Can pure water actually be a powerful pain reliever?
Can it prevent, or even help to cure, degenerative diseases?
The research I will describe here suggests that it can.
It challenges some of the most cherished paradigms of modern medicine, and offers you much more power to support your own good health.
This information is based on research published by Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D., (Dr. B.), after successfully treating 3,000 patients for stress-induced peptic ulcer disease, using only pure water.
What I am about to share with you has radically changed my perception of the practice of health care, both as a medical doctor and as a wholistic health practitioner.
It also changed Dr. Batmanghelidj’s understanding of the role of medicine in the process of healing.
Dr. B. did not set out to “turn much of current medical practice on its head,” as The European wrote in its review of his research.
He was chosen by fate, unless you believe in coincidences.
Trained as an allopathic doctor in Europe, he established a modern practice in Iran more than 25 years ago. However, along with thousands of his countrymen, he ended up in prison because of his political convictions.
When a fellow prisoner suffered an attack of acute gastritis, Dr. B. pleaded with the prison guards to provide the medications he believed would cure the man. The guards refused.
Left to his own resources he administered the only thing he had available, pure water. To Dr. B.’s surprise the man recovered fully. Dr. B. continued to treat other prisoners, who had a wide variety of ailments, using only water. As a trained researcher he carefully recorded his results.
He was so devoted to his research with water that, when finally given permission to leave prison, he asked to remain incarcerated until his current research project was completed.
This early research, while in prison, lead Dr. B. to continue his investigations upon his release. He explored the role that water, or its absence, has in other types of pain (chronic and acute) and on other conditions, including:
- asthma,
- allergies,
- high blood pressure,
- depression,
- rheumatoid arthritis,
- excess weight gain,
- and diabetes.
In an age of specialization, the depth and breadth of his groundbreaking research is truly astounding.
As I studied Dr. B.’s research I realized just how much we have lost touch with our own natural right to take care of our health. We are encouraged to live in a passive state in which we depend on “professionals” to “fix” us when we develop pathologic conditions that, often, we unknowingly induce ourselves because we lack fundamental knowledge of the principles of maintaining good health.
OK! I warned you that this is a paradigm shift.
I understand that it may not be comfortable for some readers. However, when you are willing to keep your mind open when looking at this research, which has been peer reviewed, you will discover some truly empowering information.
I have always held the belief that prevention should be the priority of every health care practitioner. I have put my attention on this since I began my practice. But prevention is only the first step towards vibrant health.
Good health is about much more than just avoiding disease; it includes feeling energized, enthusiastic and optimistic about life. The simple, yet vital, “joie de vivre” is a “symptom” of good health and it is available to each of us.
I have come to realize that there is always more you can learn about how to increase your physical energy and enhance your emotional well being.
Children today are not educated about the principles of maintaining good health, including the importance of drinking sufficient, pure water. Either are adults, for that matter.
On the contrary, millions of dollars are spent each year to persuade us to drink almost everything but pure water.
Yet Dr. B.’s ground-breaking research makes it very clear that your body needs adequate amounts of pure water. No other liquid can adequately meet this need.
He writes, “In advanced societies, thinking that tea, coffee, alcohol and manufactured beverages are desirable substitutes for the purely natural water needs of the daily stressed body is an elementary but catastrophic mistake. It is true that these beverages contain water, but they also contain dehydrating agents.”
Our bodies begin to suffer from dehydration at a very early age. This soon becomes a chronic condition, with dire consequences.
How do we know when the body needs water?
For me, one of the most startling things I learned from Dr. B. is that a dry mouth is not a reliable indicator of the need for water. It is actually one of the last signs of dehydration. When we have a dry mouth, our body has already suffered damage because of the shortage of water.
Now this is where his research gets very interesting, and truly “paradigm shifting.” I will only summarize conclusions that he supports with extensive data and theoretical explanations.
Pain Is An Indicator of Chronic Dehydration
The most common sign that our body is experiencing a chronic state of dehydration is the sensation of pain. The location will vary according to many factors, however, dyspepsia-heartburn, rheumatoid pain, back pain, angina pain, headaches (migraine) and leg pain when walking are some of the indicators that the body is dehydrated.
