The Water Cure

Summary: Divide body weight in pounds by two and drink that many ounces of water per day. For example, if one weighs 180 lbs, this is 90 ounces of water per day which is approx 11 eight ounce cups or nine ten-ounce portions. After each 8 to 10 ounces, sprinkle a pinch of salt (1/16 to 1/8 tsp) on the tongue and let dissolve before swallowing (wash it down with more water if desired). Salt consumed can be as much as 1/4 tsp per 8 ounces of water for severe problems such as detox reaction.

The Water Cure is described in the book Your Body's Many Cries for Water by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj. Batmanghelidj's website gives a little information on the therapy, and a place to buy the book online.

Bob Butts' site at http://www.watercure2.org describes the technique in more detail and how it may be helpful for many illnesses. He states, "The MOST critical elements to a powerful immune system are oxygen, water and then salt. The amount required is what the watercure specifies. Before doing anything else, be certain that you are not violating this biblical recipe. If under a doctor's care, make no changes without consulting him/her. Be certain that your M.D. has a thorough understanding of the effects chronic dehydration has on the human physiology."

This therapy appears valuable to fight many maladies, especially those of insufficient circulation, mineral and toxin deposits, and liver, kidney, and other organs' general function. The Water Cure is also the cheapest and best method to combat and prevent detox reactions which occur in certain therapies, especially Bioelectronic, since water is the best "supplement" for this purpose and salt is found by many to greatly hasten recovery.

For salt, try to find KAL Real Salt or Himalayan Pink Sea Salt , which are available in many health food stores and online. They come in a half pound shaker bottle and costs around $3 and are sometimes available in bulk. Celtic Sea Salt is also good, but quite a bit more expensive. If either of these cannot be found, plain sea salts like Hain and Baleine brands, available in most supermarkets, are okay. Just don't use any with toxic additives like aluminum, which is found in many salt products. The salt is stated by Batmanghelidj as being safe to take if sufficient water is drunk and he says it is one of the best treatments for heart and circulation disorder, but it would be best to use only with an MD's permission if there are any serious kidney or circulation disorders. I would also ensure adequate mineral consumption in the diet or by supplements. Some people cannot handle this much salt even when drinking a lot of water and in this case, the amount should be decreased to a dose that is comfortable and still effective.

The salt is an important part of the regimen so do not omit it. It appears to indicate to the body that it is okay to "flush the cells," removing harmful metals and other toxins, since there are plenty of electrolytes available for replacement. Batmanghelidj recommends large amounts of salt, one-eighth teaspoon instead of a pinch, after each glass of water. I find that even a pinch, which is approximately 1/16 tsp, works fine. However, people with severe detox reactions find that the larger amounts are necessary. One guy who wrote me said he found it necessary to use a whole tablespoon (!) of salt in a glass of water after each Bioelectronic session to prevent detox, followed by plenty of additional plain water. Do not use large amounts of salt without drinking sufficient water or without consuming adequate potassium in the diet.

If salt absolutely cannot be used for this regimen, coral calcium can be used instead. It provides calcium, magnesium, and other trace minerals, and even a little bit of sodium, and probably serves to mineralize and alkalize the body even better. However, it does not have the pathogen-fighting ability of sodium.

Someone on the rife list was discussing detox and had this to say about The Water Cure: "In the discussions of clogged lymph I have not heard anyone deal with the basic cause (and many other problems as well) which is chronic dehydration. If you do not drink enough plain water (coffee, tea, pop or soda, alcohol do not count) you will become dehydrated - you will have clogged lymph and many other problems. If you start drinking 1/2 oz of water per pound of body weight per day, you will notice immediate improvements in the short term. In 2 to 6 months you will be fully hydrated and cleaned of many toxins. A simple test of your level of dehydration is to soak in the tub. If the pads of your fingers crinkle badly you are dehydrated. If they are hardly affected by a 1/2 hour soak you are much improved."

Following is a reprint from the book. In this reprint, Batmanghelidj attributes lack of water as the main causative problem in a lot of disorders. While I have not seen this to be true in all of them, using the Water Cure is certainly helpful for them, and is curative in many of the ones he mentions and some others he doesn't. Not bad for a regimen which costs about a dollar a month.

From the book: "Your Body's Many Cries for Water"

AMAZING SECRETS FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Cure # 1: Water prevents and cures heartburn.

Heartburn is a signal of water shortage in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a major thirst signal of the human body. The use of antacids or tablet medications in the treatment of this pain does not correct dehydration, and the body continues to suffer as a result of its water shortage.

Tragedy: Not recognizing heartburn as a sign of dehydration and treating it with antacids and pill medications will, in time, produce inflammation of the stomach and duodenum, hiatal hernia, ulceration, and eventually cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and pancreas.

Cure # 2: Water prevents and cures arthritis.

