Sunday, December 3, 2017

So how does water work to heal and cure diseases?

So how does water work to heal and cure diseases?

Water in the human body generates electricity: Human body cells have a resonant wave frequency of about 1000 KHz. The body is an electrical machine washed in water. It is water that dissolves the minerals sodium, calcium, chloride, magnesium and potassium and allows these to function as electric energy or electrolytes in the human body.  Electrolytes in the cells of the nervous system communicate with one another by means of electric signals that rapidly travel along the nerve system. The electricity generated by the brain and all cells makes all body functions possible and indeed life itself.  CLICK>> Welsh: How brain works 2013 <

"Water and salt are absolutely essential for the generation of neuro-electric energy, and particularly for neurotransmission mechanisms." The short video below illustrates this magic in water:

Click Here >> Source: body electricity<<

Histamine & immune suppression:  Batmanghelidj discovered that "histamine is a vital chemical messenger [neurotransmitter] in the brain and body.  Histamine regulates body water intake.  It is in charge of water intake and drought management in the body. It is less active when the body is fully hydrated, and becomes increasingly active when the body becomes dehydrated.  In short, histamine produces pain when an area in the body is suffering from drought!" At the same time, histamine suppresses the immune system in the digestive system in an effort to make sure the water drought does not starve the brain of water.  While one function of histamine is to manage-regulate drought in the body, the second function is to regulate the immune system.  The more dehydration, the more suppression of the immune system and exacerbation of numerous illnesses and disorders.    Batmanghelidj Water Cures  Cheves: Histamine intolerance 2012

According to Batmanghelidj, water completely reverses conditions such as: asthma, allergies, angina, hypertension, migraine headaches, arthritis pain, back pain, colitis pain, chronic constipation, heartburn, hiatal hernia, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, eye problems, high cholesterol, morning sickness and overweight problems. Even heart problems needing bypass surgery. All these disease conditions responded simply and permanently to water. Drink any water you feel comfortable to drink. Clean tap water is as good as any.

Suppressed Immune System:  When the brain signals pain in a certain part of the body, it automatically signals the digestive system and disrupts the immune system [and lymphatic system].  The immune system immediately becomes suppressed as a result of excessive activity of histamine. Now the white cell count is low and the body becomes increasingly susceptible to infections and disorders.

Examples of Batmanghelidj's claims that many symptoms are caused by dehydration:

PAIN Pain is probably the earliest symptom of dehydration.  Different kinds of pain [ headache, back, rheumatoid joint, angina [heart], colitis [lower stomach]] are all signs of dehydration in the body. And the mechanism is very simple; when there isn't enough water to be evenly distributed and certain parts of the body are working but not receiving enough water to deal with its toxic waste and metabolism, toxic waste builds up that area. The nerve endings in that area register the chemical environmental change with the brain. And the brain translates this information for the conscious mind in the form of pain.  Batmanghelidj: Arthritis & back pain 1995

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Water helps relieve pain in joints.  Batmanghelidj: Arthritis & back pain 1995,   Ishibashi: water reduces disease 2012

Headache: Water relieves headache.  Headache is a reaction from shutting down the water delivery system to your brain cells.  ⇨"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16128874">

Increasing the daily water intake for the prophylactic treatment of headache: a pilot trial.
Spigt MG1, Kuijper EC, Schayck CP, Troost J, Knipschild PG, Linssen VM, Knottnerus JA.
Author information: Department of General Practice, Research Institute Caphri, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. m.spigt@hag.unimaas.nl 

Abstract
Dehydration is commonly believed to result in headache, but the effectiveness of increasing the water intake in patients who frequently suffer from headaches has not been studied thus far. In a pilot study, we examined the possible effects and feasibility of increased water intake in headache patients. Eighteen headache patients (all had migraine, two also had tension-type headache) were randomly allocated to placebo medication, or the advice to additionally drink 1.5 l of water per day, for a period of 12 weeks. Effect measurements consisted of a 2 weeks headache diary and the Migraine Specific Quality of Life (MSQOL) questionnaire. The advice to increase the daily fluid intake by 1.5 l increased the fluid intake in the intervention group by approximately 1 l. This reduced the total hours of headache in 2 weeks by 21 h (95% CI: -48 to 5). Mean headache intensity decreased by 13 mm (95% CI: -32 to 5) on a visual analogue scale (VAS). The effects on MSQOL, number of headache episodes, and medication seemed to be small. The data of the present study suggest a reduction in the total number of hours and intensity of headache episodes after increased water intake. Our results seem to justify larger scaled research on the effectiveness of increased water intake in headache patients.