Allopathic medicine does not understand that these are indicators of a state of chronic dehydration. They are interpreted as pathologies of “unknown cause,” and treated with chemicals that are often designed to cut the “pain signal” to the brain.
This is analogous to removing the bulb in the “low oil pressure” indicator in your car. The signal goes away, it’s true. However, the condition now continues unobserved, until a more dramatic “signal,” usually the engine seizing completely.
Dr. B. provides a very detailed explanation about how chronic dehydration causes cellular damage that, in some cases, can become irreversible. He relates this damage to many medical conditions, including those listed above.
Your Body Needs Sea Salt Too
There is more involved in fully hydrating our bodies than just drinking water. Our bodies require the water to be able to penetrate to the interior of our cells, which requires specific minerals.
Here is another paradigm shift for those who have accepted the prevailing belief that “salt is bad for you.” Dr. B. explains that it is vitally important to take salt and potassium, and to maintain the delicate balance between these two elements.
He explains the important role of these two minerals in the regulation of the water content of the interior of the cell. When there is a chronic shortage of water and insufficient intake of salt, a high viscosity intracellular medium is created that makes it very difficult for the cell to accomplish the tasks it needs to do to maintain health.
We get potassium in our daily food from vegetables and fruits, but we do not get adequate amounts of salt. That is why we need to add salt to our daily diet. But not common table salt. Dr. B recommends taking unrefined sea salt because it contains about 80 minerals that the body needs.
Avoid Common Table Salt
He points out that “…ordinary table salt has been stripped of its companion elements and contains additives such as aluminum silica to keep it powdery and porous. Aluminum is a very toxic element in our nervous system. It is implicated as one of the primary causes of Alzheimer’s disease.”
For me, this was more than enough information to convince me to start drinking more water each day, and adding a little bit of sea salt to my diet. I carefully followed Dr. B.’s detailed instructions, which I’ll describe below.
The first thing I noticed, after a few days, was that when I did some yoga stretches, my muscles had become much more flexible.
I now take great comfort in knowing that I am reducing the risk of developing conditions that can lead to disease. I never knew that simply drinking sufficient water could accomplish this.
I am deeply grateful to Dr. B. for his research, for his courage in thinking independently, and for his commitment to publish his “paradigm shifting” findings. True medical pioneers, especially those in the field of natural medicine, face great hostility from the medical industry. Perhaps his courage comes from his years in prison where he faced the continued threat of execution.
He is a truly original medical doctor who brings honor, once again, to the oath that all modern Doctors swear, “First, do no harm.”
So, how can you apply this health enhancing information in your life?
I will share with you the simple water and salt prescription of Dr. B.
I’m sure you’ve heard that your body needs an absolute minimum of eight glasses of water each day. However, the precise amount depends on your weight. Here is how to calculate how much pure water to drink each day.
Drink one half ounce of water for every pound of body weight. For example, a 200-pound person needs to drink 100 ounces of water. But not all at once, obviously. Timing is very important.
The best times to drink water (clinically observed in peptic ulcer disease) are:
- one or two glasses first thing in the morning before having anything else,
- one glass half an hour before meals,
- one glass two and a half hours after each meal,
- one or two glasses before going to bed,
- also, continually sip water during the day until you know that you have had the 8 minimum glasses of water during the day. Your thirst should be satisfied at all times.
Remember that alcohol, coffee, tea, and other caffeine-containing beverages (sodas) do not count as water.
As you increase your water intake, you will need to discharge more as well. This is only natural. One way to know that your body is well hydrated is that your urine will become clear or colorless.
How To Change Your Water Drinking Habits
I always ask new clients, “How much water do you drink each day?”
If they have come to me to find relief from pain I can predict the response, every time.
“Not enough,” they’ll say, “I know I should drink more.”
So, Who Is Driving?
That always makes me smile, because it reminds me of the well-known story of the two old women who went for a drive. Both of them could hardly see over the dashboard.
As they were cruising along, they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red, but they just went on through.
The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself, “I must be losing it. I could have sworn we just went through a red light.”
A few minutes later they came to another intersection, and again the light was red. Again, they went right on through, without even slowing down.
