Twenty years of research has shown Dr. Batmanghelidj what nature has always known: that water is critical to life. So critical, in fact, that the lack of water--or dehydration--actually produces most of our chronic pains and ailments. He reveals the exciting news . . . it is possible to treat and prevent pain for free!

Finally . . . a natural element that can counteract those agonzing degenerative diseases! If you are concerned about the negative effects that prescription and over-the-counter drugs have on your body, please read this report in its entirety and consider obtaining more information on the subject. It can change the way you look and feel.

Seventy-five percent of Americans are dehydrated. Instead of consuming life-giving water, we reach for a cold soda or high-sugar juice (and this is after our morning coffee, which also depletes our bodies of necessary fluids). Unfortunately this has taken a serious toll on our health-care structure, for our natural drought management system dictates that when we do have a water shortage certain parts of our bodies are forced to go without water. This is why a blood test is a poor diagnosis for whether or not someone is dehydrated: for obvious reasons, the blood is the last remaining area from which water is taken.

Dehydration is evident. It can be seen in frequent headaches, muscle pains, cramping, heartburn, dizziness which increases upon standing, dry skin, inability to produce tears, poor short-term memory, poor digestion, constipation, nosebleeds, and, lastly, dry mouth. A surprising fact is that thirst is actually a very poor indicator of your need to drink water. The less water you drink, the less often you will feel thirsty; dehydration "shuts off" our thirst perception, so to speak.

Dr. B happened upon some information that is so little known that it isn't even publicized in medical textbooks: the role of histamine. Histamine is basically a chemical messenger messenger that is in charge of drought management in the body. Not surprisingly, it is more active when we are dehydrated and makes itself be known through aches and pains that we cover up with medicines. Also not surprising is the fact that most if not all of the medications that we take are antihistamines. What are we doing? Dehydrating ourselves more and more . . .

As far as hydrating and back pain go, water is a major component of cartilage. It follows then that if we dehydrate ourselves, the cells in our cartilage will shrivel up and eventually be worn away. Not only that, but without adequate fluids, the body can't move toxins through the body which causes them to accumulate in the joints--a condition known as osteoarthritis. Even if you don't have arthritis, chances are good that your back pain is from dehydration, for another common symptom is muscle spasms.

A brief explanation of why cartilage breaks down: water is the lubrication for the cells in the cartilage. When you don't provide enough fluid, the cells are no longer able to glide over each other and the friction becomes very abrasive (like rubbing a piece of granite against some chalk). It is easy to see why water is so important to our joints.

While it is true that most back pain is related to strain, injury, or overuse, pain can still be the result of a lack of fluids. The cells need copious amounts of water to flush out the acid particles created by the increased work or stress that caused the strain. When dehydrated, the acid builds up and sends out pain signals--cries for water . . . not motrin.

"Incurable" diseases have fallen prostrate before the power of water. The Mayo Clinic told an elderly gentleman who had suffered for over thirty years from arthritis in his spinal column that there was no hope for him. He lived in such excrutiating pain that it was impossible for him to stand; as a matter of fact, he resembled a comma (in his words). One year after consistently hydrating himself he was pain free--and not only that, but he had lower blood pressure too!

Here are some interesting facts about hydration:

--even mild dehydration slows down metabolism by as much as 3%
--lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue
--drinking just 5 glasses a day reduces your risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79%, and bladder cancer by 50%
--a glass of water before bed stops midnight hunger pains (but you might have to get up to use the restroom!)
--cold water is absorbed faster than warm water
--drinking 6-8 glasses/day improves memory and concentration
--in 37% of Americans the thirst mechanism is so weak that it's usually mistaken for hunger

Your joints are not the only area of your body that are negatively affected by lack of water. There is one very important area, that should strike you even if nothing else does--your brain. This all-important organ is made up of 85% water! And unfortunately for us, when we deprive ourselves of water it is one of the first places that the body automatically squeezes fluid from. When water, the "messenger" of the brain, is reduced, we suffer from headaches, poor short-term memory, dizziness, poor balance, and general "fogginess." Indeed, migraines can often be treated successfully with improved hydration.

How much water do you need? A good rule of thumb is to divide your body weight by two: for example, a 160 pound person should drink at least 80 ounces of water a day. Obviously more should be consumed if you exercise or live in a hot climate. And while water is the basis for many other drinks including coffee, soda, juice, and alcohol, there really is no subsitute for it by itself. All of those drinks contain substances that are detrimental to your overall health and wellbeing.

Dr. Howard Flaks of Beverly Hills has this to say about the subject:

"As a result of not drinking enough water, many people encounter such problems as excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle soreness (particularly after exercise) and water retention."

So go ahead. Drink to your health!