When God created Adam, He made him from the dirt of the earth; and Eve He formed from a bone of her husband’s body. Miraculously, somewhere along the way, though, 75% of their bodies turned into water. (That’s right! 75%; only 25% of the human body is solid matter.) The largest component of the body is H2O, which makes up 45–75% of the body’s weight. It is common knowledge that water is good for the body, but it is little recognized just how essential it is to our well-being. Neither are the consequences of dehydration recognized for what they truly are.
Every part of the body has a role to play in our functionality. Given the fact that we are ¾ water, it is obvious that this element is very important to our livelihood. Furthermore, it is found in every single body system—skeletal: 22%, muscular: 70%, blood: 90%, internal organs: 80%, brain: 80%—meaning that if we are deficient of water, every part of our being is affected.
The body has a system to regulate the distribution of water to ensure that the vital organs have first dibs on the water supply when there is a shortage. Each organ, or system, in turn, has its own alarm signals that sound off to alert the rest of the body of its water shortage. Most people regard a dry mouth as the body’s first sign of thirst, and do not drink water unless this symptom is present. The truth is, however, that by the time a person suffers from cottonmouth, the rest of the body is screaming for lack of water. It is the last cry given by our bodies to draw our attention to thirst.
The body manifests the drought in four consecutive stages. If the first doesn’t grab our attention, the second is implemented; and so on down the line. The first of these signals is perceptive feelings. Fatigue which cannot be attributed to excessive physical activity or other stressors, ranks highest among these. Also, anxiety, anger, depression, sleeplessness, cravings for soda, caffeine, alcohol, and introversion are early expressions of onsetting dehydration. If this does not grab our attention, the body moves to stage two. If we still do not recognize our need for water, the regulatory system in the body takes measures to conserve and distribute what water it does have in an attempt to function as capably as possible without its main ingredient. Some of the signs of this phase are constipation, allergies, autoimmune diseases, asthma, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes.1
At this point, if there is still no correction of the issue—that is, if the body still remains in a state of dehydration—other, more localized signs begin to appear. Just like a car cannot go for long with insufficient oil before there is damage, the body cannot run without damage with a lack of sufficient water before it manifests the damage. These crisis signs are heartburn, rheumatoid joint pain, back pain, migraines, colitis pains, fibromyalgic pains, and angina pains. Here, the body has not yet deteriorated into a diseased state; however, the early onset signals of disease are quite apparent.
Why exactly is water so very important, and what does it do in the body that its absence would prompt disease? It is the body’s water supply that regulates every single function of the body. When we are not adequately hydrated, the body cannot function properly. From vital organs right on down to the molecular level, function is impaired. Nothing in creation can operate without energy. Just like a car runs on gas, our bodies run on water—through a chemical reaction known as hydrolysis. The flow of water through the body and its cells generates hydroelectricity, actual voltage, which empowers the body in immediate function and also spawns the creation of ATP and GTP—the chemical energy sources in the body. Water, believe it or not, has the amazing ability to serve as “glue” for the cell’s many structures and, at the same time, is used as a “waterway,” starting in the brain, that is used to transport the many signals of the brain and other parts of the body so that every material can be delivered to its respective “address.” It is a mode of transportation for nutrients, neurotransmitters, and cells. It is necessary for the reproduction of cells and the livelihood of existing ones.
What happens when a car runs low on oil? A light appears as an indicator that warns you that you had better replenish the vehicle’s oil. And what happens if you ignore the light? The car components that make your car run are severely damaged. The same applies to the body and water. The “indicator” is the experience of physical discomfort in the area that has been severely rationed due to drought, and the body’s system of self-preservation. And, in an attempt to remedy the pain, rather than giving the body what it is asking for—what it needs—we give it painkillers and other medications that only exacerbate the issue through negligence. This is kind of like turning off the car’s indicator light and giving it sand instead of oil. The body, over time, then begins to deteriorate. Nutrients that are consumed cannot process properly, thus depriving it of needed minerals, vitamins, sugars, and calories necessary for basic function. This in turn is obviously an open door to numerous body malfunctions; cells cannot reproduce properly, creating mutant cells. Cholesterol is allowed to build, blocking blood paths. The blood itself becomes thick, and issues with blood pressure arise. Bones are tapped for energy and are then depleted. When water is not abundant enough to produce the needed energy, the bones become the backup energy supply. Here, cells can be drawn upon to produce the chemical energy necessary for the basic functionality. However, in tapping the skeletal system of its resources, other diseases are spawned, namely osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, as well as the overwork of the body to supplement the energy source we are supposed to be giving it. This results in fatigue; untreated, this turns to severe chronic fatigue and other sleep disorders. Body organs are in need of fuel to function; the lack of this fuel can cause ulcers, angina, high blood pressure and its resulting issues, high cholesterol and its resulting issues, asthma, diabetes and arthritis. But the issues with dehydration span to the cells also. In order to carry out their duties, they also need the energy source provided by H2O. If this does not happen, the cells miscommunicate and create other cells that are mutant and unable to function normally. This can lead to numerous forms of cancer if the issue goes unattended for an extended period of time.
If “feeling” thirsty is not a reliable indicator of when to drink, what is the best way to make sure that the body is adequately hydrated? As a rule of thumb, a person divides their weight in pounds in half and drinks that amount in ounces. When this is done, the body will become more sensitive to monitoring, and you will actually begin to feel thirsty more frequently. Always respond to this prompt, but never wait for it to drink. If a person is physically active or lives in a warmer climate, an additional 8 ounces of water should be consumed for every hour of hard physical labor or each day in warmer climates.
The optimal time to drink water is one-half hour before eating, and an hour after. This prevents the blood from becoming too concentrated from the intake of nutrients. When blood becomes too concentrated, it robs surrounding cells of their water supply to make up for the lack so that nutrients can be distributed more efficiently.
Just as any vehicle will operate efficiently for an extended period of time when it is serviced regularly, so will the body with adequate care. That care is not found in traditional medicine after disease has already taken its toll; rather it is found in the natural basics such as proper rest, nutrition, and, of course, water. It is up to us to take responsibility for our own well-being. The information and understanding that is now available on the body and its operation allows the public that is interested to take their health and quality of life in their own hands, and practice what is not always practiced in modern medicine—preventative medicine. And the cost is most frequently as cheap as the water you drink.
This article is based on scientific findings of the past two decades. Additional information can be found in the works of 1F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.