Dehydration, Inflammation and Oxygen

Along with inflammation, stress, heavy metals, low oxygen conditions and acidity, dehydration is another primary cause of inflammation. Cancer and inflammation are bedfellows so we should  understand the connection between inflammation and chronic dehydration. Nothing kills a person faster than dehydration except cessation of respiration.

Dehydration is not just about low water intake, but also insufficient electrolytes. Without a good balance of water and electrolytes in our system it is difficult for blood, and thus oxygen to reach all parts of the body. Because water and electrolytes are so crucial to the functioning of every cell their lack creates all kinds of problems.

Dehydration has been shown to increase production of histamine leading to a general, widespread inflammatory response.[1] This complicates the Cytokine Storms that come for Ebola patients and that is why rehydration is one of the principle treatments for Ebola.

Dehydration includes the following consequences to our physiology:

• DNA damage, which can lead to mutant (cancerous) cells.
• Acid-alkaline balance. When dehydrated and urine output is diminished, acid waste accumulates in weak or vulnerable areas of the body. It is well known that a cancerous body is acidic.
• Cell receptor damage. Chronic dehydration causes enzymatic changes that lead to numerous problems with cellular communication and hormonal balance.
• Immune system suppression. Dehydration suppresses the immune system because histamine production in the body is increased, which also increases the production of a chemical called vasopressin, a strong suppressor of the immune system.

Water is the primary transport of oxygen to the cells. Water is also the primary transport for the removal of toxins out of the cells and out of the body so we can understand that dehydration leads to pathology.

Water shortages create oxygen shortages as well as acid pH so water is a serious medicine—it cures dehydration and makes the difference between life and death for Ebola and influenza patients. Inflammation is cytotoxic and can kill cells prematurely.

Developed in the late 1960s by Professor von Ardenne, (a student of Dr. Otto Warburg, best known for his pioneering research on the connection between lack of oxygen and cancer), Oxygen Multistep Therapy combines oxygen therapy, drugs that facilitate intracellular oxygen turnover, and physical exercise adapted to individual performance levels. This unique therapy has diversified into more than 20 different treatment variants and is now practiced in several hundred settings throughout Europe. Ardenne put his finger on how inflammation interferes with oxygen transfer to cells.

“It is believed that cancer is caused by an accumulation of mutations in cells of the body,” says Dr. Carlo M. Croce, professor and chair of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics. “Our study suggests that miR-155, which is associated with inflammation, increases the mutation rate and might be a key player in inflammation-induced cancers generally.” This and many other studies show how inflammation can help cause cancer. Chronic inflammation due to infection or to conditions such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease is associated with up to 25% of all cancers.

[1] Kjaer A, Knigge U, Jørgensen H, Warberg J., “Dehydration-induced vasopressin secretion in humans: involvement of the histaminergic system.” Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab., 279.6 (2000):E1305-10.