A randomized trial on the effects of regular water intake in patients with recurrent headaches.
Spigt M1, Weerkamp N, Troost J, van Schayck CP, Knottnerus JA.

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Previously published investigations suggest a positive effect of increased water intake on headache, but a randomised controlled trial has not been done.
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effects of increased water intake on headache.
METHODS:
Randomised controlled trial in primary care with two groups and a follow-up period of 3 months. Patients were included if they had at least two episodes of moderately intense headache or at least five mildly intense episodes per month and a total fluid intake of less than 2.5 l/day. Both groups received written instructions about stress reduction and sleep improvement strategies. The intervention group additionally received the instruction to increase the daily water intake by 1.5 l. The main outcome measures were Migraine-Specific Quality of Life (MSQOL) and days with at least moderate headache per month.
RESULTS:
We randomised 50 patients to the control group and 52 patients to the intervention group. Drinking more water resulted in a statistically significant improvement of 4.5 (confidence interval: 1.3-7.8) points on MSQOL. In addition, 47% in the water group reported much improvement (6 or higher on a 10-point scale) on perceived intervention effect against 25% in the control group. However, drinking more water did not result in relevant changes in days with at least moderate headache.

CONCLUSIONS:
Considering the observed positive subjective effects, it seems reasonable to recommend headache patients to try this non-invasive intervention for a short period of time to see whether they experience improvement.

Heartburn [Gert or reflux] is a sign of dehydration in the human body and that one needs to drink water.

Inability to sleep:
Can't Sleep: Try Water Cures. 
Water Cures To Sleep Better Tonight

Using the water water cures formula, there will be one simple change in the way you take it. About 30 minutes before you want to sleep, you will drink your prescribed amount of water.

The Water Cures Sleep Solution: 
1.First drink a glass of water then
2.dissolve a pinch of unprocessed salt in your mouth.
3.Go to sleep.

Then, after the water is down, you will dissolve the prescribed amount of unprocessed salt in your mouth. It is that simple.

How To Sleep Better: Why Water Cures Works
Sleep is the result of a number of biological and electrochemical factors. When we lay down and the lights go down, our body hits a switch and changes take place.

When our body is unintentionally depleted of water those biochemical responses do not work as effectively. When we are depleted of sodium because of trying to follow the 'low sodium mantra', there is a further complication. Our body depends on sodium chloride to work properly.

Water Cures provides the necessary components for the electrochemical processes required for sleep. It costs almost nothing.

Consider some of the options and why water cures is not only a natural option, it is the best first option to try in order to get a good nights sleep and how to sleep better.

How to End Can't Sleep: What You Need to Know
•Natural sleep aids
•Herbal Sleep Aids
•Melatonin sleep
•Prescription sleep aids: Do you know the risks?
•Over the counter sleep aids: Do you know the negative side effects?
•Burn fat while you sleep: Water Cures can help.
•Sleep hygiene: Beyond how to sleep using water cures.
•Fibromyalgia and sleep: Can water cures help?

What Works Best?

You will hear of various natural sleep aids and many work to some degree.

Whether used with others or alone, the water cures protocol for sleep will work. We like to think of it as the foundation of great health. In your case, the foundation for great sleep. Our bodies need to be properly hydrated to be able to sleep.

The water cures also helps prevent sleep disruptions like those caused by restless leg syndrome, leg cramps and more.

Some sleep aids may work initially but eventually loose their effectiveness. Melatonin is one such supplement. Salt, since it is inorganic, will not have the same effect.


Go ahead, give it a try. Stop saying you cant sleep. Go, try water cures and go to sleep.

