In adulthood the body is no longer centered on growing and dividing cells. The hydration requirement levels are able to reach a stable number. The body’s job now is simply to regulate the water that is coming in. This doesn’t mean drinking less water; it means keeping the water levels where they need to be. The thirst signal starts to diminish in adulthood. This is because the body learns to ration water in dehydration mode and there is no need for the thirst mechanism. Rationing water during hydration is obviously not the goal of our water cycle. It is a survival trait of the body’s functions.

The body recognizes that some functions are more important than others and cells then receive water on a “need” basis only. When cells do not need the water, blood vessels leading to them are shut down and circulated to other more important cells. Between ages 18-25 the body starts its thirst sensation reduction. Dr. Batmanghelidj elaborates: “Unfortunately, our thirst sensation, as it is understood today—a dry mouth—is not an accurate indicator of the body’s actual water needs. If we don’t feel thirsty, we tend not to drink water. We wait to become thirsty before we even begin to think of drinking water.” To sum it up, the body needs more than it asks for. Drinking water before thirst sets in is important.

Reference: “Water for Health, for Healing, for Life” by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

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When we need water, sometimes we don’t feel thirsty. The thirst sensation may come about in other forms and feelings. Dr. Batmanghelidj has listed the most common feelings in his book. The first feeling is tired. Water is our energy supply. It breaks food down and delivers it to our cells, and also powers cell function on many levels.

Another feeling is flushed. The brain dilates the blood vessels to try and get more water wherever it can. Alcoholics usually have a flushed face because their brain is dehydrated. A dehydrated brain will also lead to hangovers.

Irritability is another feeling dehydration can cause. This is the brain’s way of shutting down from socialization, which takes precious energy to continue doing during dehydration.

The next feeling is anxiety. This is the brain’s way of being on alert mode, trying to get the body to feel that it needs water.

Sometimes dehydration causes feelings of inadequacy. It is the inability to distribute amino acids, without which a person can feel incomplete. Water is needed to distribute the amino acids. Once again, it is the brain’s way of trying to get our attention that something is missing.

These are just a few of the feelings that thirst can bring on; there are many more. If a person is feeling any of these, they may just not be getting enough water.

Reference: “Water for Health, for Healing, for Life” by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

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In our bodies exists acid and alkaline properties. These two properties must be balanced to maintain health. When the body is too acidic, nerve endings become inflamed. That is where chronic pain comes from. In fact, one can examine their urine to see if it is acidic or alkaline. The darker the urine is, the more acidic the body is. Water is needed to clear the over-abundance of acidity from our cells. The level of alkalinity we need is pH 7.4. Water helps us stay at that number by regulating cell function and renewing all of our cells’ water supply. The pH scale goes from 1 to 14. 1-7 is acidic and 7-14 is alkaline. The pH of 7.4 is just a little more on the alkaline side. Dr. Batmanghelidj adds: “Thus, pH 7.4 of the interior of the cell denotes its natural, slightly alkaline state. This state promotes health because it is the state that best suits the enzymes that function inside the cell: They achieve optimum efficiency at this pH. Adequate flow of water in and out of the cell keeps the cell interior in its health-maintaining, alkaline state.” In order to keep the acidity down in our bodies, we must continue to stay hydrated.

Reference: “Water for Health, for Healing, for Life” by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

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Anything that is added to water changes its chemical makeup. Once the chemical makeup of water is changed, it is not water anymore. The body does not recognize it as water and so there is not the same usage of the fluid as if it were water.

Even though the thirst mechanism may be quenched temporarily because the sensation of drinking something cool and wet has occurred, the cells are not getting the chemical composition of water they need! The body becomes addicted to sweet tastes, and carbonation. It causes our need for water to be silenced. But the need for water will surface in other ways, many which are showing the unhealthy level of dehydration we have achieved.

A lot of factory-made drinks contain such foreign chemical composition that we change our body’s chemistry at the central nervous system control center. Because of the mistaken belief that beverages containing water are just as hydrating, people are actually becoming more dehydrated while consuming greater amounts of fluid. So nothing can take the place of water, the body’s second greatest need (the first being oxygen).

Reference: “Water for Health, for Healing, for Life” by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

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One result of the loss of the thirst feeling as we age is weight gain. The thirst sensation is often confused with hunger. Eating food when the body really needs water raises the levels of sugar concentration in the blood. Weight gain can bring a whole other host of ailments. By the time the thirst-confused individual does drink, they have been dehydrated far too long. Since we do not associate many ailments with thirst, we do not feel the need to drink any more than a glass here and there. However, most bodies need more than a couple glasses in a day. The result is chronic dehydration. It is not enough to kill a person right away; just enough to keep them deficient in fighting off immune system attacks and bodily dysfunction. Histamine is an emergency substance to regulate water to the important areas of the body, but it also will do some long-term damage. Histamine is not meant to be released all the time.

Dr. Batmanghelidj shares his opinion: “It seems to me that the loss of the thirst sensation is an adaptive process to false information that water is not available because we don’t drink it. If the body is once again conditioned to regular and adequate water intake, however, the thirst sensation becomes sharp and the urge to drink becomes strong. The body begins to indicate water shortage more forcefully.” Rehydration is a slow process. For all the cells to become hydrated again it will take a few days.

Reference: “Water for Health, for Healing, for Life” by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

To learn more about Natural Action Structured Water Units, please visit our Store.