Dry Facts about Water and Health
In the United States, most people prefer cold drinks, iced tea and coffee to drinking just plain water. That may also be true for most of the earth’s population. However, our bodies are about 70% water. What’s interesting is that the planet we live on is also about 70% water. Is there a connection that we may be missing? Possibly!
Every function of our bodies, including brain function, depends on water. Even our blood pressure being at a reasonable level depends on our having enough water in our body. When we are dehydrated, our blood is thicker, requiring more pressure to move the blood through the body and to get oxygen and nutrients into the cells. Thus, our blood pressure goes up. This is just one area where being hydrated benefits us.
Dr. F. Batmanghelidj (pronounced Batman-ge-leej) was a medical doctor who studied the effects of water on the body for over 20 years. He made some startling discoveries that included the fact that most of his patients were dehydrated. When he encouraged them to get and stay hydrated, most gained relief from the symptoms of whatever they were dealing with. This included high blood pressure, asthma, and peptic ulcers among others. The symptoms they were displaying seemed to originate with being dehydrated.
He also found that dehydration manifests itself in the beginning as low back pain, pain in the five lumbar vertebras. The last symptom of dehydration seems to be thirst. Anyone who is very thirsty should take steps to get them hydrated as quickly as they can.
Because of his findings, Dr. Batmanghelidj treated his patients with nothing but water and achieved amazing results with many of them. His recommendation is to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, more if you are overweight sweating in summer heat. He also recommended that we take at least ¼ teaspoon of sea salt for every eight glasses of water we drink so we hydrate properly.
He saw amazing results simply by getting his patients hydrated.
Other problems that dehydration causes
The following problems are linked to dehydration:
- Headaches, especially migraines
- Fatigue
- Poor concentration
- Lightheadedness
- Anxiety because of the release of the hormone cortisol by the brain
Because these could be symptoms of something else, seeing a healthcare professional may be a wise decision. In the meantime, if you are not a water drinker, increasing your intake of water could make a positive difference for you.
Even though the body is about 70% water, the brain is 77-78% water and the muscles 75%. A 3% drop in water detrimentally affects the brain and the muscles. One doctor commented that when the muscles experience a 3% drop in water, we lose 10% contractile strength and 8% of our speed. And 20-30% of an athlete’s performance can be detrimentally affected with a 5% drop in the water that their body needs.
If an athlete suffers a 20% drop in hydration, he could suffer death. Perhaps that is what happens when we hear of a player dying on the field, especially in the summer heat.
Water and your skin
Do you have dry, itchy skin? Is it worse in the wintertime when you deal with “winter itch”? What you may be experiencing is dehydration. Try an experiment. Begin drinking more water each day until you are drinking around eight glasses per day. Do you really need lotion for dry skin? You may find that properly hydrating yourself negates the need for lotion. Your skin may just need water.
So, what is the bottom line?
When we don’t drink enough water regularly, we are courting trouble. It is going to impact our health, our skin, how we feel and how we look. We may also find that our brain just won’t function as well as we would like. And it will be interesting to see if dementia and Alzheimer’s are connected to dehydration.
So, listen to your body. Drink plenty of water along with watching your diet, getting enough sleep and exercise and practicing stress management in your life. Otherwise, many of the health gains of the previous century will be lost, and people will not be able to live as well or as long as they should.”.