Blood Pressure: Mineral water reduces risk of high blood pressure. Rylander: mineral water reduces HBP 2004  Water lowers blood pressure: "How does not drinking enough water raise your blood pressure? Water intake affects blood pressure in two ways. First, when you don’t drink enough water your body attempts to secure its fluid supply by retaining sodium. Sodium is your body’s “water-insurance mechanism.” At the same time, dehydration forces your body to gradually and systematically close down some of its capillary beds. When some capillary beds shut down, it puts more pressure in your capillaries and arteries, thereby elevating your blood pressure. So, one of the best ways to lower your blood pressure naturally is by staying well-hydrated." 
Sinatra: Water lowers BP 2014  
McMillan: Water lowers BP 2010  
Water drinking increases blood pressure moderately in older but not younger control subjects  Jordan: Water reflexes 2000

Hypertension is another one of these problems. When there isn't enough water in the body, or the body becomes dehydrated, 66% of the water loss is from the interior of the cells. 26% of water loss is from the environment around the cells, and only 8% is lost from the vascular system. But the vascular system is an elastic system ---- it tightens up with dehydration and takes up the slack; consequently you don't see the problem that is going on inside the cells of your body when blood is being tested in so many conditions. If people drank water on a regular basis and took enough salt and minerals to expand the capillary beds, hypertension would disappear completely. [ Ingesting salt is contrary to the traditional medical viewpoint ]

Asthma We lose about a quart of water through breathing every day. This normal loss of water from the lungs is regulated by histamine.  The constriction produced by histamine results in less water evaporating during breathing ---- a simple natural process to preserve body water [ a defense mechanism ].  It is actually the surface tension in the alveoli of the lungs that produces contraction of these tiny membranes, and air is pushed out. And in the process, water will leave with the air that is leaving. So you lose about a quart of water in breathing each day. We need to replenish water loss. When we don't replenish the water, the body tightens up the bronchial tubes and plugs up the breathing holes.  Doctors have labeled this reduced air flow in the lungs, due to dehydration, as asthma. [ This information is contrary to the traditional medical viewpoint ]

Aggravating the condition of asthma in many children is drinking sodas instead of water.  Sodas don't function in the same way as water and cause dehydration which, in turn, cause asthma in kids. According to Batmanghelidj, "giving these children water will have their asthma disappear very quickly, in a matter of a few hours; the breathing completely becomes normal. The kids do NOT need their inhalers." 

Diabetes: Diabetes is a breakdown in how blood sugar is used in the body.  Water lowers the risk of diabetes. The chemistry of diabetes, as detailed by Batmanghelidj, is complex.  But the simplified version of insulin-independent diabetes is that a dehydration of the body triggers the brain, that in turn, activates the neurotransmitters to inhibit insulin to the rest of body except the brain, thereby rerouting glucose [blood sugar] delivery to the rest of the body and sending glucose to the brain.  The brain itself is not dependent on insulin for its functions while body cells are totally dependent on insulin for glucose.

Dehydration further complicates diabetes by depleting the essential amino acid tryptophan.  Lack of water causes tryptophan to brake down in the liver.  Tryptophan also regulates kidney excretion of salt.  Lower levels of tryptophan lower normal salt reserves.  This disrupts the balance of body functions.  On the other hand, normal levels of tryptophan in the brain maintain a well-regulated balance of all body functions and arrests tryptophan breakdown in the liver [body balance or homeostasis].   
O'Connor: water lowers diabetes 2012 
Roussel: Low water intake & hyperglycemia 2011

Alzheimer’s disease:  happens when the brain cells shrink and then lose their functions, from prolonged dehydration. Imagine a plum turning into a prune – that is what the brain does without sufficient water.

Constipation:  It is in the large intestine where water is absorbed and the remaining waste material is stored as feces.  The bowel movement is soft and easy to pass when one drinks ample water and eats adequate fiber; but defecation can be difficult when one is dehydrated.

