The first time I set eyes on the young man was at eleven one evening in the summer of 1980. He was in such pain
that he was almost se miconscious. He was lyin g folded in the fetal position on the floor of his room. He was
groaning steadily, unaware of his environment and the worried people around him. When I talked to him, he did not
respond. He was n ot communicating with those around him. I had to shake him to get a response. I asked him wha t was the matter. He groaned, "My ulcer is killing me." I asked him how long he had had the pain. He said his pain started at one in the afternoon, immediately after his lunch. The pain increased in intensity a s time
passed. I asked him what he had done to get relief and if he had taken any medication. He replied that he had taken
three tablets of cim etidine and one whole bottle of antacid during this time. He indicated that he got absolutely no
relief, even with this amount of medication, in the ten hours sin ce his pain first started. When so much medication cannot relieve the pain of peptic ulcer disease, one automatically becomes suspicious of
"acute abdomen," som ething that might possibly need surgical exploration. Maybe his ulcer had perforated! I had
seen and assiste d in the operation of patients with perforated peptic ulcers. Those persons were devastated—very
much like the young man before me. The test is very sim ple; such patients develop a very rigid abdominal wall,
almost like a wooden board. I felt for the rigidity of the wall of the abdomen in this young man. Fortunately, he hadnot perforated. His a bdominal wall was soft, but tender from the pain. He was lucky he had not perforated, although
if he had continued like this, the acid would have punched a hole through his now inflamed ulcer. The arsenal of medications in such circumsta nces is very limited. Three cimetidine tablets of 300 milligrams each
and one full bottle of antacid could not relieve the pain. Often, such cases would end on the operating table of a
knife-happy surgeon. Because of my extensive experience with the pain-relieving property of water in dyspeptic
pains, I gave this man two full glasses o f water—one pint. At first he was reluctant to drink the water. I told him he
had taken the usual medications without any re sult. He should now try "my medication" for this disease. He had no
choice. He was i n severe pain and did not know w hat to do about it. I sat in a corner and observed him for a few
minutes. I had to leave the room, and whe n I returned in about fifteen minutes, his pain had become less severe and his
groans sto pped. I gave him another full ,glass o f water—half a pint. In a few minutes, his pain disappeared
completely and he started taking notice of the people around him. He sat up and began to move toward the wall of
the room. With his back to the wall, he started to conduct conversations with his visitors who were now more
surprised than he at the sudden transformation that three glasses of water had brought about! For 10 hours, this
man had suffered from pain and taken the most potent and advanced medicines for the treatment of peptic ulcer
disease without any re lief. Now, three glasses of water had produced an obvious and absolute relief in about 20
minutes. If you refer to Figure 4 on page 23 and compare the statements in the model on pain with the experience of the
above patient, you will recognize the brain component to the intensity o f signaling thirst in the body. After a certain
threshold, local painkillers will not be effective. The antacid and HI blocking agent cimetidine did not produce even a
reduction in the pain felt by the young man. It was water alone that registered the right message with the brain to
abort its call for water, since there was now a n unmistakable signal of its adequate presence in the body. Th e sam e
mode of pain registration is operative in other regions that signal dehydration in any particular individual. People with
rheumatoid joint pain should be aware of this particular phenomenon of pain registration at the brain when there is
severe dehydration. I had another occasion to test whether the abdominal pain registration for dehydration was time-dependent or wat er-
volume-dependent. This time, a man was carried by two other persons into the clinic where I was wor king at the
time. The patient could not walk; he was lifted from under his arms by two other persons. He , too, was a peptic ulcer
patient in extremely severe upper abdominal or dyspeptic pain. After examination to see that he had not perforated,
I gave the patient one full glass of water every hour. He did not achieve total relief in 20 minutes, or even one hour
and 20 minutes. He recovered after he had taken three glasses o f water. On the average, it takes less severe cases
about eight minutes to achieve total pain relief. It has been shown experimentally that, whe n we drink one glass of water, it immediately passes into the intestine
and is absorbed. However, within one half-hour, almost the same amount of water is secreted into the stomach
through its glandular layer in the mucosa. It swells from underneath and gets into the stomach, ready to be used for
food breakdown. The act of digestion of solid foods depends on the presence of copious amounts of water. The
acid is poured on the food, enzymes are activated, and the food is broken down into a homogenized fluid state that
can pass into the intestine for the next phase of digestion. The mucus cov ers the glands' layer of the mucosa, which is the innermost layer of the structure of the stomach (see
Figure 5). Mucus consists o f 98 percent water and two percent the physical "scaffolding" that traps water. In this
"water layer" called mucus, a natural buffer state is established. The cells below secre te sodium bicarbonate that is
trapped in the water layer. As th e acid from the stomach tries to go through this protective layer, the bicarbonate
neutralizes it. The outcom e of this action is a greater production of salt (sodium from the bicarbonate and chlorine from the acid). Too much salt alters the water-holding properties of the "scaffolding" material of mucus. Too much acid
neutralization and salt deposits in this mucus layer would make it less homogeneous and sticky and would allow the
acid to get to the mucosa l layer, causing pain.The natural design in the resection of water through the mucus layer seems to be the process of "back-wa shing" the
mucus layer and getting rid of the salt deposits. Th is is a most efficient design for rehydrating the mucus layer from
the bottom when new mucus is also secreted. This refreshed, thickened and sticky m ucus barrier is the natural
protective shield against the acid in the stomach. Naturally, the efficiency of this shi eld depends on a regular intake
of water, particularly before the intake of different solid foods that would stimulate the production of acid from the
glands in the stomach wall. Thus, wat er provides the only natural protection against the acid in the stomach, from
base upwar d. Antacids are designed to attach to the acid in the stomach itself— a n inefficient protection. We should begin to realize that in the sam e way w e have a "hunger pain" signal, we also have a "thirst pain" signal
in the body. It is unfortunate they call it "dyspepsia" and treat it with all sorts of medications until there is local
duodenal or stomach tissue  damage from the metabolic com plications of dehydration. The use of antacids for the
relief of this pain is generally the accep ted form of treatment. These substances are non-prescrip tion slow poisons
that one can buy even in the supermarkets. Significant research conducted in Swed en has shown that the outcome is the same in those who do not have an
actual ulcer and yet have the classical  dyspeptic pain, whether or not they use a placebo, an antacid, or even the
agent that blocks t he action of histamine. In other words, neither antacid nor the stronger medication are all that
effective. It is at this sta ge of body physiology, now g enerating signals of dehydration, that one should be prudent
and refrain from the use of any form of medication. Water is most probably the only effective substance to give relief. After all water, and only water, is what the body
wants, needs, and is cal ling for. If we search accur ately for other signs, there would be more indicators of
dehydration. Do not imagine that dyspeptic pain is the indicator of an isolated and localized phenomenon. In any
case, dyspeptic pain is a signal of dehydration—a thirst signal—of the body, even if there is an associated ulcer. If
water is taken and it relieves your pain, with adequate food intake/ the ulcer is bound to repair itself in due time. It is now said that ulcers are the result of infections. My researched opinion is that the variety of cur ved bacteria,
blamed for causing ulcerations, are commensals, bacteria that naturally dwell in the intestines. Th ey may take an
unfair advantage from the immune system suppression that is the direct outcome of dehydration. You see, the
normal intestinal bacteria cohabitate with us and produce much of the vitamins needed by the body. They contribute
to our wel l-being when we are strong. In dehydration, particularly at the site of the valve between the stomach and
the duodenum many histamine producing nerves exist. This particular curved bacterium benefits from the growth
hormon e effects of histamin e. at the same time that these nerves are restrictively monitoring the rate of flow of the
strongly acidic content of the stomach into the intestine. In any case, not all ulcer sites sho w the presence of
"helicobacters." Also, an infinite number of people may have helicobacter in their intestines and not suffer from
ulcers! Antacids that contain aluminum are dangerous. They should not be freely used for a condition that will respond to an
increase in water intake. Excessive aluminum in circulation has been very strongly implicated as a precipitating
facto r on top of other considerations in Alzheimer-type disease. It is imperative to understand this relationship
betwee n taking aluminum-containing antacids for a long period of time and its possible accumulative toxic side
effect of brain damage in Alzheimer's disease. No amount of genetic study will undo the toxic sid e effect of a metal
used in medications to deal with a simple signal of thirst under a wrong paradigm. Most antacids co ntain betwee n
150-600 milligrams of aluminum in every spoonful of the liquid, or in each tablet that is chewed . The island of Guam has much aluminum ore in its so il (normally the case for some regions in the Western Pacific—
Guam island, Kii peninsula in Japan, Western New Guinea, and others). The drinking water of the island was
heavily con taminated with aluminum. During the time this contamination was not recognized and remained in the
