If you’re like me, you have been taught that you need to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily to maintain optimum health. We’ve also been taught that if we drink caffeine, we should drink extra water since caffeine is a diuretic. We all know we need to drink those 8 glasses of water, but how many of us really do that? I believe we don’t delilberately do things that are detremental, but why do we neglect drinking those eight glasses of water every day? The problem, as I see it, is that we don’t really understand why it is so important. Because if we really believe our good health is dependant on keeping ourselves hydrated, we’d be doing it, wouldn’t we? Well, let me tell you a story.
In 1979, just prior to the revolution in Iran (Persia) that ended 2500 years of continuous monarchy; a man by the name of F.Batmanghelidj was a wealthy and prominent physician in Tehran. He was busily engaged in the completion of a family charity medical center, the largest medical complex in Iran. During the revolution The Shah of Iran was forced to seek amnesty in Egypt. Revolutionists intent on ridding the country of those associated in any way with The Shah were arresting “enemies of the people”, executing them and/or throwing them in prison to await “Mock” trials. Revolutionary guards took Dr. Batmanghelidj to Evin Prison. The doctor’s impending trial was announced on television several times a day for many days with appropriate revolutionary slogans.
The outcome was predetermined: death. The doctor had done nothing wrong except being associated with the “establishment” in buildig hospitals, medical centers and such. He had no idea if he was going to survive as he watched guards pluck 20 – 30 – up to 100 men out of the crowd and take them out and shoot them. He along with 8,000 to 9,000 prisoners was jammed into a prison intended to house 600. Rooms designed to hold four to six persons were packed with 90 people. One third of the prisoners stood, while another third sat while the other third lay down in eight hour shifts. If the stress of civilized life at its worst is a 15 on a scale of one to ten, the stress for these prisoners was 100.
These prisoners were not vicious thugs accustomed to prison. These were beautiful men and women – educators, doctors, and scientists. Their only crime was that they were perceived as being part of the “evil” establishment. Dr. Batmanghelidj came from a wealthy family of dedicated doctors and scientists. He was a trained scientist and medical doctor who loved his country and his profession.
The doctor recalls; “I had just come into the main block. It was eleven P.M. on a January night in 1980. A man was carried in by two other people. He was a pepic ulcer patient in such terrible pain he could not walk. He wanted to go to the hospital, but they wouldn’t take him. He asked for medication, but I had none. But I felt water would relieve his pain. I gave him two glasses of water and his ulcer pain disappeared within eight minutes. Then I put him on two glasses of water every three hours. I remembered that when I was a medical student, I used to drink water whenever I had heartburn, and it cured it.”
After treating many more cases, he saw another unforgettable case. A young man in the cell block was in such pain that he was almost semiconscious. He was lying folded in the fetal position on the floor of his cell groaning. He did not respond when spoken to, so the doctor shook him asking; “What is the matter?” “My ulcer is killing me” he responded, ” it began immediately after lunch. I took three anti-ulcer tablets and a whole bottle of anti-acid with no relief for ten hours.” The doctor tested his abdomen to see if the ulcer had perforated. It had not. Then he gave the patient two full glasses of water. At first the patient did not want to drink the water since the medicines hadn’t worked. But since he was in such severe pain, he finally drank the water. The doctor had to leave the cell and when he returned in about 15 minutes, the pain had become less severe and his groans had stopped. He was given another full glass of water and in a few minutes the pain stopped completely and he was in conversation with those around him. The doctor had given him three full glasses of water which had produced total results in twenty minutes. Dr. Batmanghelidj said that when we take a glass of water with our medications, often the water does more good than the medicine.
The doctor continued helping those in prison using water. He studied and made notes of his finding so that his research would remain to help the field of medical research even if he did not survive. He studied 3,000 cases of ulcer patients. In every case, he found that chronic dehydration was the real problem. He wrote his findings on peptic ulcers in English as he intended to get it published in the Lancet. But the authorities read it and would not clear ir. They had him write the article in Persian and let it be published in the Journal of the Iranian Medical Association. This article was the one thing that saved the doctor. The authorities realized that this was a fantastic opportunity for them to say that their prisons are – not prisons, but research centers. Because of this, they allowed the doctor to defend himself in court.