 Weight Gain & Obesity:  Researchers have added to Batmanghelidj's understanding that people gain weight and become obese when not drinking enough water. 
Daniels: water & wt loss 2010  
Dennis: Beveragess & wt loss 2009 
Glasziou: water for weight loss 2013   
Dubnov-Raz: water helps obese children 2011   
Glasziou: water for weight loss 2013   
Malik: soft drinks & weight gain 2006   
Muckelbauer: Review water intake & weight 2013   
Popin: Water consumption patterns 2005  
Stookey: water & weight loss 2008 

The brain has an appestat center that needs neuro-electrical energy to function and gets it from either sugar or water.  Appestat is the region of the hypothalamus of the brain which is believed to control a person's appetite for food. Since the brain activates both hunger and thirst simultaneously, the urge for energy is to feel good by eating food and sugar. Only about 20 percent of the food reaches the brain and the rest is used in muscle activity or stored in the body as fat.  Dehydration causes the brain to use sugar instead of water.  On the other hand, drinking water, according to Batmanghelidj, by those persons who drink water before eating food, separates the two sensations and activates the brain to use water for energy.  With water as a source of energy, the person eats less and the storage does not happen.  Excess water is passed out in the form of urine.  Eating large meals and dehydration add to the storage of food and weight gain. 

Complicating the eating of excessive meals and sugar in drinks and pastry is corn syrup.  Both sweeteners, sugar and corn syrup, are addicting, satisfy the craving for sweetness, feeling good and gradually add to body weight. 

This is a simplistic way to understand how hunger can put weight on a body and cause obesity overtime. The most important key to losing excess body weight is drinking ample water with a pinch of salt and complemented by exercise and a balanced diet.

Research was presented by Brenda Davy at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, in Boston, in 2010, that drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before breakfast, lunch, and dinner while also cutting back on food portions may help you lose weight and keep it off for at least a year.  Davy: water weight loss 2010

Brenda Davy's study included 48 adults between age 55 and 75 who were divided into two groups. One group drank two cups of water before meals and the other didn't. All participants ate a low-calorie diet throughout the study. After 12 weeks, water drinkers lost about 15.5 pounds, compared to non-water-drinking dieters, who lost only 11 pounds. Davy told WebMD that the study participants drank about 1.5 cups of water per day prior to joining in the study. Not only were those who drank water before meals more successful after 12 weeks, but they also kept "the weight off for a full year after the weight loss study." Even better, most water drinkers, followed for an additional 12 months, not only kept weight off but "even lost another 1 to 2 pounds," she told WebMD. The message, she says, is clear: "People should drink more water and less sugary, high-calorie drinks."  Davy: water weight loss 2010

Additional research by Glasziou supports Davy's research:  "Drinking 500 mL (2 cups) of water 30 minutes before each meal can be used to assist in weight loss. When combined with a hypocaloric diet, pre-meal water consumption leads to greater weight loss than a hypocaloric diet alone. The intervention can lead to: an approximately 2 kg greater weight loss over 12 weeks, a 44% greater rate of weight loss."  Glasziou: water for weight loss 2013

•A 2008 study concluded that drinking water is associated with weight loss in overweight dieting women independent of diet and activity. Stookey: water & wt loss 2008

•A 2010 study concluded that people that consumed two cups (500 mL) of water right before eating a meal ate between 75 and 90 fewer calories during that meal. Davy: water weight loss 2010

•A 2011 study conducted on obese children concluded that water drinking on resting energy expenditure was significant.  Dubnov-Raz: water helps obese children 2011

•A 2011 study conducted on middle-aged and older adults (aged ≥40 years) given 500 mL 30 minutes before meal 3 times daily for 12 weeks found that the individuals lost 2 kg body weight compared to the control group.

•A 2013 study conducted on adults 18-23 concluded that when they were given 500 mL given 3 times daily for 8 weeks they lost body weight.

•A 2013 study concluded that individuals dieting for weight loss or maintenance had a weight-reducing effect from increased water consumption. Glasziou: water for weight loss 2013

Note: Obesity increases the likelihood of diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, obstructive sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. It also negatively affects reproductive performance.  WHO: Salt & health 2014

Appetite Suppression: Drinking water prior to each meal may help suppress appetite. A promising approach to reducing appetite which does not involve taking any drugs, and is very safe, is to drink a moderate amount of water before a meal. Though this had been a folk remedy for many years, and is recommended by some dietitians and stipulated in some scientific studies, it was only recently that the approach was subjected to a scientific randomized controlled trial to see how much effect it had: Wiki: weight loss & water  Drinking water prior to each meal may help suppress appetite.