drinking water, a disease similar to Alzheimer dementia was prevalent on the island. Even the younger people on
the island seemed to suffer from the disease. A number of years ago this problem was recognized and the water
purified. It has been noticed that the younger people seem not to be afflicted any more. It is now taken for granted
that it was t he aluminum toxicity in  the drinking water that caused an Alzheimer-type of dementia on the island of
Guam. Histamine blocking agents are also not suitable for long-term use. They have many side effects. These include
dizziness and confusion states in the elderly. Enlarged breasts appear in men after a few weeks of taking this
medication. Low spe rm count in some male patients and loss of libido have also been noted. Nursing mothers or
pregnant wom en should not use this type of medication to treat the thirst signals of the body—the child's and the
mother's. Brain capillaries respond to dehydration by dilating if histamine stimulates them. These antihistamines will
block the capillary dilating action of histamine whe n the brain has to tabulate more information than normal, such as
when under the pressure of stress. The brain will get less blood supply when antihistamines are used for dyspeptic
pain treatment. The primary ca use of Alzheimer's disease is chr onic dehydration of the body. In my opinion, brain cell dehydration is
the primary cau se of Alzheimer disease. Aluminum toxicity is a secondary com plication of dehydration in areas of
the world with com paratively aluminum-free water. Caution: In the technically advanced Western socie ties
aluminum sulphate is at times used in the process o f water purification for delivery into the city water supplies. In
prolonged dehydration, the brain cells begin to shrink. Imagine a plum gradually turning into a prune. Unfortunately,
in a dehydrated state, many, m any functions of brain cells begin to get lost, such as the transport system that
delivers neurotransmitters to nerve endings. One of my medical friends took this information to heart and started
treating his brother who has Al zheimer's disease by forcing him to take more water every day. His b rother has
begun to recover his memory, so much so that he can now follow con versation and not frequently repeat himself. The improvement became noticeable in a matter of weeks. It should be recognized that although pain is localized to the region of the stomach, the dehydration is established all
over the body. No t recognizing dyspeptic pain to be a thirst signal calling for water will, later in Me, cause the human
body many irreversible problems. Of course, a stomach tumor could cause a similar pain. However, that pain will not
disappear with water. It will continue to recur. In case there are repeated pains even when water intake has been
regulated for a number of days, it wou ld be prudent to consult a physician for assessment of the condition. If the
pain is from gastritis and duodenitis, or even peptic ulcerations, regular intake of water is a must in the daily routine
and dietary adjustments for the treatment of the conditions. COL ITIS PAIN
Colitis pain, felt in the lower left part of the abdomen, should initially be viewed as another thirst signal for the human
body. It is often associated with constipation, itself caused by persistent dehydration. One of the main functions of the large intestine is the process of taking water out of the excrements so that too
much of it is not lost in the waste matter after food digestion. When there is dehydration, the residue is naturallydevoid of the normal amount of water necessary for its easier passage. Also, by slowing down the flow and further
squeezing the content, even the final drops of water will be drawn away from the solid residue in the large gut. Thus,
constipation will become a complication of dehydration in the body. With added food intake, more solid waste  will be
packed into the intestine and increase the burden for passage of its hardened waste content. This process w ill
cause pain. Colitis pain should initially be considered as a thirst sig nal of the body. With adequate water intake, the
left lower abdominal pain that is associated with constipation will disappear. Eating an apple, a pear, or an orange in
the evenings will help reduce constipation in the next day. FALSE APPENDICITIS PAIN
A severe pain can sometimes appear on the right lower abdominal region. It can mimic an inflammation of the
appendix and present some similarity to the pain of early appendicitis. Other distinguishing characteristics a re not
seen; there is no rise in body temperature; there is no guarding and tenderness in the abdominal wall and no feeling
of nausea. One or two glasses of water will relieve this lower  right abdominal pain. One glass of water can serve as
a diagnostic tool in this particular condition. HIATUS HERNI A
You often com e across the classical dyspeptic pain that the doctor has diagnosed as hiatus hernia (hiatal hernia). Hiatus hernia means displacement of the upper part of the stomach through the gap of the diaphragm (the
esophageal hiatus) into the chest cavity. This wou ld be an unnatural location for the stomach to be in. With a part of
the stomach in the chest, food digestion becomes painful. The acid in the stomach will freely push upward and
touch the unprotected wall of the esophagus. It causes the pain of heartburn. Normally, the content of the upper part of the stomach is se aled off and cannot pass upward into the esophagus
when food is being digested. The normal direction of intestinal contractions is downward, from the mouth to the
rectum. Furthermore, there are two valves that prevent the regurgitation of food upward. One valve is located in the
wall of the tract betwee n the esophagus and the stomach. This valve only relaxes when food is going into the
stomach. The other trap valve is located outside of the tract in the diaphragm, where the esophagus passes t hrough its hiatus
to join the stomach. This "tra p valve" is synchronized to relax every time the food that is being swallowed  in the
esophagus has to pass th rough it. At other times, it is tight and does not permit the content of the stomach to pass
upward. This is the normal state of affairs for the two "valves" that prevent the passage of food from reversing
direction and passing upward. The intestinal tract, from the mouth to the rectum, is a long tube. Different parts of it have developed special
physical and functional attributes to make the process o f food digestion and the evacuation of its waste  products a
well-integrated and smooth operation. There are many, many local hormones that make this operation possib le. Local hormones are chemical messengers that signal and time the next stage of the process to "kick in." They
cause the necessary enzyme s to be secreted to further the breakdown and subsequent absorption of the active
materials in food. Early in the process of digestion, acid is secre ted in the stomach to activate the enzymes and help in the breakdown
of solid proteins such as meat and hard-to-digest foods. Normally, the liquefied but highly acidic content of the
stomach is pumped into the first part of the intestine. There is a valve between the stomach and the intestine. It is
called the "pyloric valve." The operation of this valve is regulated by th e message system from either side of the
"tract." It is one thing for the stomach to wish to empty its co ntent into the intestine; it is another thing for the
intestine to be ready to receive this highly corrosive and acidic gastric co ntent
The pancreas is a  gland that secretes insulin to regulate blood sugar. It also pours some essential digestive
enzymes into the intestine. The pancreas has, at the same time, the physiological responsibility of rendering the
intestinal environment alkaline before the acid from the stomach can reach the intestine. The most important
function of the pancreas is its constant role of manufacturing and secre ting of a "watery bicarbonate solution"—the
alkaline solution that will neutralize the acid that enters the intestine. To manufacture the watery bicarbonate
solution, the pancreas will need much water from the circulation. In dehydration, this process is not very efficient. For this reason, the pyloric valve will not receive the dear signals to open and allow stomach acid to pour into the
intestine. This is the first step in the production of the dyspeptic pain, the initial thirst indicator of the human body. When we drink water, depending on the volume of water that enters the stomach, a hormone/neurotransmitter
called "motilin" is secreted. The more water we drink, the more motilin is produced by the intestinal tract and can be
measured in blood circulation. The effect of motilin on the intestinal tract, as its name implies, is to produce rhythmic
contractions of the intestines— peristalsis—fro m its upper parts to its lower end. Part of this action would involve the
timely opening and closing of the valves that are in the way of flow of the intestinal content. Thus, when there is enough water in the body for all the digestive processes that depend on the availability of water,
the pancreas will produce its watery bicarbonate solution to prepare the upper part of the intestinal tract to receive
the acidic content of the stomach. Under such ideal circumstances, the pyloric valve is also allowed  to open for the
evacuation of the content of the stomach. Motilin has a major "transmission" role in coordinating this action. Motilin
is a satiety hormone secreted when water extends the stomach wall. The problem begins when there is not enough water in the body for these digestive events to take place in acoordinated manner. In no way will the system allow the corrosive acid content of the stomach to reach the intestine
if the mechanism to neutralize it is not effective. The damage would be irreparable. The walls of the intestines do
not possess th e same protective layer against acid that is available to the stomach. The first thing that happens is
the reversal of the strength of contraction in the valves on either side of the stomach. The pyloric valve will constrict
more and more. The ring valve between the esophagus and the stomach and the external "valve" of the diaphragm will become
more relaxed. Initially, som e of the acid may flow into the esophagus when the person is lying down and produce a
type of pain that is often called heartburn. In som e, the laxity of the "valve" in the diaphragm may be such that a portion of the stomach may pass th rough it
into the chest and achieve the title of hiatus hernia. When the valves reverse their mode of operation for the normal
flow of the stomach content, in effect they are preparing for another eventual and unavoidable outcome: the
