Water: For Health, For Healing, For Life (22 page)

There is a clear relationship between the stresses associated with lifestyle trends that result in an upheaval in the metabolic and physiological balance of the body and the condition known as CFS. For those persons who have a strong leaning toward the belief that CFS is a viral disease, I recommend reading the section on lupus in my book
ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus.
I describe how initial dehydration is responsible for fragmentation of the DNA of some cells into small particles that have been classified as viruses (see figure 7.4).

We should never forget that the body is a conglomerate of chemical systems. It is able to build new tissue, or break up already formed structures, as a means of recycling the raw materials. Other than the brain, no part of the body is sacrosanct—even muscle tissue is broken down to tap into its stored amino acid pool. In continuous stressful encounters and life patterns, this is exactly what happens, whether the stress is caused by an emotional experience or by fighting a viral infection.
Dehydration, stress, and dieting for aesthetic value, without the benefits of exercise,
in my opinion, must be assumed to be the root causes of CFS, particularly if pick-me-up fluids such as coffee or alcohol are taken as substitutes for the water needs of the body.

One of the major needs of the body is salt. In dehydration and dieting that excludes salt intake, the body will become salt-depleted. Salt is essential for muscle and nerve activity. In hot climates, when too much sweating causes salt deficiency, one of the symptoms often seen is a lack of energy to undertake any form of activity. Another symptom is muscle aches and cramps. Persons suffering from CFS should test increasing their salt intake at the same time as they increase their water intake—naturally, with total exclusion of caffeine-containing pick-me-ups. They have to allow some time for the buildup of their ATP reserves and full recovery of the delivery systems in the nerve fibers.

DRY AND BURNING EYES

Tear production for the normal functions of the eye is absolutely essential. In some people, this function is deficient and the eyes feel a burning sensation. Much blinking may take place to promote circulation to the tear glands. If this is ineffective, the eyes will be forced to shut to prevent water loss by evaporation. In some people, like myself, who may have had Bell's palsy (an obstruction of the facial nerve that also causes paralysis of the face muscles on that side), tear formation in one eye often becomes affected. The eye on the side of the paralysis will become drier than the other, even when the muscles have partially recovered. It is my personal experience that even if rubbing the eye does not promote tear formation and wetting of the eye, two glasses of water alleviates the condition fairly promptly. The burning and pain should disappear in minutes. Artificial tears or frequent washing of the face and letting water get into the eyes will also help.

HIGHER BLOOD CHOLESTEROL

Everyone is now conscious of raised cholesterol as a marker of potential diseases of the heart and brain— the consequences of clogged arteries. In 1987, at an international gathering of cancer research scientists in Greece, I exposed the scientific reasons why increased cholesterol production in the body is a direct consequence of chronic dehydration.

We have to assume that the genetic structure of each cell empowers it to act independently, if environmental conditions are not to its advantage. The cells of the human body have the same capability as bacteria to adapt to their environment by altering their membrane structure. Similarly, human body cells alter the cholesterol content of their membranes to prevent the uncontrolled seepage of water in or out of their inner domains. Normally, water is meant to seep into the cell at a slow but exact rate.

Cells also possess a mechanism for getting rid of excess water. However, if the cell water has to be kept inside because its environment is becoming comparatively dry, the cell membrane has to be sealed off. Cholesterol deposits within the structure of the membrane carry out the process of sealing off the membrane—the very pores that allow water to diffuse through get sealed off.

Normally, when food is eaten, water and enzymes have to be poured into the stomach and intestines. The enzymes break the food particles into their smaller building blocks by inserting one molecule of water at each of the amino acids' many points of bondage that make up the protein structure and mass. Free water is used up to allow this action to take place. The result is that the body has less water and more soluble solid matter that needs to be transported in the now comparatively water-depleted blood and lymph circulation.

The result of this digestive process is concentrated blood that leaves the intestines and goes through the liver. In the liver, some of this food load is taken away from the blood, and the balance is poured into the heart at the right side. At this right heart entrance, the lymph from the intestine also pours into the blood. The first place that this concentrated and now circulating blood visits is the lung tissue. Here more water in the form of vapor is lost from the circulating blood during the breathing process.

Now this concentrated blood is brought to the left side of the heart and pumped out. It goes to the arteries that feed the heart itself, then to the arteries of the brain, and then to the main body artery, called the aorta. When this concentrated blood reaches the brain centers that deal with the osmotic regulation of the body, they signal the conscious mind that the body is short of water. The alarm for thirst develops, and the person feels the urge to drink water.

There is a fairly long time gap between the exposure of the liver cells and the cell lining of the arteries to the concentrated blood and the time water is taken into the body. The time gap of water intake after food and the dehydrating influence of concentrated blood is sufficient to cause a cholesterol-amassing and generating activity in those cells that come in contact with the concentrated blood—such as the liver and the lining of the arteries. In time, a physiological pathway for the manufacture and deposit of cholesterol in the lining of the blood vessels will occur. The only way the cells that cannot form cholesterol can protect themselves is to pick up cholesterol from the circulation and deposit it in their membranes.

Raised cholesterol is a sign that the cells of the body have developed a defense mechanism against the stronger osmotic forces of blood. The concentrated blood would normally keep drawing water out through the cell membranes. Cholesterol is a natural sort of waterproof clay that, when poured in the gaps of the cell membrane, helps keep the membrane's architecture intact and prevents excess water loss. In chronic dehydration, additional amounts of cholesterol will continue to be produced by the liver cells and poured into the circulation for the common use of all cells that do not possess the power to manufacture their own. The additional cholesterol will also make the cell wall impervious to the passage of water that naturally takes place in a normally well-hydrated cell.