It was a medical doctor, Fareydoon Batmanghelidj, who researched the benefits of water for over 30 years and exposed the simplest natural cure to a vast number of health problems.  The short video 'The Water Cure' below briefly explains this new medical science of the healing properties of water: [ 9:49 mins long ] Click Here To Watch YouTube Video.

View Video: Replacing coffee, juices with water; dehydration causes allergies, asthma, over weight & obesity; Water Part Two 9:52 mins: (Click Here

Video Water Cure 3 6:03 mins. CLICK HERE

Video Weight loss from drinking water 3.54 mins: Click to View

Article citations
Ishibashi T, Sato B, Rikitake M, et al. Consumption of water containing a high concentration of molecular hydrogen reduces oxidative stress and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an open-label pilot study. Med Gas Res. 2012; 2(1): 27.
has been cited by the following article:

Article
Effects of Hydrogenized Water on Intracellular Biomarkers for Antioxidants, Glucose Uptake, Insulin Signaling and SIRT 1 and Telomerase Activity
Robert Settineri1,, Jin Ji2, Chunlan Luo2, Rita R. Ellithorpe3, Gonzalo Ferreira de Mattos4, Steven Rosenblatt5, James LaValle6, Antonio Jinenez7, Shigeo Ohta8, Garth L. Nicolson:

1Sierra Productions Research, Irvine, USA
2Brunswick Laboratories, Inc., Southborough, USA
3Tustin Longevity Center, Tustin, USA
4Laboratory of Ion Channels, School of Medicine, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
5Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, USA
6Progressive Medical Center, Orange, USA
7Hope4Cancer Institute, Baja California
8Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Japan
9Department of Molecular Pathology, The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, USA

American Journal of Food and Nutrition. 2016, Vol. 4 No. 6, 161-168
DOI: 10.12691/ajfn-4-6-4
Copyright © 2016 Science and Education Publishing

Cite this paper:
Robert Settineri, Jin Ji, Chunlan Luo, Rita R. Ellithorpe, Gonzalo Ferreira de Mattos, Steven Rosenblatt, James LaValle, Antonio Jinenez, Shigeo Ohta, Garth L. Nicolson. Effects of Hydrogenized Water on Intracellular Biomarkers for Antioxidants, Glucose Uptake, Insulin Signaling and SIRT 1 and Telomerase Activity. American Journal of Food and Nutrition. 2016; 4(6):161-168. doi: 10.12691/ajfn-4-6-4.

Correspondence to: Robert  Settineri, Sierra Productions Research, Irvine, USA. Email: sierraprod@aol.com

Abstract
Hydrogen has been shown in several clinical trials to be completely safe without adverse events and there are no warnings in the literature of its toxicity or adverse effects during long-term exposure. Molecular hydrogen has proven useful and convenient as a novel antioxidant and modifier of gene expression in many conditions where oxidative stress and changes in gene expression result in cellular damage. Our intracellular biomarker studies have shown that a hydrogenized water drink formula containing 2.6 ppm dissolved hydrogen was able to penetrate cellular membranes and function as an antioxidant in human liver cells (HePG2) utilizing the Cellular Antioxidant Assay (CAA). This assay uses the protection of a florescent probe as a marker for cellular damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as peroxyl radical, and compares this to the known antioxidant standard, Quercetin. Using this system oxidative damage was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. One ml of hydrogenized water was found to possess antioxidant capacity equivalent to 0.05 µmole of quercetin. When examined in a human colon cell line (Caco-2 cells), hydrogenized water demonstrated a dose- and time-dependent permeability inhibition of an intracellular fluorescent glucose derivative (2-NBDG), indicating decreased glucose uptake. In another study, the impact of hydrogenized water on Akt phosphorylation (Ser473), a biomarker for insulin signaling, was monitored in human skeletal muscle cells. The hydrogenized water treatment markedly elevated the level of phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473) in a dose-dependent manner. The anti-aging effects of hydrogenized water were examined utilizing SIRT1 expression as a biomarker of aging in human umbilical cells (HUVECs). Hydrogenized water increased dose-dependent SIRT1 gene expression. Hydrogenized water also increased telomerase activity (an anti-aging biomarker in HUVEC cells) up to 148% when cells were treated with media containing 25% hydrogenized water formula. Increased telomerase activity caused by hydrogenized water may be able to protect telomeres from degradation, suggesting the possible use of hydrogenized water in therapeutic interventions of age-related diseases. These studies show that commercial hydrogenized water improved the levels or activities of a few intracellular biomarkers specific for antioxidant activity, glucose uptake, insulin signaling and SIRT 1 and telomerase activities. Industrial Relevance: The molecular hydrogen used in this study indicates that certain commercial sources of hydrogenized water can provide similar antioxidant and gene expression modifications seen in other sources of molecular hydrogen. The biomarkers evaluated here lend well to hydrogenized water’s biological activity relating to health conditions and aging.