evacuation of the stomach content through the mouth. If the stomach content cannot go into the intestine and it
cannot indefinitely remain in the stomach, there is only one other way out—through the mouth. For this action to
take place, the intestinal tract is ca pable of reversing the direction of its contractions. The reversal of the
contractions is called "anti-peristalsis." One of the most misunderstood and upsetting conditions that is a complication of sev ere dehydration is bulimia. People who  suffer from bulimia—the most notable of them is Pri ncess Diana, who has been devastated with this
problem and who se marriage to Prince Charles was destroyed because of this antisocial problem—suff er from
constant "hunger." When they eat, they cannot retain the food and have an instant uncontrollable urge to vomit—
thus, their antisocial life-style. In these people, their sensation of "hunger" is, in fact, an indicator of thirst, and their
urge to vomit is the protection mechanism that is explained above. If bulimics begin to rehydrate their body well and
drink water before their food, this problem will disappear. In my opinion, because of the repeated corrosive effect of the regurgitating acid on the unprotected esophageal
tissue, there is a strong relationship between heartburn of early life and eventual cancer of the lower end of the
esophagus. Dyspeptic pain, no matter what other pathological label is attached to it, should be treated by regular intake of water. The current treatment practice and the use of antacids and histamine-blocking agents is not to the benefit of a
chronically dehydrated person whose body has resorted to crying for water. A.B. is herself engaged in the promotion of alternative medicine. She is very strongly into chelation therapy. Sh e has
compiled other people's information and written a popular book on chelation. However, she had herself suffered for
many years from excruciating pains from her hiatus hernia. Her husband, himself a most delightful author, tells me
that A.B. co uld hardly sit through a meal and not suffer from such severe pains as to be able to complete her food
and enjoy sitting down for a chat. At times, they would have to leave the restaurant because the pain would not
allow her even a short respite to finish her meal. A.B. tells me she hardly drank any water. Only after H.B. had by chance come across my book and read it, did they
finally understand A.B. 's problem. She began drinking water. As she increased her water intake, she noticed her
pain was less severe. In a matter of days it disappeared completely, never to come back. The husband and wife
now enjoy going out to eat. My wife and I ate with them a few times. It appears her hiatal hernia and its pain are
ancient history. It is interesting to note that even chelation, her pet treatment procedure for so many conditions,
could not help her. It should become clear that the hidden merits of che lation therapy in most cases is in its required
high-volume water intake during the actual treatment procedure. However in the past, increased water intake was
not a routine recommendation for in-betwee n the treatment sessions. But, as a result of my talks and reviews of my
book in their favorite Journal of Townse nd Letter for Doctors, most practitioners of "Alte rnative M edicine" are now
recommending increased water intake by their patients. Chelation therapy is most effective in extracting toxic m etals
out of the body. In Summary: Dyspeptic pain is a thirst signal associated with chronic or severe dehydration in the human body. It
could also exist in conjunction with other thirst pains of the body. Take a look at Mr. Liguori's letter on page 92. As
you can see, Mr. Liguori had both the pain of hiatal hernia and also anginal pain. With increased water intake, one
pain has disappeared and the other has diminished significantly in only one week of increased water intake. At the
time of the final writing of this page, his pain seems to have completely cleared up. "The worst sin towar d our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of
inhumanity." George Bernard Show, 1897
RHEUM ATOID ART HRITIS PAINS
About 50 million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis, 30 million people suffer from low back pain, millions
suffer from arthritic neck pains, and 200,000 children are affected by the juvenile form of arthritis. On ce any of these
conditions establishes in an individual, it becomes a sentence for suffering during the rest of the individual's life—
unless the simplicity of the root-cause of the problem is ful ly understood. Initially, rheumatoid arthritic joints and their pain are to be viewed  as indicators of water deficiency in the affected
joint cartilage surfaces. Arthritis pain is another of the regional thirst signals of the body. In some arthritis pains, salt
shortage may be a contributing facto r.
The cartilage surfaces of bones in a joint contain much water. The lubricating property of this "held water" is utilizedin the cartilage allowing the two opposing surface s to freely glide over one another during joint movement. Whereas the bone cells are immersed in calcium deposits, the cartilage cells are immersed in a matrix co ntaining
much water. As the cartilage surface s glide over one another, som e exposed cells die and peel away. Ne w cells take their place
from the growing ends that are attached to the bone surfaces on the two sides. In a well-hydrated cartilage, the rate
of friction damage is minimal. In a dehydrated cartilage, the rate of "abrasive" damage is increased. The ratio
betwee n the rate of regeneration of cartilage cells to their "abrasive peel" is t he index of joint efficiency. Actively growing blood cells in the bone marrow take priority over the cartilage for the available water that goes
through the bone structure. In the process of dilating the blood vessels to bring more circu lation to the area, it is
possible that the branch that goes through a tight hole in the bone cannot expand adequately enough to cope; the
cells that depend on these vessels for  an increased water and nutrient supply are under a physically imposed
rationing control. Under such circumsta nces, and unless th ere is blood dilution to carry more water, the "serum"
requirements of the cartilage will have to be satisfied from the blood vessels that feed the capsule of the joint. The
nerve regulated shunting mechanisms (to all the joints) also produce signals of pain. Initially, this pain is an indication that the joint is not fully prepared to endure pressure until it is ful ly hydrated. This
type of pain has to be treated with a regular increase in water intake to produce som e dilution of blood that is
circulating to the area until the cartilage is fully hydrated and repaired from its base attachment to the bone—the
normal bone route of serum diffusion to the cartilage. A look at Figures 6 and 7 will help make the points clear. It is my assumption that the swelling and pain in the capsule of the joint is an indication there is dilation and edema
from the vessels that furnish circulation to the capsule of the joint. Joint surfaces h ave nerve endings that regulate
all functions. When they place a demand for more blood circulation to the area to pick up water from the serum, the
compensatory vascular expansion in the capsule is supposed to make up for the inefficiency of circu lation from the
bone route of sup ply. Because dehydration in the joint surface s will eventually cause severe damage—to the point of making the bone
surfaces bare and exposed until osteoarthritis becomes established—the tissue damage will trigger a mechanism
for remodeling of the joint There are hormone-secre ting cells in the capsule of the joint. When there is damage (also
from dehydration), injured tissue has to be repaired. These "local remodeling hormones" take over and restructure
the joint surfaces. It seems that they cat er to the lines of force and pressure that the joints have to endure. Unfortunately, the repair process seems to produce a deviation of the joints. To avoid such disfigurement, one
should take the very initial pain seriously and begin a strict attention to daily intake of water. Initially, this pain should
be recognized as a sign of local dehydration. If it does not disappear after a few d ays of water intake and repeated
gentle bending of the joints to bring more circulation to the area, one should then consult a professional practitioner
of medicine. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by recognizing the pain and the non-infecti ous inflammation of a
rheumatoid joint as a thirst signal in your body. You are probably showing other signals for water shortage in your
body, but this particular site is indicating predisposition to a more severe local damage. If we understand the body to have difficulty in recognizing its thirst sta te, it is possib le that this lower state of
alertness is also inheritable by a child. It is possible that dehydration in a rapidly growing child might also indicate its
presence by the pain felt in the joints as well as it can be felt in heartburn. The mode of sig nal production that would
denote thirst might naturally be the sam e in the young, as wel l as in older people. It is therefore recommended that
juvenile arthritis should also be treated with an increase in daily water intake. As you  can see, Dr. Laurence Malone, whose letter is published below, is an experienced medical doctor and an
educator. His o bservations on the effect of water in rheumatoid joint pains in himself shows that our other
colleagues in the medical profession
should begin to notice the medicinal values of water in disease prevention. Postscript
The book is already in its printers' hands. A few re cently introduced commercial brands of water, with seemingly
scientific e xplanations about the specific way they are "manufactured," have prompted me to use the only available
space on this page to clarify the following points. The corrective physiologic effects o f ordinary "tap" water in some of the conditions explained in this book are being
attributed to specially prepared brands of "structured water" that are presented for sale. As I already explained,
water has many properties. It has special characteristics in the membranes and inside the cells of the body. However, if we simulate those characteristics outside the body, it does not mean that water will pass into the cells of
the body with the same characteristics. In fact, the cell membrane filters and separates water from its so lid content
and frees it from other dissolved materials to manufacture free and useful activator before its passage inside the
cell. It has developed the system that the water molecules have to be in "single file" before they can go through the
membrane. Water diffuses into the cell at the rate of 10 cen timeter per seco nd. The dissolved substances stay
