Diseases Caused by Chronic Dehydration
Asthma and allergies are indicators that the body is short on water and has released histamine to regulate the body’s limited water supply.
Modern medicine recognizes that asthmatics have an increased amount of histamine present in their lung tissue and that histamine regulates the contraction of the bronchial muscles. The lungs are one of the areas of water loss through respiration and evaporation. In a time of dehydration, the brain will signal the bronchial muscles to constrict breathing to prevent further water loss through the lungs – a simple action that preserves the body’s limited water supply.
When the body is properly hydrated, histamine levels are at an almost imperceptible low level, but when the body is dehydrated, histamine release surges and is exaggerated. If an allergen is introduced into the body, more histamine is released, and an allergic response is experienced.
Medical studies have proven that even animals show a decrease in histamine production when their daily water intake is increased.
Simply put: when the body is properly hydrated, histamine, which is the underlying cause of allergies and asthma, is at an almost imperceivable level, and low levels of histamine mean less bronchial muscle constriction and allergic responses.
If you suffer from asthma or allergies, I encourage you to read Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, for more information.
Asthma and Allergies
High Blood Pressure
Chronic dehydration has a profound affect on blood pressure. Your blood is made up of almost 90% water. When your body is chronically dehydrated, the fluid levels in the blood decrease, causing overall blood volume to decrease and the blood to get more viscous (thicker). At the same time, the blood vessels constrict to adjust to less blood volume, and capillary beds in less active areas of the body are closed to increase the overall pressure in the circulatory system. The constriction in the blood vessels can reach a level that can be measured. We call this hypertension.
If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, I encourage you to read Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, to learn how to naturally decrease your blood pressure.
Constipation
Today, chronic constipation is a common health complaint. Store shelves are lined with all kinds of fiber supplements promising regular bowel movements. But did you know that the number one cause of constipation isn’t a lack of fiber or even insufficient exercise? It’s dehydration. When the body is dehydrated, it has to wring out every last drop of water from waste material in the colon, effectively drying it out and clogging it up. By drinking the proper amount of water, waste material in colon retains its moisture and is evacuated more readily.
Recent studies show that proper water consumption will fix constipation completely. As Dr. Koniver puts it, “In general, a constipated person is a dehydrated person.” But that can be quickly fixed just by increasing your daily intake of pure water.