Keywords

Hydrogenized water, bio-assays, antioxidant, Caco-2 permeability assay, glucose uptake, insulin receptor, SIRT 1, telomerase activity

Mineral water intake reduces blood pressure among subjects with low urinary magnesium and calcium levels

Ragnar RylanderEmail author and Maurice J Arnaud
BMC Public Health20044:56
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-4-56©  Rylander and Arnaud; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2004
Received: 21 June 2004Accepted: 30 November 2004Published: 30 November 2004
Open Peer Review reports
Abstract

Background

Several previous epidemiological studies have shown a relation between drinking water quality and death in cardiovascular disease whereas others have not found such a relationship. An intervention study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of water with added magnesium and natural mineral water on blood pressure.

Methods

A group of 70 subjects with borderline hypertension was recruited and consumed 1) a water low in minerals, 2) magnesium enriched water or 3) natural mineral water, in a random, double blind fashion during four weeks.

Results

Among persons with an initial low excretion of magnesium or calcium in the urine, the urinary excretion of magnesium was increased in the groups consuming the two waters containing magnesium after 4 weeks. A significant decrease in blood pressure was found in the group consuming mineral water at 2 and 4 weeks.

Conclusion

The results suggest that minerals taken in water are significant for the body burden and that an intake of mineral water among persons with a low urinary excretion of magnesium or calcium may decrease the blood pressure. Further studies should investigate the extent of mineral deficiency in different populations and the efficiency of different vehicles for supplying minerals, particularly magnesium and calcium.

Background

A relation between mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and drinking water characteristics was first shown in Japan in 1957 [1]. Since then, several studies have demonstrated the same relationships, one of the last being a study from Finland in 2004 [2] and reviews have been presented [3, 4]. Other studies have, however, not found such relationships or only weak associations between mineral intake and risk for cardiovascular disease [5, 6]. This discrepancy may be due to an absence of causality or to variations in the populations studied regarding intake of minerals.

In a case-control study, an inverse relation was found between the amount of magnesium in drinking water and death from acute myocardial infarction and for females also between the amount of calcium and death [7]. Diets rich in vegetables and fruit, which contain high amounts of minerals, had a protective effect on cardiovascular disease [8, 9]. This suggests that the mineral balance in individuals depends on different types of intakes which may vary depending on geographical and socio-economical conditions.

Regarding individual minerals, several studies have been reported where hypertensive subjects were treated orally with nutritional doses of magnesium [10]. The results suggested a dose-dependent reduction in blood pressure from the magnesium intervention but it was concluded that the relationship must be confirmed in larger studies, using higher doses of magnesium. A similar meta-analysis reported a very small effect of calcium supplementation [11]. A meta-analysis of 33 studies on potassium intervention concluded that there might be a beneficial effect on blood pressure [12]. Many of the studies reviewed were, however, dietary intervention studies, and the intervention thus comprised several minerals and other agents rather than potassium alone.

Epidemiological studies on cardiovascular disease suggest that drinking water is an important vehicle for the supply of minerals [7]. This is supported by data from short-term intervention studies using mineral water, as well as an epidemiological study [13, 14, 15].

The present intervention study was undertaken to determine the effect of minerals in water on one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease – blood pressure. Subjects with slightly elevated blood pressure consumed water with different levels of minerals. Serum and urinary levels of minerals were measured as a marker of intervention and blood pressure was measured before and after the intervention.