behind, and their entrance into the cell is regulated by material-specific, sophisticated transport systems. This is how
the body survives. It creates its own "uniformity of presentation" with constantly changing environmental factors. Please do not be impressed by titles and jargons. Begin to think before you accept seemingly scientific sta tements
that are designed to sell you a productLOW BACK PAIN
It should be appreciated that the spinal joints—in tervertebral joints and their disc structures—a re dependent on
different hydraulic properties of water stored in the disc core, as wel l as in the end plate cartilage covering the flat
surfaces of the spinal vertebrae. In spinal vertebral joints, water is not only a lubricant for the contact surface s, it is
held in the disc core within the intervertebral space and supports the compression weight of the upper part of the
body. Fully 75 percent of the weight of the upper part of the body is supported by the water volume that is stored in
the disc core; 25 percent is su pported by the fibrous materials around the disc (see Figure 8). Th e principle in the
design of all joints is for  water to act as a lubricating agent, as well as bearing the force produced by weight, or
tension produced by m uscle action on the joint. It is the same type of force. In most of these joints, the establishment of an intermittent vacuum promotes a silent water circulation into the joint,
only to be squeezed out by the pressure borne as a result of joint activity. To prevent back pain, one needs to drink
sufficient water and do a series of special exercises to create an intermittent vacuum to draw water into the disc
space. These exercise s will also reduce the spasm in the back muscles that in a vast majority of people— 80
percent of all back pains—is the main cause of lower back pain. One also needs to adopt correct postures. The
subject of back pain and its relationship to water is so important to understand that I have dealt with it in a special
book, How to Deal With Back Pai n and Rheumatoi d Joint Pain,  and a complementary video, How To Deal With
Back Pain. If you get back pain and, in particular, sciatic pain, you will benefit by reading th e book and/or seeing the vi deo. In
majority of cases, sciatic pain can be totally relieved within half an hour, when the special movements that produce
an intermittent vacuum in the disc spaces—sho wn in the book and the video—are performed. Bad posture—keeping the head bent for long periods of time when writing, working at a low b ench, "freeze position"
working at the computer for many hours, bad pillow, or too many pillows—can  be contributory factors in the
production of neck pain or even the displacement of the intervertebral discs in the neck. Neck movement is
essential for the establishment of adequate fluid circulation within the disc spaces in the neck. The weight of the
head forces water out of the discs over a period of time. To bring back the same water, the force of vacuum has to
be created within the same disc space. This can only be done if the head and neck are moved adequately
backward. A simple process in  less severe case s of neck pain from disc displacement would be slowly and repeatedly bending
the head and neck backward, as much as they will bend. Keeping the neck extended for 30 seconds at a time. This
prolonged extension will enhance the force of vacuum and bring water into the disc spaces. At the same time,
because of their front attachment to the spinal ligament, all of the discs will be retracted back into their normal
spaces between the vertebrae and away f rom the nerve roots in the neck
Another simple procedure to correct this problem is lying on one's back on the very edge of the bed with the head
hanging back and down. This posture permits the weight of the head to stretch the non-weight-bearing neck and
bend it backward. A few moments in this position being totally relaxed will ease the tension in the neck This is a
good posture to generate a type of vacuum in the disc spaces in the neck After gently bending the head backwar d
so that you can see the floor, raise the head until you see the wall nearer your feet. This procedure may be effective
in creating an intermittent vacuum in the vertebral spaces between any two vertebrae. The vacuum draws water into
the disc spaces and spreads it to all parts in the neck joi nts and lubricates their movements. This water is needed to
be absorbed by th e disc core until it re-expands to its natural size, jacking up and separating
one vertebra from the other. You could now b end the head from one side to the other. Try to look at the wall and
floor of the room, first one side and then the other side. People who  begin to suffer from neck "arthritis," o r disc
displacement in the neck, may wish to test this simple procedure to improve the mobility of their neck joints. ANGINAL  PAIN
For more information read the section on cholesterol. In brief and to address the dehydration-produced pains of the
body together, anginal pain means water shortage in the body: The common factor to all of the various conditions
labeled as different diseases o f the heart and the lungs is an established dehydration. Take a look at Mr. Sam
Liguori's and Loretta Johnson's letters, published by their kind permission (among the testimonials in the section on
cholesterol, pages 92-93). Mr. Liguori's anginal pain disappeared when he started to increase his water intake. He
also has suff ered from hiatus hernia. That too has started to clear up. Given time, it will clear up completely. Also
take a look at Loretta Johnson's letter. You will see that even at the young-at-heart age of 90, her anginal pain can
be treated with water to the extent that she does not need any medication for her heart pains. HEADACHES
In my personal experience, migraine headaches seem to be brought about by dehydration; excess bed covers that
will not permit the body to  regulate its temperature during sleep; alcoholic beverages (hangover) initiating a process
of cellular dehydration, particularly in the brain; dietary or allergic triggers for histamine release; excess
environmental heat without water intake. Basically, m igraine seems to be an indicator of critical body temperature
regulation at times of "heat stress." Dehydration plays a major role in the precipitation of migraine headaches. The most prudent way of dealing with migraine is its prevention by th e regular intake of water. Once migraine
breaks the pain barriers, a cascade of chemical reactions will stop the body from further activity. At this time, one
may be forced to take pain-relieving medications with copious water. Sufficient cold or iced water may by itself be
able to cool the body (also the brain) from inside and promote closing of the vascul ar system everywhere. Excess
dilation of the peripheral vessels might well be the basic cau se of migraine headache. Mrs. Mav is Butler, a touring Australian Adventist m issionary in Silang in the Philippines, has an interesting history. She has for years suff ered from migraine headaches. She would at times be so incapacitated as to become bed-
ridden. She came across this book when she was in Silang and started to increase her wat er intake. She wrote to
me that she has so  improved that she now wants to shout it from the house tops. Read her letter. Hers is another of
those human stories that make one wonder How is it possible that we were so ignorant of the importance of water to
health that people could suffer from its lack in the body, to the point of wishing to die? P.O. Box 1619, Innisfail 4860 North Queensland, Australia
January 23,1995
Dear Dr. Batmanghelidj:
For many years I suffered with headaches. I consulted doctors, neurologists, chiropractors and spent hundreds of
dollars for head-scans and X-rays, all to no avail. At times only my faith in God kept me from wanting to die, as I lie
prone on my bed for days on end in pain. No medication would ever stop the pain, it would just seem to  run its course and then stop. I could never make any
connection between my diet and the headaches, and the only pattern they seemed  to follow wa s to always sta rt a
couple of hours after a meal. Then one day a friend told me that he thought my headaches were caused because I never drank enough water. While I knew I didn't actually drink much  water, I thought my herbal tea with fruit juices together with lots of fruits
amply supplied my liquid requirements. Just three weeks later I was leafing through a health magazine when an
advertisement for your book, "You r Body's Ma ny Cries for Water," just seemed to leap out at my eyes. I bought the
magazine and sent for the book. When it came, I eagerly read and re-read it to learn this new concept about water, and as I saw the errors in my
drinking habits I quickly se t about to righting them. Ca n anyone, without experiencing it for themselves, really
understand what it is like to have usually pain-filled days changed to wonderful painless days wh en you can do the
things you want to do, instead of being "down with a headache? " Oh, such  a blessin g for which I thank God
continually.It has taken months to properly hydrate my body, but now a headache is a now-and-again event instead of the
norm. I thank a loving and caring God for leading me step by step to this wo nderful truth. He no doubt tried to lead
me a lot earlier, but I was too blind to see. I thank you  doctor for your great work and perseverance in bringing this
truth to the people. I lecture to adults at night classes on "better Food and Eating Habits" and I quickly gave one of my sessions entirely
to the body's need for water. I have been able to help many people to better health and much less pain in their lives,
with this kno wledge. A friend told me he was going into hospital, in a few days time for stomach and ulcer treatment. I begged him to cancel this and try the water treatmen t you’ve recomm ended. He somewhat reluctantly did and was amazed and thankful to find his pains stop and in time, to know that the ulcer
had healed, all without med ication. Please let me offer my grateful thanks again and pray that the Lord will bless a nd guide you and your staff as you
work for the better health of humanity. Sincerely,
(Mrs.) Mavis Butler
STRESS AND DEPRESSI ON
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in  trying to adapt the world to
himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." George Bernard Shaw
A state of depression is sai d to exist when the brain, in confronting a stressful emotional problem, finds it difficult to
cope with other attention-demanding actions at the same time. This phenomenon can become so all-absorbing as
to incapacitate the person. In the long run, such a stressful drain on brain activity can produce different
