Positive Health Online

Dr Batmanghelidj (Dr B) is a highly respected ‘founding father’ as far as information on the importance of water is concerned and his books describe in technically detailed, yet simple to understand, language how dehydration affects the physiological processes leading to the logical manifestation of symptoms, which are, in fact, simply the warning lights of dehydration displayed in various bodily areas. Water and Salt: Your Healers From Within and Water Cures, Drugs Kill are two of his books which go into detail about the health problem caused by dehydration.

In ‘Water & Salt…, Dr B explains how and why water is the central regulator of energy and osmotic balance and his explanations are made readily understandable by detailed, but easily understandable, diagrams. He states that we cannot store water so the body’s water rationing system follows a logical sequence in preserving water for the most vitally important processes and he explains how and why multiple disease states can be a result of dehydration. His examples cover symptoms like headaches, depression, heartburn, constipation, obesity, allergies and raised blood pressure right through to the more serious situations like osteoporosis, auto-immune conditions, heart attack, diabetes and cancer.

As a wrongfully imprisoned doctor during the 1970s violent Iranian revolution, Dr B began his treatment of many ‘inmate’ patients using the only resource he had available: water. He progressed to deeply understand the nature of symptoms in relation to water, or more appropriately, to the lack of water, and after his most well-known book Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, he wrote about the importance of salt in the ability of the body to uptake water in dealing with cellular hydration. (Anyone learning about the importance of drinking water and taking salt should be aware that not just any type of water and salt is suitable and, that if the wrong type of water and/or salt is taken, the detrimental effects on health could be considerable. Dehydration is not merely an unhealthy state caused by lack of water intake. Along with water quantity, the quality of water and the type of salt taken into the body is of primary importance. The ushering of this water from the extra-cellular spaces, across the cell membrane, and into the inside of the cell (water uptake) is dependent upon several factors and unless this process is completed, along with expulsion from the cell of cellular products and waste, then a state of full hydration does not exist.)

Dr B’s approach became even more holistic as he taught about nutrition and lifestyle but his books now take on a global view of sickness (versus health) from prescription pad to policy makers. His understanding of the ramifications and side effects of drugs is as extensive as his explanations on the physiological function of water and anyone who studies health with open eyes cannot help but see the ugly face of politics, even though there might be no desire to see it. Dr B never tires in his efforts to enlighten fellow medical doctors to conceptual errors. However, in true, loving, plain speaking, he makes known what is happening to the nation’s health by treating dehydration, or more accurately, trying to silence the symptoms of dehydration, by drug-centred treatment. In Water Cures, Drugs Kill, after a wake up call to America and Britain, Dr B outlines several dis-ease states (warning symptoms) which progress to disease states (actual damage). He elaborates multiple and varied case histories which confirm dehydration as the cause of symptoms. His examples are so varied that almost anyone could find, within the pages of his books, information directly relevant to his/her personal situation. At last, in this book, there is an index, even if only of case histories/conditions caused by dehydration.

Dr B’s groundbreaking books show how water affects body function and structure, and he openly questions current paradigms regarding health. His books make sound, logically progressive reading and by the time you come to the end of them you will be able to make sense of your own symptoms and see logical reasons to tie them to lack of water (and unrefined salt). Details of his other books, videos and audio tapes are given in the books. His web address at present is www.watercure.com/default2.htm.

Both Dr B’s books and Drs Hendel/ Ferreira’s book proclaim the importance of water and unrefined salt to mental health and altruism. This can be clearly discerned in these authors and all three books are extremely informative, inspiring and certainly exceed highly recommended reading.