Water, the Natural Medicine — A Paradigm Shift
Our relationship with water is one that is very casual. We drink water solely when we feel thirsty. According to the research of British physician F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., medical science has failed to reflect the harmful nature of thirst. Thirst is a sign that dehydration has progressed to an extreme level within the body. Therefore, it is essential that people actively make an effort to drink water before dehydration reaches such a drastic point.
Water has life-giving and sustaining properties within our bodies.
Batmanghelidj managed to treat 3,000 inmates in prison with water therapy alone for a variety of illnesses, such as abdominal pain, ulcers, and joint pain. He made the connection that chronic dehydration leads to inflammation, hence the origin of many diseases, including cancer. He further claimed that one can reverse the disease process and even genes through adequate hydration. The hydrolytic properties of water drives all chemical reactions that promote and create life itself. In 1992, he authored “Your Body's Many Cries for Water” . In this book, Batmanghelidj asserts that chronic dehydration is the root cause of pain and numerous ailments. Opposing the use of drugs to cure conditions, he claimed that instead, this could be remedied by increased water consumption.
He has claimed elsewhere that water provides energy for the body and brain, by splitting it into its’ components, hydrogen and oxygen. He has written many books about these subjects, showing the link of chronic dehydration with depression, obesity, and cancer. He has also mentioned the danger of caffeinated beverages, which lead to dehydration. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame only cause one to drink and eat more, leading to obesity.
Of course, counterarguments to this do exist, so neither he nor I am suggesting that you should not take advice from your doctor.
The most important thing many of you would like to know about is how much water one should drink in day.
There are dangers of drinking excessive amounts of water. One can get low sodium which we call dilution hyponateremia. For healthy individuals, two to three liters of water is recommended in a day. This may constitute 6-8 glasses of water a day. This water schedule can be divided in different ways through the day.
Two to three glasses of water should be consumed as soon as you wake up. We are extremely dehydrated after sleep. Drinking water first thing in the morning will help reverse some of the dehydration which occurred during the night.
Two to three additional glasses of water until lunch time is advised.
Two glasses before the evening and one glass before you go to bed is also recommended.
Zafar Ajmal, MD
Health Leadership Coach