manifestations that are labeled according to the person's outward behavior pattern. Ten million Americans are said to be suffering from one form or another of such conditions. Infinitely greater
numbers are experiencing, or will at one time or another experience, the milder forms of depression. Some form of
depression is a natural phenomenon in the process of development and progress of any individual. It is in these
states of consuming mental activity that characters are developed and the inner mettle of the individual is forged. Naturally, co ping with different aspects o f one's negative feelings is part and parcel of the process. Almost always,
the state of depression is a passing phenomenon if love, care, and empathy are available to nudge the individual in
the direction of a resolution of negative inner thoughts. Unfortunately, som e people will not be able to cope with the fear, anxieties, and angers associated with depression. In seeking professional help, they are given some form of medication. At the onset of chemical treatment of
depression, the medications were less harmful. Today, they are very powerful and sometimes dangerous. So me
form of them will strip from those treated the ability to emotionally feel for themselves, as well as for others. Some of
these medications can destroy empathy and fix a negative idea in particularly vulnerable persons. They may more
easily b ecome suicidal, as wel l as antisocial and homicidal. What I am explaining in this chapter is the reason for the inefficiency of the physiology associated with stress and
depression. What I propose is the way to increase the efficiency of brain power to cope with extremely severe
emotional stress and its outward manifestations of depression. I, myself, have experienced, and have observed in
many others, all of the positive aspects to what I am proposing to you readers. Pathology that is see n to be associated with "social stresses"—fear, anxiety, insecurity, persistent emotional and
matrimonial problems—a nd the establishment of depressio n are the results of water deficiency to the point that the
water requirement of brain tissue is affecte d. The brain uses electrical energy that is generated by the water drive of
the energy-generating pumps. With dehydration, the level of energy generation in the brain is decreased. Many
functions of the brain that depend on this type of energy become inefficient. We recognize this inadequacy of
function and call it depres sion. This "de pressive state" caused by dehydration can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome. This condition is a label put on a series of advanced physiological problems that are seen to be associated with
stress. If we understand the events that take place in stress, we will also understand chronic fatigue syndrome. In any case,
after a period of time of correcting for dehydration and its metabolic com plications, chronic fatigue syndrome will
improve beyond recognition. The following pages define the physiological events and the possible metabolic
overrides that can lead to depletion of certain body reserves that may be the basic problem in chronic fat igue
syndrome. THE I NITIAL LY SILENT COM PENSA TION MECHANISM S ASSOCI ATED W ITH DEHY DRA TION
When the body becomes dehydrated, the physiological processes that will establish are the same ones that occur
when coping with stress. De hydration equals stress, and once stress establishes, there is an associa ted
mobilization of primary materials from body stores. This process will "mop up" some of the water reserves of the
body. Consequently, dehydration causes stre ss, and stress will cause further dehydration. In stress, several hormonal overrides become operative. The body assumes a crisis situation and will begin to
mobilize for a "fight or flight" response. The body does not seem to recognize the social transformation of humans. Itassesses all situations of Str ess as though a "fight or flight" stance has to be maintained, even with stresses
associated with work in an office. Several strong hormones become secre ted and will remain "triggered" until the
body gets out of its stre ssful circumstances. These hormones are mainly endorphins, cortisone release factor,
prolactin, vasopressin , and renin-angiotensin. ENDORPHI NS, CORT ISONE, PROL ACTIN, AND VASOPRESSI N
Endorphins prepare the body to  endure hardship and in jury until it gets out of danger. They also raise t he pain
threshold. With an injury that wou ld have caused pain at a lower  level, with the "umbrella" of endorphins, the body
will be able to continue with its task. Because of chi ldbirth and monthly menstruation, women seem to access this
hormone much more readily. They g eneral ly have a greater abilit y to withstand pain and stress. Cortisone will initiate the remobilization of stored energies and raw m aterials. Fat is broken down into fatty acids to
be converted into energy. So me proteins are once again broken down into the basic amino acids for the formation
of extra neurotransmitters, new proteins, and some special amino acids to be burned by the muscles. During
pregnancy and at the time of feeding milk to the child, this hormone and its "associates" will mobilize a uniform flow
of primary materials for the purpose of offspring development. If the action of cor tisone continues for  long, soon
there will be some selective depletion from the amino acid reserves of the body. Under the influence of cortisone, the body continues to "feed off itself." The effect of cortisone is designed to provide
emergency raw materials for  the production of most essential primary proteins and neurotransmitters—t o get the
body rover the hump." It is not designed for the continued breakdown of materials employed in the maintenance of
the structural/integrity of the body. It is this phenomenon that produces t he damage associated with stress, i f the
"stressor" maintains its unabated influence. Prolactin will make sure that the lactating mother will continue to produce milk. Al l species have it. Prolactin will
prime the gland cells in the breast to continue milk production even if there is dehydration or stress that will cause
dehydration. It will prime the gland cells to regenerate and increase in quantity. We should remember that although we concentrate on the solid composition of the milk, it is its water content that is
of primary im portance to the growing fetus. Every time a cell gives rise to a daughter cell, 75 percent or more of its
volume has to be filled with water. In short, growth depends on the availability of water. When "water" is brought to
the area, the cells will be able to access it s other dissolved contents. This hormone is also made in the placenta and
stored in the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus. In short, this hormone has a "mamotrophic" action. It makes the
breast glands and their ducts grow. Growth hormone has much similarity to prolactin. They have similar actions,
except that prolactin mainly targets the organs of reproduction. It has been shown in mice that increased prolactin production will cause mammary tumors. In 1987,1 proposed in
my guest lecture address of an internationally gathered select group of cancer researchers that chronic dehydration
in the human body is a primary causative factor for tumor production. The relationship between stress, age-
dependent chronic dehydration, persiste nt prolactin secretion, and cancer transformation of the glandular tissue in
the breast should not be overlooked. A regular adjustm ent to the daily water intake in women—particularly when
confronting stresses of everyday life—will at least se rve as a preventive measure against possib le development of
stress-induced breast cancer in the age group of wom en predisposed to this problem and prostate cancer in men. Vasopressin regulates the selective flow o f water into some cells of the body. It also causes a constriction of the
capillaries it activates. As its name implies, it causes vaso-constriction. It is produced in the pituitary gland and
secreted into the circulation. While it may con strict blood vessels, some vital cells possess receiving points
(receptors) for this hormone. Depending on the hierarchy o f their importance, som e cells seem to possess more
vasopressin  receptors than others. The cell membrane—the protective covering of cell architecture— is naturally designed in two layers. Tuning-fork-
like solid hydrocarbon "bricks" are held together by the adhesive property of water (see Figure 14, page 85). In
betwee n the two layers there is a connecting passageway whe re enzyme s travel, selectively react together, and
cause a desired action within the cell. This wat erway works v ery much like a moat or "beltway,"  excep t that it is a
water-filled "beltway"  and everything has to float in it. When there is sufficient water to fill all the spaces, the moat gets filled and water will also get into the cell. There
may come a time when the rate of water flow into the cell may not be sufficient, and some of the cell functions m ay
become affecte d. To safeguard against such  a possible catastrophic situation, nature has designed a magnificent
mechanism for the creation of water filters through the membrane. When vasopressin  hormone reaches the cell
membrane and fuses with its spe cially designed receptor, the receptor converts to a "shower head" structure and
makes possible filtration of only water through its holes. The important cells manufactu re the vasopressin receptor in greater quantity. Vasopressin  is one of the hormones
involved in the rationing and distribution of water according to a priority plan when there is dehydration. Nerve cells
seem to exercise their priority by manufacturing more vasopressin receptors than other tissue cells. They need to
keep the waterways in their nerves fully functional To make sure the water can pass through these tiny holes (which
only allow th e passage of one water molecule at a time), vasopressin  also has the property of causing
vasoco nstriction and putting a squeeze on the fluid volume in the region. Thus, the hypertensive property of the neurotransmitter vasopressin —better known as a hormone—is needed to
bring about a steady filtration of water into the cells, only whe n the free flow and direct diffusio n of water through the
cell membrane is insufficient Figure 10 is designed to explain this mechanism. For more information on the cell
membrane, read the section on cholesterol. ALCOHOL
Alcohol will suppress th e secretion of vaso pressin from the pituitary gland. Lack of vasopressin in circu lation will
translate to general dehydration of the body—even in the brain cells. Now, a  previously slig ht and easier-to-adjust-to
dehydration will translate to a very severe drought in the "sensitive cells" of the brain. To cope with this "stress,"
