldwide.

Degenerative conditions like allergies, body pain, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and arthritis are some of the body’s many cries for water.

Proper hydration also helps to prevent memory loss and can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Despite the astounding results of his scientific research, Batmanghelidj has been largely ignored by the US and British medical establishments. Unlike medication and supplements, water is free and does not generate profits for the health industry.

How do we become chronically dehydrated?

Dehydration is a major health issue affecting a large percentage of people. It occurs when your body loses more fluids than it takes in. There are several reasons for this.

1.   Many people don’t even realise they are thirsty. Batmanghelidj explains that people don’t recognise the body’s signals for thirst. “Our thirst reflex is delayed and often gets triggered only after the body is dehydrated…A dry mouth is not a reliable indicator of thirst. By the time you feel thirsty, your body has already suffered from water shortage. “

2.   We often confuse thirst for feelings of hunger. Both sensations result from low energy levels in the brain. The confusion of thirst for hunger can lead to weight gain. 

3.   We simply forget to drink. We lead busier lifestyles and have too many distractions that we forget to drink.

4.   People often substitute water with caffeinated beverages, alcohol and sugary drinks. You lose more water if you consume beverages like tea, coffee, alcohol and sodas. Caffeine and alcohol prompt the kidneys to flush more liquids.

5.   Living and working in air-conditioned environments increases the risk of dehydration. Air-conditioning keeps you cool in summer so you don’t sweat as much, tricking the body into thinking you are not thirsty. The dry air from air-conditioning also allows moisture to evaporate more quickly from the body.

6.   Aging increases the risk of dehydration. As we age, we lose our ability to feel thirst. Many elderly people don’t even realise they are thirsty. Water becomes more crucial as we get older because our water composition drops from 90% as babies to 50% in old age.

7.  Certain medications are dehydrating because they affect your body’s natural fluid balance. Laxatives, painkillers, diuretics, blood pressure and diabetes medications cause the body to lose more fluids.

What are the effects of chronic dehydration?

Water is absolutely vital to maintain healthy body functions.

“Our bodies are constantly trying to balance the ratio of water inside cells to the amount of water outside the cells to protect the body’s vital organs. If the body has a shortfall of water, it rations and allocates water to vital organs at the expense of less vital organs – which could lead to health issues.”

Headaches are one of the body’s cries for water. The brain, which is 85% water, is extremely sensitive to water loss. If dehydrated to 84% water for long, the brain would not function properly.

Brain cells don’t reproduce like other cells in the body, so any damage from dehydration could be permanent.

Brain fog is one of the early symptoms of dehydration. A 1% drop in your body’s water leads to a 30% drop in cognitive performance.

Chronic constipation can result from dehydration.  A low water environment slows down the motility of waste through the intestines, which may lead to chronic constipation or cancer in the large intestine.

Dehydration also causes damage to the liver, the body’s main detoxification center. If the liver is dehydrated, your body’s muscles and joints can sustain serious damage and your body can lose a number of other functions, explains Batmanghelidj.

How much water should we be drinking daily?

Our body loses roughly 2.5 litres daily through urine, sweat and breathing. We should aim to drink at least 2 litres or eight glasses of water daily. The other half litre can come from the food and drinks we consume during the day.

 A heavyset person will require more water. If you weigh 200 pounds or 90 kilos, you will need around 12 glasses of water. According to Batmanghelidj, a good rule of thumb is to drink half an ounce (15 ml) for every pound (.45 kilos) of body weight.

The best indicator of hydration is the colour of your urine, which should be pale yellow or clear.

Sip your water rather than chug it. Sipping improves your body’s ability to absorb water more efficiently, reduces bloating and cuts down on your trips to the bathroom.

How does your body benefit from drinking more water?

Allergies is one of the fastest growing chronic conditions worldwide – roughly 30% of the population lives with some form of allergy.

Drinking more water can reduce the symptoms of allergies. The body produces excess histamine when it is becoming more dehydrated. Water is a natural antihistamine.

“Histamine is not the villain in our body as its often portrayed. It plays an important role as a neurotransmitter in charge of regulating water in the body.”

“When we are dehydrated, histamine production increases. The air sacs in the lung tissues have thin walls that need to be kept moist. Dehydration reduces the amount of water in these tissues, causing damage unless the airflow is reduced. Histamine cuts down the rate of airflow through the lungs. It also stimulates mucous production to plug the bronchioles and protect their lining.”

Adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990, according to the World Health Organisation. In many high-income countries like the US, estimates show that over 60% of adults are overweight or obese.

Dehydration could be the root cause of obesity. According to Batmanghelidj, your body’s histamine response to dehydration can lead to overeating - when the body simply needs more water. Proper hydration of the body and exercise is more beneficial for losing weight than drastic dieting.

