Water – Dying of Thirst
Your body is composed of up to 70% water. It varies with age and muscle to fat ratio. If your body is a work of art, water is the canvas that it is painted on. It provides the medium which holds all of the components used by life to perform the functions of life in the body. Every chemical reaction in the body takes place in the medium of water and without water present these reactions cannot occur. Water is necessary inside the cells for intracellular communication and metabolic and synthetic reactions. It is necessary outside of the tissue cells as a medium for transportation of nutrients to the organs and tissues and transportation of toxins and wastes away from the tissues and out of the body. Water must be present in order for digestion to occur, and thus is not just for transportation of digestive juices. The scientific name for digestion is hydrolysis which means, the lysis or breaking down of food through the process of adding water. Water is used to lubricate tissues so that they slide against each other instead of becoming raw and inflamed. It is also necessary for lubrication of the joints so that they do not become painful and pop all the time. Water in the blood, veins and lymph performs a temperature regulating function transferring heat externally and cold internally as needed. It also regulates temperature through sweat. It is a component of all secretions from glands and mucus generating cells. It serves\s a protective function activity as a cushion in tissues throughout the body including protecting the brain inside the skull and is important in the spinal discs. It also, with minerals plays a role in electrical conductivity of the tissues and normal electrical fields and electrical flows.
A lack of water in the body can result in a multitude of symptoms. Dr. F Batmanghelidj MD in his book, The Body’s Many Cries for Water claims there are at least 50 things that go wrong if the body does not have sufficient water on a regular, everyday basis. He claims that without sufficient water to wet all parts equally the body’s drought-management system kicks in. This causes a chemical messenger system (histamine) to arrange a new lower quota of water in the dryer areas. When these histamine related chemicals pass over pain sensing nerves, they cause pain. Dehydration can cause pain and can further aggravate it.
Sometimes lower water intake causes stomach pain. Instead of antacids, they should be drinking water. Sometimes the thirst mechanism is so weak it is mistaken for hunger. Dehydration can slow down metabolism. Related to this it can cause fatigue, especially during the daytime. Lack of water can affect short term memory and ability to focus. One study showed a huge reduction in certain types of cancer by drinking 5 glasses of water daily. Dehydration can cause insomnia, premenstrual pain and hot flashes, it can decrease the efficiency of the immune system and of course can cause constipation.
How much do you need? It depends on who you talk to. The Institute of Medicine recommends 13 cups/ day for men and 9 cups for women. However, this includes all fluids, not just water. Of course water in soda does not have the same effect as water that is pure. Based on cancer prevention alone I would recommend at least 5 glasses per day of pure water (balanced with proper minerals), more if there are dehydration symptoms.
The next area of concern is the quality of water. I am of the opinion that any water is better than no water if your body is dehydrated. Water is that important. Tap water has been found to have over 300 pollutants according to the Environmental Working Group. This may include pesticides, herbicides, industrial solvents, petroleum products, even medical drugs that have made their way through the sewer system into the water supply. Despites the distaste of knowing that you might be consuming these chemicals, the amount of these chemicals are usually not great. However if you drink tap water every single day (which many do) the chemicals can build up and cause problems so I do not recommend tap water as your sole source of water for long periods of time.
This of course brings up the topic of bottled water. Water in plastic bottles is not pristine. Some plastics have BisPhenyl A, PVC (polyvinyl chlorate) which are both highly toxic, Pthalates which are endocrine disrupters and other possible contaminants which may leech into the water with time. The longer the water is in these bottles, especially if it is left in the sunlight, the higher the chances that plastic may be leeched into it. The white plastic gallon bottles are not recommended long term. Simply pour water into a pan from one of these jugs and boil it dry and notice the plastic burning smell. The thick plastic jugs such as delivered water comes in does not seem to be bad. Once again, the amount of chemicals that usually enter your body is very slight but if it is taken in every single day for months can cause a problem especially if the body does not have what it needs to properly detox. As a side note, you can check the code on plastic bottles for better or worse plastics. There is a triangle of three arrow shaped lines with a number in it on the bottle. Codes 2-HDPE, 4-LDPE, and 5-PP are deemed safe. Avoid 1-PET, 3-PVC, 6-PS and 7-OTHER. These degrade faster and leach more into the water.
Some speak against reverse osmosis and distilled water claiming that it is harmful because they have had the minerals removed. I believe you need minerals as well however I don’t know that I would classify the water as harmful unless you feel like drinking rainwater is also harmful. It too has been distilled. Just make sure you get your minerals also.
Plenty of good quality spring or filtered water (that is not in lower grade plastic containers) is a wonderful cure for a multitude of conditions. It’s amazing how many conditions can respond to such a simple solution. If you are suffering from health conditions of practically any kind I would recommend trying the simplest, least expensive treatment first. Go drink water, This and this alone may handle it. If not, well that’s why I’m here. Call (260) 459-6160. NutritionalMuscleTesting.com
Dr. David Murdock
3214 Mallard Cove Ln.
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