more of the various hormones are secre ted, including the body's own addictive endorphins. Thus, prolonged use of alcohol may be instrumental in promoting addictive tendencies to endorphin secretion in the
body— triggering the secretion of excess endorphins. Women, because of their natural tendency to increased
endorphin production to cope with childbirth and their monthly menstruation, seem to become addicted to alcohol
more readily than men. It seems that women become addicted to alcohol in about three years compared to men,
who may become compulsive drinkers in about seven years. Figures 10 and 11 will explain som e of the possible contributory factors to the development of chr onic fatigue
syndrome during an expanding chronic dehydration. It can occur from the regular intake of caffeine-containing and
alcoholic beverages in place of water. Vaso pressin receptor is naturally designed to keep the waterways in the
nerve systems fully topped up. Naturally, in dehydration of the nerve system, the energy and volition to do new work
is drastically reduced. In severe dehydration, produced by th e habitual intake of alcohol and caffeine, when water has to be urgently
pumped into the "waterways" in the nerves, more blood circulation has to be brought alongside the nerves. Th e
process will  involve the release of histamine from the cells in the lining that cover the nerves. This will , at some
point, cause an "inflammatory" situ ation that will eventually damage the lining of the nerves in the vicinity—at a pace
faste r than they can be repaired. The outward manifesta tions of such  a "regional" process have been labeled as
different nerve disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Now, their prevention and treatment become clear. I
have seen it work in MS. See John Kuna's letter on page 70. RENI N-ANGIOTENSIN SYSTEM
Renin-Angiotensin (RA) system activity (see Figure 12) is a subordinate mechanism to histamine activation in the
brain. The RA sy stem is also recognized to be very strongly active in the kidneys. This system is activated whe n the
fluid volume of the body is d iminished. It is activated to retain water, and to do so, it also promotes the absorption of
more salt. In either water or sodium depletion of the body, the RA system becomes very active. Until water and sodium content of the body re ach a preset level, the RA sy stem also brings about the tightening of
the capillary bed and the vascular system. It is designed to do this so there is no "slack" and empty space in the
circulation system. This tightening can reach such a level that it becomes measurable, and we call it hypertension. You think a reading of 200 points is high? I have seen the blood pressure of a man without prior history of
hypertension reach a level of 300 millimeters of mercury, 300 points, whe n he was a rrested and taken to one of the
Iranian political prisons to be shot. The reason for this tightening of the blood vessels during stress is sim ple to understand. The body is a highly
integrated and efficient com plex multi-system. When there is stress, som e of the available water is used for the
breakdown of sto red materials, su ch as proteins, starch (glycogen)\and fat. To compensate for the lost water and to
put the system into a squeeze, the RA sy stem will also coordinate work with vasopressin and other hormones. The
kidneys are the main site of/RA sy stem activity. The kidneys are responsible for urine production and the excretion of excess hydrogen, potassium, sodium, and
waste  materials. All of these functions have to be maintained proportionate to the sufficient availability of water to be
used to make urine. It is true the kidneys have the ability to concentrate the urine. However, this ability is not to be
used to its extreme at all times, or it will eventually produce kidney damage. The RA sy stem is the pivotal mechanism for the restoration of fluid volume in the body. It is one of the subordinate
mechanisms to histamine activity for water intake. It regulates the vascular bed to adjust for the fluid content of the
circulation system. Its activity is decreased by the presence of more salt and water to fill the fluid capacity of the
vascular bed. In the kidneys, it senses the fluid flow and the filtration pressure for its urine-making system. If the
filtration pressure is not adequate for urine filtration and secretion, the RA sy stem will tighten the blood vessels in
this organ. When the kidneys are damaged and urine production is insufficient, the RA system is more active. It promotes more
salt intake and induces more thirst. Kidney damage may be the consequence of long-term dehydration and salt
depletion that had triggered the RA sy stem activity in the first place. But we have not in the past recognized the
significan ce of the vascul ar tightening (essen tial hype rtension) as an indicator of body's flu id loss. Now, i nsufficient
fluid balance in the body may have to be considered as the primary factor in som e cases of renal damage—to the
point of needing kidney replacement. Once the RA sy stem is turned fully ON, it continues its expanding pace until a
natural switching system could turn it off. The components of the natural OFF switch are WATER and so me SALT
—in that order—until the mea surable vascul ar tightening indicates  a normal range. The salivary glands se em to have the ability to sense salt shortage in the body. When there is sodium shortage,
they see m to produce substances called kinins. Kinins promote added bl ood circul ation and  increased sali va
formation in the salivary glands. This i ncreas ed saliva formati on (possibly to the extent that it would flow out of the
mouth) serves two purposes: On e, it lubricates the mouth during food intake in a dehydrated state of the body; two,
its alkaline consistency and copious flo w will assist in food breakdown and its eventual evacuation from the
stomach. Within the integrated systems of the human body, the kinins of the salivary gland seem to also trigger
activation of the RA sy stem that will begin to influence all parts of the body. Thus, sodium (salt) shortage in the body (which wou ld also contribute to devastating water shortage outside of cel ls)
could initiate a series of events that would ultimately produce essen tial hype rtension and chronic pains in humans. The relationship of the salivary kinins to sodium depletion (salt depletion causes body water content loss) and ample
saliva production, even if the body is fai rly dehydrated, is the paradox in the natural design of the human body. It
exposes the grossest error in considering the "dry mouth" as the sole indicator of water shortage in humans! Because of this very simple error, the practice of medicine and scientific research are light years off course. Much
backtracking and revision to the already adopted views will be unavoidable. Let us hope "self protection" will not be
an obstacle in the way! What happens if w e drink tea, coffee, or colas in place of water? Natural stimulants in coffee and tea are larger
quantities of caffeine and lesser  amounts of theophylline (theafelin). These are central nervous system stim ulants;
at the same time, they a re deh ydrating agents because of their  strong diur etic ac tion on th e kidneys. One cup of
coffee contains about 85 milligrams of caffeine, and one cup of tea contains about 50 milligrams of caff eine. Cola
drinks co ntain about 50 milligrams o f caffeine, part of which is added to standardize the recipe when extracting the
active substances from the nuts of Cok ac cuminata. These central nervous sy stem stimulants liberate energy from the ATP sto rage pool and convert ATP to  its burnt
stage of cyclic AMP in the cells—at certain levels a strong inhibitory agent. They also release energy from liberation
of calcium from its sto red form in the cells. Th us, caffeine seems to act in an energy releasing capacity in the body. We all know about this final effect of caff eine; wha t we should also know is its override effect when the body d oes
not wish to release energy for a cert ain action. In this way, the ac tion of some hormon es and t ransmitters w ill not be
limited at a later time because of a possib le lower level of stored energy. Caffeine will cause an override effect until
a lower level of energy sto rage is reached. Cola drinks have ex actly th e same effect. The effect of caffeine may at times be considered desirable, but constant substituting of caffeine-containi ng drinks
for water will deprive the body of its full capacity for the formation of hydroelectric energy. Excess caff eine will also
deplete the ATP-sto red energy in the brain and the body—a possible contributing factor for shorter attention span in
the younger, cola-consuming generation, or chronic fatigue syndrome as a result of excess coffee consumption In
later life. Excess caffeine intake will eventually exhaust the heart muscle because of its over-stimulation. Recently, in some experimental models, it has been shown that caffeine inhibits a most important enzyme system—
PDE (phos-pho-di-esterase)—that is involved in the process of learning and memory development. In reported
experiments, ca ffeine impaired vision and memory components of the learning ability in the species involved in the
experiment. You must now realize why people with Alzheimer's dispase and children with learning disability should not drink
anything other than water. Definitely no caffeine-containing beverages should be consumed. Let us now connect all the information in this chapter with two different but related problems: hypertension and
cholesterol formation—both leading to heart problems. The operating mechanism for adaptation to dehydration, which will climax into vasoco nstriction, are the sam e as
mentioned for stress. Namely, the continued actions of vasopressin and the RA system are responsible for
establishing the necessary adaptation to drought. They clo se a number of open capillaries in the vascular bed and
increase the pressur e/in the rest to squeeze water through the membranes into the cells in "priority organs." Do not
forget: Dehydration is the number one stressor of the human body—or any living matter.HIGH BL OOD PRESSURE
"Physicia ns think they are doing something for you by labeling -what you have as a disease." Imma nuel Ka nt
High blood pressure (essential hypertension) is the result of an adaptive process to a gross body water deficiency. The vessels of the body have been designed to cope with the fluctuation of their blood volume and tissue
requirements by opening and closing different vessels. When the total fluid volume in the body is decreased, the
main vessels also have to decrease their aperture (close their lumen); otherwise there would not be enough fluid to
fill all the space allocated to blood volume in the design of that particular body.