Rheumatoid joint pain - arthritis - is a signal of water shortage in the painful joint. It can affect the young as well as the old. The use of pain-killers does not cure the problem, but exposes the person to further damage from pain medications. Intake of water and small amounts of salt will cure this problem.

Cure # 3: Water prevents and cures back pain .

Low back pain and ankylosing arthritis of the spine are signs of water shortage in the spinal column and discs - the water cushions that support the weight of the body. These conditions should be treated with increased water intake - not a commercial treatment, but a very effective one.

Tragedy: Not recognizing arthritis and low back pain as signs of dehydration in the joint cavities and treating them with pain-killers, manipulation, acupuncture, and eventually surgery will, in time, produce osteoarthritis when the cartilage cells in the joints have eventually all died. It will produce deformity of the spine. It will produce crippling deformities of the limbs. Pain medications have their own life-threatening complications.

Cure # 4: Water prevents and cures angina.

Heart pain - angina - is a sign of water shortage in the heart/lung axis. It should be treated with increased water intake until the patient is free of pain and independent of medications. Medical supervision is prudent. However, increased water intake is angina's cure.

Cure # 5: Water prevents and cures migraines.

Migraine headache is a sign of water need by the brain and the eyes. It will totally clear up if dehydration is prevented from establishing in the body. The type of dehydration that causes migraine might eventually cause inflammation of the back of the eye and possibly loss of eye sight.

Cure #6: Water prevents and cures colitis.

Colitis pain is a signal of water shortage in the large gut. It is associated with constipation because the large intestine constricts to squeeze the last drop of water from the excrements - thus the lack of water lubrication.

Tragedy: Not recognizing colitis pain as a sign of dehydration will cause persistent constipation. Later in life, it will cause fecal impacting: it can cause diverticulitis, hemorrhoids and polyps, and appreciably increases the possibility of developing cancer of the colon and rectum.

Cure # 7: Water and salt prevent and cure asthma.

Asthma, which also affects 14 million children and kills several thousand of them every year, is a complication of dehydration in the body. It is caused by the drought management programs of the body. In asthma free passage of air is obstructed so that water does not leave the body in the form of vapor - the winter steam. Increased water intake will prevent asthma attacks. Asthmatics need also to take more salt to break the mucus plugs in the lungs that obstruct the free flow of air in and out of the air sacs.

Tragedy: Not recognizing asthma as the indicator of dehydration in the body of a growing child not only will sentence many thousands of children to die every year, but will permit irreversible genetic damage to establish in the remaining 14 million asthmatic children.

Cure # 8: Water prevents and cures high blood pressure.

Hypertension is a state of adaptation of the body to a generalized drought, when there is not enough water to fill all the blood vessels that diffuse water into vital cells. As part of the mechanism of reverse osmosis, when water from the blood serum is filtered and injected into important cells through minute holes in their membranes, extra pressure is needed for the "injection process." Just as we inject I.V. "water" in hospitals, so the body injects water into tens of trillions of cells all at the same time. Water and some salt intake will bring blood pressure back to normal!

Tragedy: Not recognizing hypertension as one of the major indicators of dehydration in the human body, and treating it with diuretics that further dehydrate the body will, in time, cause blockage by cholesterol of the heart arteries and the arteries that go to the brain. It will cause heart attacks and small or massive strokes that paralyze. It will eventually cause kidney disease. It will cause brain damage and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Cure # 9: Water prevents and cures early adult-onset diabetes.

Adult-onset diabetes is another adaptive state to severe dehydration of the human body. To have adequate water in circulation and for the brain's priority water needs, the release of insulin is inhibited to prevent insulin from pushing water into all body cells. In diabetes, only some cells get survival rations of water. Water and some salt will reverse adult-onset diabetes in its early stages.

Tragedy: Not recognizing adult-onset diabetes as a complication of dehydration will, in time, cause massive damage to the blood vessels all over the body. It will cause eventual loss of the toes, feet and legs from gangrene. It will cause eye damage, even blindness.

Cure # 10: Water lowers blood cholesterol.

High cholesterol levels are an indicator of early drought management by the body. Cholesterol is a clay-like material that is poured in the gaps of some cell membranes to safeguard them against losing their vital water content to the osmotically more powerful blood circulating in their vicinity. Cholesterol, apart from being used to manufacture nerve cell membranes and hormones, is also used as a "shield" against water taxation of other vital cells that would normally exchange water through their cell membranes.

Cure # 11: Water cures depression, loss of libido, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy.

These conditions are caused by prolonged chronic dehydration. They will clear up once the body becomes well and regularly hydrated. In these conditions, exercising one's muscles should be part of the treatment program.

For More Information, Read the Book:
Your Body's Many Cries for Water.

by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

Links

Why I now say no to distilled water only by Dr. Mercola