article archive
July 2006
Dehydration's hidden symptoms
by Brian D. Foltz and Joe Ferrara, PhD
Chronic dehydration remains hidden as a cause of health problems
because its symptoms are usually blamed on something else.
For example, dehydration triggers the release of histamine.
Histamine's function here is to regulate the thirst mechanism
and conserve and ration available water in the body according
to a priority of function. Elevated histamine can lead to
allergies.
Allergies are a symptom of chronic dehydration. When
you are dehydrated and histamine levels are elevated, your
body releases a stress hormone called cortisol. This suppresses
the production of white blood cells and you become more vulnerable
to all kinds of allergens.
The dust, mold or pollen in the air
made you sneeze, but it was chronic dehydration that raised
your histamine levels and suppressed your immune system in
the first place. Taking anti‑histamines can help you
feel better, but this only covers up the symptoms. Underneath,
the problem of dehydration continues to take its toll.
The first
signs of dehydration
Less energy is usually the first sign of
dehydration because the cells of the body are the first to
lose water. Water is a primary driving force of energy production
inside the cells, so even the slightest water loss causes a
big drop in energy. For every one percent drop of water inside
your cells, energy production is cut by 10 percent.
Digestive
problems are another early symptom. All the substances that
break down food in the digestive tract are water‑based.
Acid reflux is thought to be causes by the production of
too much stomach acid. However, too little stomach acid due
to chronic dehydration is often the real cause. When the
stomach doesn't have enough acid for digestion, food stays
in your stomach too long and gets pushed back up, along with
some acid.
As discussed in "Water: For Health For Healing For
Life," a book by dehydration pioneer and researcher,
Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, heartburn and indigestion after eating
are dehydration symptoms that eventually lead to peptic ulcers.
This pain is your body's way of telling you that it is extremely
thirsty. Sometimes the pain is not severe, but simply felt
as a discomfort in the upper abdomen. Sometimes the pain
is intense and is around the appendix and might seem like
appendicitis and other times it might be felt on the left
side, over the large intestine.
Constipation is also symptom
of dehydration. The intestinal tract uses a lot of water
to liquefy and break down your food so the nutritional elements
can be extracted. The body reabsorbs much of that water,
depending on its need. The more the body is dehydrated, the
more it slows down the passage of waste through the lower
intestine so it can extract more water. This causes constipation,
which can become chronic and lead to hemorrhoids, diverticulitis,
polyp formation and colon cancer.
As chronic dehydration persists
and deepens, survivals mode of the body are activated to manage
and preserve water for the most vital functions. Batmanghelidj
notes: "There
are five distinct conditions that denote states of dehydration
and operative rationing processes... Asthma, Allergies, Hypertension,
Constipation and Type II diabetes." These conditions,
each in their own way, help the body conserve water and/or
protect vital areas of the body from the ravaging effects
of dehydration.
Your body's many signals of thirst
Dry mouth is not the only
sign of dehydration. It is not even a reliable thirst signal
because your need for saliva to digest food will override the
dry mouth thirst signal. As we become more dehydrated and grow
older, the dry mouth signal is gradually blunted and can disappear
entirely. You must learn to recognize the other indicators
of thirst and dehydration.
The body has many ways to tell you
that it is thirsty. Hunger feelings are often a thirst signal,
since food is a natural source of water for the body and their
control centers are next to each other in the brain. Your very
first feeling of hunger should be satisfied with one or two
glasses of water. You will notice an hour or two later your
body's actual request for food energy will occur. Cravings
for sugar and carbohydrates can also signal dehydration. The
brain has a very high demand for water, which it only can get
from blood flow. Carbohydrates raise blood sugar which increases
blood flow to the brain.
Dehydration is a frequent cause of
mental difficulties, including depression. The brain is the
top priority for water in the body and extremely sensitive
to any water shortage. It is only two percent of the body's
weight, yet requires 15 percent of the blood flow. However,
it has no direct way to tell the body it needs water. So it
will manifest feelings of anxiety, irritableness, anger, short
attention span, impatience and even depression. If there are
no plausible reasons for such feelings, it may be your brain
trying to tell you it is thirsty.
Early pregnancy morning sickness
is a signal of dehydration of the mother and fetus. It is caused
by the water‑regulatory
action of histamine, explains Batmanghelidj. Pregnancy creates
a very high demand for water. As the fetus grows into a full‑term
baby, over 1 trillion cell divisions take place. Each new
cell must be filled with water. Pregnant women need should
drink water and eliminate all sources of dehydration, especially
the consumption of caffeine and alcohol.
What color is your
urine?
Urine color accurately indicates short‑term hydration
levels. Dehydration causes your kidneys to recycle urine
so it becomes more concentrated and darker in color. The
darker your urine, the more dehydrated you are (not counting
urine colored by certain vitamins, foods, medications, etc).
Extreme dehydration is orange in color. The darker your urine,
the more acid is in your body and the more damage is occurring
at a cellular level. If you are well hydrated, your urine
will be clear or a very pale yellow.
Dehydration creates an
imbalance in your inner chemistry that sparks a cascade of
negative effects, contributing to virtually any health problem
or disease process. It translates directly into stress in your
body through the increased production of histamine and the
stress hormone cortisol. This increases blood acidity, which
decreases oxygen uptake by the red blood cells and suppresses
a myriad of enzymatic reactions vital to cellular function.
More serious damage begins to occur when the proteins and enzymes
of the body gradually become less efficient.
The primary cause
of chronic dehydration has also remained hidden, until recently.
The new science of energy medicine has shed light on the severe
lack of vital energy in today's drinking water. This is why,
despite drinking lots of water, many people still remain dehydrated.
Fortunately, a new nature‑based
technology has been developed to restore this vital energy
water needs to optimize cellular hydration.
Better hydration
must become a top priority in patient care. By helping your
patients understand and reverse chronic dehydration, they will
enjoy better energy levels, enhanced results from chiropractic
treatments and nutritional protocols, easier weight loss, reduced
pain, better detoxification, increased longevity and an improved
quality of life.
(Brian Foltz and Joe Ferrara, PhD, are the
co‑authors
of the upcoming book, "The Secrets of Superior Hydration." For
more information and/or a free special report, "The
7 Hidden Cause of Chronic Dehydration" call (800) 707‑1925
or go to www.hydrationsecrets.com.)