Your_Body_s_Many_Cries_for_Water_by_Batmanghelidj.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        The first time I set eyes on the young man was at eleven one evening in the summer of 1980. He was in such pain
that he was almost se miconscious. He was lyin g folded in the fetal position on the floor of his room. He was
groaning steadily, unaware of his environment and the worried people around him. When I talked to him, he did not
respond. He was n ot communicating with those around him. I had to shake him to get a response. I asked him wha t was the matter. He groaned, "My ulcer is killing me. " I asked him how long he had had the pain. He said his pain started at one in the afternoon, immediately after his lunch. The pain increased in intensity a s time
passed. I asked him what he had done to get relief and if he had taken any medication. He replied that he had taken
three tablets of cim etidine and one whole bottle of antacid during this time. He indicated that he got absolutely no
relief, even with this amount of medication, in the ten hours sin ce his pain first started. When so much medication cannot relieve the pain of peptic ulcer disease, one automatically becomes suspicious of
"acute abdomen," som ething that might possibly need surgical exploration. Maybe his ulcer had perforated. I had
seen and assiste d in the operation of patients with perforated peptic ulcers. Those persons were devastated—very
much like the young man before me. The test is very sim ple; such patients develop a very rigid abdominal wall,
almost like a wooden board. I felt for the rigidity of the wall of the abdomen in this young man. Fortunately, he hadnot perforated. His a bdominal wall was soft, but tender from the pain. He was lucky he had not perforated, although
if he had continued like this, the acid would have punched a hole through his now inflamed ulcer. The arsenal of medications in such circumsta nces is very limited. Three cimetidine tablets of 300 milligrams each
and one full bottle of antacid could not relieve the pain. Often, such cases would end on the operating table of a
knife-happy surgeon. Because of my extensive experience with the pain-relieving property of water in dyspeptic
pains, I gave this man two full glasses o f water—one pint. At first he was reluctant to drink the water. I told him he
had taken the usual medications without any re sult. He should now try "my medication" for this disease. He had no
choice. He was i n severe pain and did not know w hat to do about it. I sat in a corner and observed him for a few
minutes. I had to leave the room, and whe n I returned in about fifteen minutes, his pain had become less severe and his
groans sto pped. I gave him another full,glass o f water—half a pint. In a few minutes, his pain disappeared
completely and he started taking notice of the people around him. He sat up and began to move toward the wall of
the room. With his back to the wall, he started to conduct conversations with his visitors who were now more
surprised than he at the sudden transformation that three glasses of water had brought about. For 10 hours, this
man had suffered from pain and taken the most potent and advanced medicines for the treatment of peptic ulcer
disease without any re lief. Now, three glasses of water had produced an obvious and absolute relief in about 20
minutes. If you refer to Figure 4 on page 23 and compare the statements in the model on pain with the experience of the
above patient, you will recognize the brain component to the intensity o f signaling thirst in the body. After a certain
threshold, local painkillers will not be effective. The antacid and HI blocking agent cimetidine did not produce even a
reduction in the pain felt by the young man. It was water alone that registered the right message with the brain to
abort its call for water, since there was now a n unmistakable signal of its adequate presence in the body. Th e sam e
mode of pain registration is operative in other regions that signal dehydration in any particular individual. People with
rheumatoid joint pain should be aware of this particular phenomenon of pain registration at the brain when there is
severe dehydration. I had another occasion to test whether the abdominal pain registration for dehydration was time-dependent or wat er-
volume-dependent. This time, a man was carried by two other persons into the clinic where I was wor king at the
time. The patient could not walk; he was lifted from under his arms by two other persons. He, too, was a peptic ulcer
patient in extremely severe upper abdominal or dyspeptic pain. After examination to see that he had not perforated,
I gave the patient one full glass of water every hour. He did not achieve total relief in 20 minutes, or even one hour
and 20 minutes. He recovered after he had taken three glasses o f water. On the average, it takes less severe cases
about eight minutes to achieve total pain relief. It has been shown experimentally that, whe n we drink one glass of water, it immediately passes into the intestine
and is absorbed. However, within one half-hour, almost the same amount of water is secreted into the stomach
through its glandular layer in the mucosa. It swells from underneath and gets into the stomach, ready to be used for
food breakdown. The act of digestion of solid foods depends on the presence of copious amounts of water. The
acid is poured on the food, enzymes are activated, and the food is broken down into a homogenized fluid state that
can pass into the intestine for the next phase of digestion. The mucus cov ers the glands' layer of the mucosa, which is the innermost layer of the structure of the stomach (see
Figure 5). Mucus consists o f 98 percent water and two percent the physical "scaffolding" that traps water. In this
"water layer" called mucus, a natural buffer state is established. The cells below secre te sodium bicarbonate that is
trapped in the water layer. As th e acid from the stomach tries to go through this protective layer, the bicarbonate
neutralizes it. The outcom e of this action is a greater production of salt (sodium from the bicarbonate and chlorine from the acid). Too much salt alters the water-holding properties of the "scaffolding" material of mucus. Too much acid
neutralization and salt deposits in this mucus layer would make it less homogeneous and sticky and would allow the
acid to get to the mucosa l layer, causing pain. The natural design in the resection of water through the mucus layer seems to be the process of "back-wa shing" the
mucus layer and getting rid of the salt deposits. Th is is a most efficient design for rehydrating the mucus layer from
the bottom when new mucus is also secreted. This refreshed, thickened and sticky m ucus barrier is the natural
protective shield against the acid in the stomach. Naturally, the efficiency of this shi eld depends on a regular intake
of water, particularly before the intake of different solid foods that would stimulate the production of acid from the
glands in the stomach wall. Thus, wat er provides the only natural protection against the acid in the stomach, from
base upwar d. Antacids are designed to attach to the acid in the stomach itself— a n inefficient protection. We should begin to realize that in the sam e way w e have a "hunger pain" signal, we also have a "thirst pain" signal
in the body. It is unfortunate they call it "dyspepsia" and treat it with all sorts of medications until there is local
duodenal or stomach tissue  damage from the metabolic com plications of dehydration. The use of antacids for the
relief of this pain is generally the accep ted form of treatment. These substances are non-prescrip tion slow poisons
that one can buy even in the supermarkets. Significant research conducted in Swed en has shown that the outcome is the same in those who do not have an
actual ulcer and yet have the classical  dyspeptic pain, whether or not they use a placebo, an antacid, or even the
agent that blocks t he action of histamine. In other words, neither antacid nor the stronger medication are all that
effective. It is at this sta ge of body physiology, now g enerating signals of dehydration, that one should be prudent
and refrain from the use of any form of medication. Water is most probably the only effective substance to give relief. After all water, and only water, is what the body
wants, needs, and is cal ling for. If we search accur ately for other signs, there would be more indicators of
dehydration. Do not imagine that dyspeptic pain is the indicator of an isolated and localized phenomenon. In any
case, dyspeptic pain is a signal of dehydration—a thirst signal—of the body, even if there is an associated ulcer. If
water is taken and it relieves your pain, with adequate food intake/ the ulcer is bound to repair itself in due time. It is now said that ulcers are the result of infections. My researched opinion is that the variety of cur ved bacteria,
blamed for causing ulcerations, are commensals, bacteria that naturally dwell in the intestines. Th ey may take an
unfair advantage from the immune system suppression that is the direct outcome of dehydration. You see, the
normal intestinal bacteria cohabitate with us and produce much of the vitamins needed by the body. They contribute
to our wel l-being when we are strong. In dehydration, particularly at the site of the valve between the stomach and
the duodenum many histamine producing nerves exist. This particular curved bacterium benefits from the growth
hormon e effects of histamin e. at the same time that these nerves are restrictively monitoring the rate of flow of the
strongly acidic content of the stomach into the intestine. In any case, not all ulcer sites sho w the presence of
"helicobacters. " Also, an infinite number of people may have helicobacter in their intestines and not suffer from
ulcers. Antacids that contain aluminum are dangerous. They should not be freely used for a condition that will respond to an
increase in water intake. Excessive aluminum in circulation has been very strongly implicated as a precipitating
facto r on top of other considerations in Alzheimer-type disease. It is imperative to understand this relationship
betwee n taking aluminum-containing antacids for a long period of time and its possible accumulative toxic side
effect of brain damage in Alzheimer's disease. No amount of genetic study will undo the toxic sid e effect of a metal
used in medications to deal with a simple signal of thirst under a wrong paradigm. Most antacids co ntain betwee n
150-600 milligrams of aluminum in every spoonful of the liquid, or in each tablet that is chewed. The island of Guam has much aluminum ore in its so il (normally the case for some regions in the Western Pacific—
Guam island, Kii peninsula in Japan, Western New Guinea, and others). The drinking water of the island was
heavily con taminated with aluminum. During the time this contamination was not recognized and remained in the
drinking water, a disease similar to Alzheimer dementia was prevalent on the island. Even the younger people on
the island seemed to suffer from the disease. A number of years ago this problem was recognized and the water
purified. It has been noticed that the younger people seem not to be afflicted any more. It is now taken for granted
that it was t he aluminum toxicity in  the drinking water that caused an Alzheimer-type of dementia on the island of
Guam. Histamine blocking agents are also not suitable for long-term use. They have many side effects. These include
dizziness and confusion states in the elderly. Enlarged breasts appear in men after a few weeks of taking this
medication. Low spe rm count in some male patients and loss of libido have also been noted. Nursing mothers or
pregnant wom en should not use this type of medication to treat the thirst signals of the body—the child's and the
mother's. Brain capillaries respond to dehydration by dilating if histamine stimulates them. These antihistamines will
block the capillary dilating action of histamine whe n the brain has to tabulate more information than normal, such as
when under the pressure of stress. The brain will get less blood supply when antihistamines are used for dyspeptic
pain treatment. The primary ca use of Alzheimer's disease is chr onic dehydration of the body. In my opinion, brain cell dehydration is