The woman in the passenger seat was certain that the light had been red this time, and she was getting very concerned. In fact, she was getting downright nervous.
At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was red again. And again they sailed right on through.
That was enough! She turned to the other woman and said, “Mildred, do you know that we just drove through three red lights in a row? You could have killed us both!”
Mildred turned to her and said, “Oh no—am I driving?”
Just Do It!
So, now that you know that you’re driving, how do you change a habit you know “you should” change. Every change begins with a decision.
Set the intention to drink a “little more water” every day. And decide to actually measure your water intake. I use a 1-liter bottle, and simply drink two of them each day. I always keep it near me when I’m at home.
Increase Slowly
When starting to increase your water intake, do so gradually, until urine production begins to increase to the same rate that you’re water intake has. This is especially important for those with irregular or rapid heart beats.
Dr. B says: “When we drink enough water to pass clear urine, we also pass out a lot of the salt that was held back. This is how we get rid of edema fluid from the body… Water is the best diuretic that exists.”
In cases of edema, Dr. B.’s recommendation is: “The increase in water intake should be gradual and spaced out, but water should not be withheld from the body. Salt intake should be limited for two or three days because the body is still in an overdrive mode to retain it. Once the edema has cleared up, salt should not be withheld from the body.”
Are You Taking Enough Sea Salt?
When you drink sufficient water, as described above, Dr. B. also recommends that you take about 3 grams of salt -half a teaspoon- for every ten glasses of water you drink.
It is easy to take this salt throughout the day. Just put a few crystals of sea salt on your tongue and let it dissolve. The best times to do this are in the morning, after drinking your water, then, before lunch, and again before going to bed.
Dr. B. explains the vital importance of salt for our health. It has many more functions than simply regulating water content. Here are just some of them:
- Salt is a strong natural antihistamine.
- Salt is an important “anti-stress” element.
- Salt is essential in treating emotional and affective disorders.
- Salt is important for preserving optimal serotonin and melatonin levels in the brain.
- Salt is vital for maintaining muscle tone and strength. Lack of bladder control in those who suffer from involuntary leakage of urine could be a consequence of low salt intake.
- Salt is vital for clearing the lungs of mucus plugs and sticky phlegm, particularly in asthma, emphysema, and cystic fibrosis sufferers.
- Salt on the tongue will stop persistent dry cough.
- Salt is vital for clearing up catarrh and sinus congestion.
- Salt is vital in preventing excess saliva production to the point that it flows out of the mouth during sleep.
- Salt is absolutely vital to making the structure of the bones firm.
- Salt is vital for maintaining healthy sexual functioning and libido.
- Salt is vital for reducing a double chin.
- Salt is vital for preventing varicose veins and spider veins on legs and thighs.
- And many other functions….
However, Dr. B gives us a clear warning:
“You must at the same time, not overdo salt. You must respect the optimum ratio of salt to water that the body requires. You must always make sure you drink enough water to wash the excess salt out of the body. If your weight suddenly goes up in one day, you have taken too much salt. Hold back on salt intake for one day and drink plenty of water to increase your urine output and get rid of your swelling.
“Those with heart failure -or kidney failure requiring dialysis- MUST consult with their doctors before increasing their salt intake.”
In A.D. 75, Pliny wrote that salt is “foremost among human remedies”
Dr. B. has developed a rule of thumb to guide your daily salt intake. You should add to your diet about half a teaspoon of salt (3 grams) per day for every ten glasses of water (2 quarts) that you drink. Remember that the salt to water ratio is most important.
Nothing is as important as your health. I hope that this information inspires you to provide all the pure water and salt that your body needs each day. Go to the websites below to learn more.
You can download a free copy of one of Dr. B.’s booklets and find a huge selection of resources, including an amazing half hour television documentary, radio broadcasts, articles and testimonials at http://www.watercure2.org/
You can also find information at Dr. Batmanghelidj’s official website: www.watercure.com
I wish you abundant health, love and gratitude,
Makari
(Dear Reader: For legal purposes I remind you that the information in this article is only to be used for educational purposes. In no way is it to be used to diagnose or treat any physical condition. Please discuss any conditions you may have with your trusted healthcare professional before making any changes in your physical routines or current treatment programs.)