Dr. Batmanghelidj said he was surprised and astonished at the miraculous improvements he found using water; “I was astonished. But I was also ashamed of myself. I realized that, we, as doctors, didn’t know the first thing about water and I was so ignorant. I was ashamed of the whole structure of medicine that didn’t teach me about water.” He stated that the information shook him to the core! So much so, that I raised my head to God and said; “Thank you for putting me in prison to teach me these things.”
Finally, the doctor was allowed to defend himself. At the opening session of his trial, he handed his written wrticle to the judge along with testimonials fom cured prisoners. This judge had previously ordered the death sentence for two of his own sons who had different ideas of the revolution than he did. The doctor told the judge that his research would change the practice of medicine all over the world. Sometime later they came to the doctor and told him; “We now realize that you are a very nice person. We would like to let you go out. We want to free you.” Dr. Batmanghelidj said; “Thank you very much for your kindness, but I’m in the middle of my research. I need to stay in prison for three or four more months.” They did not understand it, but, of course, they agreed. The doctor continued; “There are many thousands of professors from all over the world who would give their right hand to come to this stress laboratory and find out something to research. I am in the middle of it. What is outside that would be more enticing than this?”
In May of 1982, the doctor was released. The authorities promised to return all of his assets if he remained in Iran, but the doctor believed God wanted him to leave it all behind. He travelled to the United Stated with nothing more that the shirt on his back. His studies were finally piblished in English in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology in June, 1983, pages 203 and 205.
Dr. Batmanghelidj explains why water works for heartburn and peptic ulcers. The stomach is designed to contain acid. It has a lining of mucus to protect itself. The intestines are not designed to receive or contain the high acid. Locally, the stomach produces acid. The pancreas then produces a watery bicarbonate solution in order to neutralize the acid, because the acid cannot be allowed to go into theintestines. But when there is not enough water, the body creates a spasm to block the acid from travelling to the intestines. It is a spasm of the sohincter muscle between the stomach and the duodenum. This is what causes the pain. Ulcers are caused by dehydration. When the pancreas cannot neutralize your stomach acid, the body seals off the stomach with a muscle spasm.
The doctor went on to say; “So, ulcers are caused by dehydration. The gastroenterologists don’t understand any of this, because it deviates from current medical sscience completely.” According to the doctor, many so-called deseases are just different forms of dehydration. I can’t help but wonder why the doctors findings have not revolutionized medical practice, except to say…..sad as it is, our medical industry and ‘Big Pharma’ are set up to make money from illness and not much money can be made on water. ‘Big Pharma’ even tries to bypass doctors with its advertisements telling you to ask your doctor for the drugs they advertise, even though these drugs have side effects ranging from suicidal thoughts to liver faillure, to incontinence and on and on.
Dr. Batmanghelidj has written two great books: YOUR BODY’S MANY CRIES FOR WATER and WATER CURES: DRUGS KILL. According to the doctor asthma, high blood pressure, constipation, shrinking of cartelege, brain fog, and many more ailments are all unrecognized symptoms of dehydration. Additionally, he explains how water in the body actually creates energy and how water produces results not possible with vitamis and minerals alone.
The medical community has not given the doctor his due credit and have widly criticized him and some have called him a “Quack.” But if you look over time it is easy to see that change is rarely welcomed and almost always criticized. The test of time will tell. As for me, I’m convinced. I just don’t believe caring for our health needs to be complicated. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by following the good doctor’s recommendations. I will make sure I drink my full eight glasses of water daily. Below is a link to an interview with Dr Batmanghelidj. When you watch the video, you’ll see part 2 and part three are also available to watch. Take a few minutes and watch all three.
For now, Earlynn’s just sayin’; “When it comes to your health, you must decide for yourself how to care for YOU.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slzjceQI2c4
I could not refrain from commenting. Perfectly written!
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