Batmanghelidj outlines a water diet for losing weight. Drink two glasses of water a half hour before each meal and two and a half hours after each meal. When you satisfy your body’s needs for water, hunger is reduced. Your body will feel full and you eat only when you need food. With sufficient water intake, you will crave more proteins rather than fattening carbohydrates. You can lose three to six kilograms in less than three weeks by following his water diet.

Diabetes, another rapidly growing modern epidemic, could be the end result of water deficiency in the brain, explains Batmanghelidj.  With chronic dehydration in the body, the brain depends more on glucose for energy and its metabolic conversion to water. When the body is stressed, up to 85 per cent of the brain’s extra energy needs is provided by sugar alone. It’s why stressed people resort to eating sweet food. The body needs higher glucose levels to protect the brain from irreparable damage caused by water shortage.

Diabetes 2, which is not insulin dependent, is often reversible. Batmanghelidj’s treatment is to increase your water intake to at least two quarts or two litres daily and to add ½ teaspoon of unrefined sea salt to your diet to improve hydration of the cells. The adjustment of water, diet and minerals will often reverse the condition and reduce the body’s need for higher blood sugar.

Autoimmune diseases are degenerative conditions where the body attacks itself for no reason. Batmanghelidj completed a study on Lupus and published his findings in “ABC of Allergies, Asthma and Lupus”. He believes autoimmune diseases are conditions caused by long-term dehydration and the resulting imbalances in the metabolic system. Dehydration leads to the loss of essential elements needed to neutralise toxic waste that cannot be excreted because of low urine production. Could the solution be as easy as drinking more water and taking essential minerals to help reverse autoimmune diseases?

High Blood Pressure, also known as hypertension, affects 1.4 billion adults worldwide, according to WHO estimates. With high blood pressure, the heart has more pressure to work against when forcing blood into circulation, which can result in cardiovascular disease. 

According to Batmanghelidj, the gradual rise in blood pressure indicates a shortage of water in the body. The shortage of water causes the circulation of blood to become restricted. Peripheral capillaries close down and the larger vessels become tighter to keep blood vessels full. 

Low blood pressure occurs when there is not enough pressure in the arteries that go to the brain, resulting in less oxygen reaching the brain.

Batmanghelidj says that both high and low blood pressure can be normalised with his Water Cure. Jim Bolen is an example of someone who successfully reduced his high blood pressure by adopting the Water Cure. Jim was a 54 year-old pilot when he was diagnosed with high blood pressure and failed his medical for renewing his commercial flying license. His chiropractor advised him to read “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”. After reading the book, he stopped caffeine, drank ten glasses of water a day and added half a teaspoon of salt to his diet. His blood pressure became normal, without medication, and he no longer suffers from headaches, constipation, lower back pain and blocked sinuses.

Which salt should you use?

People with high blood pressure are usually told by their doctor to avoid salt. But the main culprit to avoid is refined table salt, which is 99% sodium chloride and lacks the necessary minerals it requires for balance.

Refined salt is stripped of the 80+ trace minerals so the body is forced to use its own mineral reserves, leading to further imbalances.

Celtic sea salt contains 80 to 92 minerals, including three types of magnesium. Magnesium acts as a muscle relaxant, which can help relax the heart and blood vessels, lowering blood pressure. The magnesium also pulls water and nutrients inside the cells, improving hydration.

Sodium is essential for transporting glucose across cell membranes. Without it, your body cannot receive proper fuel.

How can you improve your water drinking habit?

Each morning, fill a pitcher with water. Make sure the pitcher is empty before the end of the day.

Store Celtic sea salt next to the water as a reminder to take salt when you drink water. Place a crystal of Celtic Sea Salt on the tongue before drinking water.

Start the day by drinking 2 glasses of water as soon as you wake up. Drink two glasses of water half an hour before each meal and two and a half hours after eating.

Carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go and sip it throughout the day.

Add lemon or mint to your water to make it easier to drink.

Four steps to vibrant health

Batmanghelidj says that anyone can achieve vibrant health in four steps.

“We need to balance the water and mineral salt content of the body; exercise; avoid dehydrating beverages like caffeine and alcohol; and eat a balanced diet of protein and vegetables in a ratio of 20 percent protein and 80 percent vegetables, legumes and fruit, with minimal starch and sugar. It’s the high starch and sugar content of the diet that makes you fat - not the protein and fat content.”

“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” W.H.Auden

Is water the greatest breakthrough in modern medicine?

In our search for the ultimate cure, many of us have overlooked the importance of water for our health. Water not only sustains us - but it offers life giving properties that are vital for our health. Unlike other fluids, water has no side effects, it’s calorie and sugar free and it costs you nothing.

If we drank more water, instead of taking drugs and supplements, we would save a fortune and see a drastic reduction in chronic health conditions. Batmanghelidj ‘s valuable research on the power of water to heal could prove to be the greatest breakthrough in modern medicine.

Written by Eva Burbury

Source:” You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty” by Dr Batmanghelidj.