To prevent excess cholesterol deposits by the cells lining the arteries and the liver, you need to drink regularly an ample amount of water a half hour before food intake. By this action, the cells of the body will become well hydrated before confronting the concentrated blood after food intake. There will also be enough water for the processes of digestion and respiration, without needing to tap into the water held inside the cells lining the blood vessels.

After a period of regulating daily water intake so that the cells gradually become fully hydrated, the cholesterol defense system will be required less, and its production will decrease. In light of this information, the range of normal blood cholesterol will probably prove to be far less than the values quoted at present. It is now becoming apparent that effective reduction of cholesterol levels in the circulating blood could promote a clearing of already formed deposits.

I had occasion to advise a man in his early forties whose angiogram had revealed partial blockage of his coronary arteries. The blockage was such that he had developed chest pains. I advised him not to have bypass surgery without first trying a conservative treatment for his condition. He agreed to adjust his daily water intake and to begin by taking two glasses (just under one pint) of water exactly half an hour before each meal. I advised him to walk one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening (to start with, twenty to thirty minutes at the beginning, increasing gradually to one hour).

I explained that research has shown that the hormone-sensitive, fat-digesting enzymes become activated after the first hour of walking, and remain active for twelve hours. The reason for the twice-daily walk was the need to activate the fat-burning enzyme on a regular basis and for its recognized cumulative action. Three months later the man went to one of the famous centers in Houston for a final checkup and an assessment of his need for bypass surgery His new angiogram showed no sign of the previous blockage He no longer needed surgery.

CORONARY HEART DISEASE

The basics of this condition are explained in the above section on cholesterol formation and its deposit in the coronary arteries. Not much more can be added on this topic. If we also take into consideration that another basic cause of diseases of the heart is continued hypertension and the shearing force of concentrated circulating blood, then the application of the same information will explain the root cause of coronary heart disease and brain damage and strokes.

It should be remembered that this information applies to all cells in each organ. When there is dehydration, all cells in all organs feel the problem, except some feel it more than others, until an emergency water-infusion system begins to hydrate the more essential cells. The heart is not exempt from the problems associated with dehydration. It becomes sufficiently incapacitated to begin showing failure. Often the process begins with the spasm, and then permanent obstruction, of a small artery. The initial spasm causes pain. If at that very moment water is taken, the spasm will subside and the permanent obstruction of the artery may not be the outcome. In any case, water is immediately more essential to the patient than any other medication. It will at least reduce the extent of the damage. High blood cholesterol can also be an indicator of bone density loss. For more information, read the sections Higher Blood Cholesterol and Osteoporosis.

HOT FLASHES

As I have explained, the nerve sensors of the face receive the same attention for their circulation as do the cells of the brain because they are directly involved with information gathering. At their brain side, they are connected to the serotonin-regulated nerve system that, at the same time, has a regulatory role in the hormonal balance of the body. The level of tryptophan and serotonin activity in the body is directly influenced by the regulatory role of water.

Because of the age-dependent loss of thirst sensation and the establishment of persistent dehydration, at some point or other in the life of any individual, the hormonal balance of the body will automatically become affected by the same dehydration. In women, this hormonal imbalance will eventually lead to symptom-producing menopause and its hallmark of hot flashes. Historically, some women are known for having given birth to a child when they were in their seventies. It is therefore feasible that there is no hard-and-fast rule to the age in which menopause is established. With the right lifestyle and balanced nutrition, it may be possible to delay menopause and alleviate its symptoms.

To treat hot flashes, you need to hydrate the body well. You need to take a balanced amino acid diet that enhances the serotonin activity of the brain. You also need to take vitamin B6 as a supplement. Vitamin B6 is directly involved in the conversion of the amino acids: tryptophan to serotonin, melatonin, tryptamine, and indolamine; tyrosine to dopa, dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline; histidine to histamine. These neurotransmitters are vital for balancing the hormonal functions of the body, as well as its water-intake regulation. Dehydrated people are all vitamin B
₆
-and zinc-deficient. The addition of 100 milligrams of B
₆
to your daily diet will prevent hot flashes and alleviate PMS. This prudent precaution will also correct a range of other problems too extensive to discuss here.

GOUT

When the body begins to collect uric acid, and this substance is seen in some of the joints of the body at the same time as there is joint pain, this condition is called gout. Uric acid is a product of incomplete protein metabolism. It seems to be associated with the advanced complications of dehydration. It has been my clinical experience that increased water intake to the point that the urine is always free of color will avert attacks of gout pain. It is my view that formation of uric acid crystals and their collection in the joints is a direct result of chronic dehydration.

KIDNEY STONES

Inadequate water intake and urine concentration are assumed to be responsible for the formation of uric acid and calcium deposits in the renal tissue. Once a primary crystal of these elements has formed, new deposits are made and larger pieces develop until they can become large enough to cause obstruction. Urinary infection will promote stone formation. If kidney stones are formed and passed, realize that you are suffering from a long-term effect of dehydration. The urine should never have become so concentrated as to cause the formation of the initial crystal seeds, which can grow into large stones within the kidneys.