the primary cau se of Alzheimer disease. Aluminum toxicity is a secondary com plication of dehydration in areas of
the world with com paratively aluminum-free water. Caution: In the technically advanced Western socie ties
aluminum sulphate is at times used in the process o f water purification for delivery into the city water supplies. In
prolonged dehydration, the brain cells begin to shrink. Imagine a plum gradually turning into a prune. Unfortunately,
in a dehydrated state, many, m any functions of brain cells begin to get lost, such as the transport system that
delivers neurotransmitters to nerve endings. One of my medical friends took this information to heart and started
treating his brother who has Al zheimer's disease by forcing him to take more water every day. His b rother has
begun to recover his memory, so much so that he can now follow con versation and not frequently repeat himself. The improvement became noticeable in a matter of weeks. It should be recognized that although pain is localized to the region of the stomach, the dehydration is established all
over the body. No t recognizing dyspeptic pain to be a thirst signal calling for water will, later in Me, cause the human
body many irreversible problems. Of course, a stomach tumor could cause a similar pain. However, that pain will not
disappear with water. It will continue to recur. In case there are repeated pains even when water intake has been
regulated for a number of days, it wou ld be prudent to consult a physician for assessment of the condition. If the
pain is from gastritis and duodenitis, or even peptic ulcerations, regular intake of water is a must in the daily routine
and dietary adjustments for the treatment of the conditions. COL ITIS PAIN
Colitis pain, felt in the lower left part of the abdomen, should initially be viewed as another thirst signal for the human
body. It is often associated with constipation, itself caused by persistent dehydration. One of the main functions of the large intestine is the process of taking water out of the excrements so that too
much of it is not lost in the waste matter after food digestion. When there is dehydration, the residue is naturallydevoid of the normal amount of water necessary for its easier passage. Also, by slowing down the flow and further
squeezing the content, even the final drops of water will be drawn away from the solid residue in the large gut. Thus,
constipation will become a complication of dehydration in the body. With added food intake, more solid waste  will be
packed into the intestine and increase the burden for passage of its hardened waste content. This process w ill
cause pain. Colitis pain should initially be considered as a thirst sig nal of the body. With adequate water intake, the
left lower abdominal pain that is associated with constipation will disappear. Eating an apple, a pear, or an orange in
the evenings will help reduce constipation in the next day. FALSE APPENDICITIS PAIN
A severe pain can sometimes appear on the right lower abdominal region. It can mimic an inflammation of the
appendix and present some similarity to the pain of early appendicitis. Other distinguishing characteristics a re not
seen; there is no rise in body temperature; there is no guarding and tenderness in the abdominal wall and no feeling
of nausea. One or two glasses of water will relieve this lower  right abdominal pain. One glass of water can serve as
a diagnostic tool in this particular condition. HIATUS HERNI A
You often com e across the classical dyspeptic pain that the doctor has diagnosed as hiatus hernia (hiatal hernia). Hiatus hernia means displacement of the upper part of the stomach through the gap of the diaphragm (the
esophageal hiatus) into the chest cavity. This wou ld be an unnatural location for the stomach to be in. With a part of
the stomach in the chest, food digestion becomes painful. The acid in the stomach will freely push upward and
touch the unprotected wall of the esophagus. It causes the pain of heartburn. Normally, the content of the upper part of the stomach is se aled off and cannot pass upward into the esophagus
when food is being digested. The normal direction of intestinal contractions is downward, from the mouth to the
rectum. Furthermore, there are two valves that prevent the regurgitation of food upward. One valve is located in the
wall of the tract betwee n the esophagus and the stomach. This valve only relaxes when food is going into the
stomach. The other trap valve is located outside of the tract in the diaphragm, where the esophagus passes t hrough its hiatus
to join the stomach. This "tra p valve" is synchronized to relax every time the food that is being swallowed  in the
esophagus has to pass th rough it. At other times, it is tight and does not permit the content of the stomach to pass
upward. This is the normal state of affairs for the two "valves" that prevent the passage of food from reversing
direction and passing upward. The intestinal tract, from the mouth to the rectum, is a long tube. Different parts of it have developed special
physical and functional attributes to make the process o f food digestion and the evacuation of its waste  products a
well-integrated and smooth operation. There are many, many local hormones that make this operation possib le. Local hormones are chemical messengers that signal and time the next stage of the process to "kick in. " They
cause the necessary enzyme s to be secreted to further the breakdown and subsequent absorption of the active
materials in food. Early in the process of digestion, acid is secre ted in the stomach to activate the enzymes and help in the breakdown
of solid proteins such as meat and hard-to-digest foods. Normally, the liquefied but highly acidic content of the
stomach is pumped into the first part of the intestine. There is a valve between the stomach and the intestine. It is
called the "pyloric valve. " The operation of this valve is regulated by th e message system from either side of the
"tract. " It is one thing for the stomach to wish to empty its co ntent into the intestine; it is another thing for the
intestine to be ready to receive this highly corrosive and acidic gastric co ntent
The pancreas is a  gland that secretes insulin to regulate blood sugar. It also pours some essential digestive
enzymes into the intestine. The pancreas has, at the same time, the physiological responsibility of rendering the
intestinal environment alkaline before the acid from the stomach can reach the intestine. The most important
function of the pancreas is its constant role of manufacturing and secre ting of a "watery bicarbonate solution"—the
alkaline solution that will neutralize the acid that enters the intestine. To manufacture the watery bicarbonate
solution, the pancreas will need much water from the circulation. In dehydration, this process is not very efficient. For this reason, the pyloric valve will not receive the dear signals to open and allow stomach acid to pour into the
intestine. This is the first step in the production of the dyspeptic pain, the initial thirst indicator of the human body. When we drink water, depending on the volume of water that enters the stomach, a hormone/neurotransmitter
called "motilin" is secreted. The more water we drink, the more motilin is produced by the intestinal tract and can be
measured in blood circulation. The effect of motilin on the intestinal tract, as its name implies, is to produce rhythmic
contractions of the intestines— peristalsis—fro m its upper parts to its lower end. Part of this action would involve the
timely opening and closing of the valves that are in the way of flow of the intestinal content. Thus, when there is enough water in the body for all the digestive processes that depend on the availability of water,
the pancreas will produce its watery bicarbonate solution to prepare the upper part of the intestinal tract to receive
the acidic content of the stomach. Under such ideal circumstances, the pyloric valve is also allowed  to open for the
evacuation of the content of the stomach. Motilin has a major "transmission" role in coordinating this action. Motilin
is a satiety hormone secreted when water extends the stomach wall. The problem begins when there is not enough water in the body for these digestive events to take place in acoordinated manner. In no way will the system allow the corrosive acid content of the stomach to reach the intestine
if the mechanism to neutralize it is not effective. The damage would be irreparable. The walls of the intestines do
not possess th e same protective layer against acid that is available to the stomach. The first thing that happens is
the reversal of the strength of contraction in the valves on either side of the stomach. The pyloric valve will constrict
more and more. The ring valve between the esophagus and the stomach and the external "valve" of the diaphragm will become
more relaxed. Initially, som e of the acid may flow into the esophagus when the person is lying down and produce a
type of pain that is often called heartburn. In som e, the laxity of the "valve" in the diaphragm may be such that a portion of the stomach may pass th rough it
into the chest and achieve the title of hiatus hernia. When the valves reverse their mode of operation for the normal
flow of the stomach content, in effect they are preparing for another eventual and unavoidable outcome: the
evacuation of the stomach content through the mouth. If the stomach content cannot go into the intestine and it
cannot indefinitely remain in the stomach, there is only one other way out—through the mouth. For this action to
take place, the intestinal tract is ca pable of reversing the direction of its contractions. The reversal of the
contractions is called "anti-peristalsis. " One of the most misunderstood and upsetting conditions that is a complication of sev ere dehydration is bulimia. People who  suffer from bulimia—the most notable of them is Pri ncess Diana, who has been devastated with this
problem and who se marriage to Prince Charles was destroyed because of this antisocial problem—suff er from
constant "hunger. " When they eat, they cannot retain the food and have an instant uncontrollable urge to vomit—
thus, their antisocial life-style. In these people, their sensation of "hunger" is, in fact, an indicator of thirst, and their
urge to vomit is the protection mechanism that is explained above. If bulimics begin to rehydrate their body well and
drink water before their food, this problem will disappear. In my opinion, because of the repeated corrosive effect of the regurgitating acid on the unprotected esophageal
tissue, there is a strong relationship between heartburn of early life and eventual cancer of the lower end of the
esophagus. Dyspeptic pain, no matter what other pathological label is attached to it, should be treated by regular intake of water. The current treatment practice and the use of antacids and histamine-blocking agents is not to the benefit of a
chronically dehydrated person whose body has resorted to crying for water. A. B. is herself engaged in the promotion of alternative medicine. She is very strongly into chelation therapy. Sh e has
compiled other people's information and written a popular book on chelation. However, she had herself suffered for
many years from excruciating pains from her hiatus hernia. Her husband, himself a most delightful author, tells me
that A.
He was in severe pain, almost unconscious, and unable to communicate.
What was the condition of the young man when the narrator first saw him?
He gave him three glasses of water, which resulted in significant pain relief.
What did the narrator do to help the young man's pain?
He believes that it is often misdiagnosed and mismanaged, and that hydration is the key to treatment.
What is the narrator's opinion on the treatment of peptic ulcer disease?
He believes they are ineffective and potentially harmful, and that hydration is the only effective treatment.
What is the narrator's view on the use of antacids and histamine-blocking agents?
He believes that dehydration is the underlying cause of these conditions, and that hydration is the key to treatment and prevention.
What is the narrator's view on the treatment of stress and depression?