Methods

Subjects

Female and male subjects, aged 45 – 64 years (n = 70) were recruited by advertising in local newspapers. Inclusion criteria were living in an area with low magnesium content in the drinking water, systolic pressure 15 mm above normal values for their age, diastolic pressure above 90 mm Hg, and within 20% of ideal body weight. Exclusion criteria were hypertension target organ damage, chronic diseases (heart, liver, kidney, diabetes mellitus), pregnancy, and taking oral contraceptives or regular intake of mineral supplements. Subjects with a diastolic pressure above 100 mm Hg were advised to consult a physician for treatment. A few persons decided not to seek a physician's advice and choose to participate anyway. The Ethical committee at the Medical faculty, University of Gothenburg, approved the study.

Blood pressure

Blood pressure was measured using standardized techniques before the intervention, at 2 weeks and at the end at 4 weeks. Two separate recordings were made (diastolic pressure as Korothoff phase 5) after 5 minutes of supine rest. The blood pressure is reported as the average of these recordings.

Blood and urine samples

Blood samples were taken before and after the intervention to determine the serum concentration of magnesium, calcium, sodium, creatinine and potassium (analysis performed at the accredited laboratory for Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgren's Hospital, Gothenburg). Before and after the intervention period, 24 hours urine samples were collected and the amounts of magnesium, calcium, and creatinine were determined (idem). Magnesium and calcium levels in urine were expressed as the creatinine ratio.

Intervention

The participants were randomly allotted into three groups to which the three waters were supplied in similar bottles marked A, B and C. The composition of the waters (see Table 1) was unknown to the persons engaged in the intervention study. The subjects were asked to consume at least one liter of water/day. When preparing coffee and tea, ordinary tap water could be used. There were no difficulties in consuming the allotted quantity and spot checks were made to control for the proper consumption. The intervention lasted 4 weeks. None of the subjects changed their normal dietary habits during the trial.
Table 1
Composition of the three waters used in the intervention study. (1)Valvert®; (2)Distilled water+MgSO4; (3)Contrex®.
Waters Minerals/mg L
A1
B2
C3
Calcium (Ca2+)
67.6
4
486
Magnesium (Mg2+)
2
82.3
84
Sodium (Na+)
1.9
2.4
9.1
Potassium (K+)
0.2
0.1
3.2
Sulphate (SO4 2-)
18
326
1187
Bicarbonate (HCO3 -)
204
12
403
Chloride (Cl-)
4
0.7
8.6
Fluoride (F-)0
<0 .05="" u="">
0
0.32
Silica (SiO2)
5.7
0
8
Statistical evaluation

The three groups were compared using the Student's t-test for paired samples and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. For a smaller subgroup of 6 individuals, comparisons were made using the Wilcoxon test for pairs.

Results

In the analysis of the whole group, no differences in any parameters were found between persons consuming the different types of water. For the subsequent analysis, subjects with serum or urine values in excess of the 75 percentile were excluded on the ground that these represented a group with a sufficient body burden of the minerals and would not be influenced by the intervention. For magnesium in urine, this value was 0.39 mmol/l, and for calcium 0.50 mmol/L. For magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium in blood the values were 0.9, 2.4, 4.4 and 141 mmol/L, respectively.

There was a close relation between the amount of calcium/creatinine and magnesium/creatinine in the urine before the intervention (p = 0.001). Table 2 shows the amounts of calcium and magnesium in urine before and after the intervention with different kinds of waters. It is seen that persons consuming waters B and C had significantly higher amounts of magnesium in the urine after the intervention. No significant effects of the waters on serum levels of magnesium could be detected (data not shown).
Table 2
Magnesium/creatinine and calcium/creatinine in urine (mmol/L) among subjects with an initial level less than 0.40 mmol/L magnesium before and after intervention with different waters.
Water
n
Before
After
p
Magnesium
   
A
18
0.25 (0.08)
0.26 (0.07)

B
18
0.28 (0.06)
0.34 (0.09)
0.009
C
19
0.30 (0.07)
0.35 (0.09)
0.019
Calcium
   
A
18
0.40 (0.22)
0.35 (0.40)

B
18
0.33 (0.12)
0.35 (0.40)

C
19
0.34 (0.13)
0.38 (0.16)

Table 3 shows the blood pressure before and after intervention. Among persons consuming water C, both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased significantly at 2 and 4 weeks. A similar result was obtained when the group with an initial low level of calcium in the urine was evaluated (data not shown).
Table 3
Blood pressure among subjects with an initial magnesium level in urine less than 0.40 mmol/L before and after intervention with different waters. * denotes group with initial systolic values below 170 mm (see text).
Water
n
Before
2 weeks
4 weeks
Systolic
   
A
18
151.9 (9.8)
154.2 (15.9)
148.3 (12.4)
B
18
148.3 (10.5)
146.8 (13.6)
147.9 (11.5)
C
19
156.8 (15.9)
150.1(16.1)p = 0.034
150.4(15.5)p = 0.017
C*
13
148.8 (13.3)
142.5(10.1)p = 0.028
144.3(14.4)p = 0.047
Diastolic
   
A
18
90.1 (4.4)
91.2 (6.1)
89.8 (5.0)
B
18
90.4 (4.2)
89.3 (6.0)
90.9 (6.6)
C
19
91.7 (6.3)
88.0 (7.6) p = 0.014
89.1 (8.0) p = 0.020
C*
13
91.3 (6.4)
87.3 (6.3) p = 0.004
88.1 (8.6) p = 0.012
In spite of the random allocation to the different waters, it was found that the group consuming water C comprised a larger number of persons with a high initial systolic pressure. In the groups receiving waters A and B, none of the subjects had systolic blood pressures above 170 before the intervention. The subjects drinking water C were divided into those with an initial systolic pressure above and below 170 mm. For the group with the higher pressure (n = 6), there was a decrease in the systolic pressure before and at 4 weeks (p = 0.023) but no difference at 2 weeks or for diastolic pressure. The results from the remainder of the group are also shown in Table 3. It is seen that significant reductions were observed both for systolic and diastolic blood pressure after 2 and 4 weeks.

Discussion

The study is of exploratory character, based on a relatively small number of subjects and should be interpreted with care. There is also a lack of some data that retrospectively would have been of interest such as sodium in the urine and the effect of water with only calcium added. We do not think, however, that this has any influence on the major conclusions from the study.

The intervention with the two waters with added magnesium influenced the body burden in terms of an increased excretion of magnesium in urine. This is consistent with findings from previous intervention studies [16, 17] although the dose of magnesium used here was rather low in comparison to several previous studies [10]. It could have been of interest to study the effect of different doses of magnesium only, but in view of the conclusions regarding the better effect of total mineral water on blood pressure, this does not have a high priority. The absence of an effect on serum was expected; it has previously been shown that serum magnesium is a poor indicator of the body burden or the intracellular content [18].

The intervention with water containing high amounts of several minerals decreased the blood pressure significantly in contrast to water with magnesium only where no significant effect was detected. This does not exclude that an effect could have been found with the latter water, had the intervention time been longer. On the other hand, the finding supports the concept that interventions should be performed under conditions similar to the ones present in normal environments, rather than with one specific agent. This could also explain the lack of an effect in previous studies where single minerals have been given as reviewed in the introduction.

Conclusion

In summary, the results suggest that waterborne minerals constitute a supply for the body burden, that the urinary excretion can be used as a physiologically relevant indicator of the body burden of magnesium and calcium, and that the supplementation of magnesium together with other minerals may reduce blood pressure among persons with a low body burden of magnesium and calcium, either due to an insufficient intake through food or water, or through some metabolic/clinical disturbance. Additional studies are needed to explore this further.

Declarations

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the valuable contributions to the research plan given by Dr Eva Rubenowitz and Professor Ove Andersson and thank Erika Kerekes, Ingela Sahlberg and Gunilla Arvidsson for excellent technical assistance and Dr Florence Constant for the preparation of the different waters.

Competing interests

The study was supported by an unconditional grant to Gothenburg University from the Nestlé Water Institute, Vittel, France. The authors had full freedom for data analysis, manuscript preparation and submittance to a journal. RR has not received any fees or salaries for this work, including article processing charges, nor does he own any shares or has any other financial interest in the company. MA was an employee at the Water Institute at the time of the study.

Authors' contribution

RR and MA jointly developed the research plan. RR conducted the field study. RR and MA jointly analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.

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