Migraine Prevention – Part 5 – Water and Salt
December 20th, 2010 . by Peter
Are you tired of hearing about water – the arguments over how important it really is, and how much water you should drink? Everyone knows some facts about water: that it has a simple formula (H2O) and covers more than 2/3 of the earth’s surface. But that doesn’t mean the subject is trivial or that you know everything there is to know about it. Water can do more for you than you can imagine. And it’s key to migraine headache prevention.
How Important Is Water?
Most of your body is water — salt water, to be accurate. To keep your body functioning well, you need water and salt on a regular basis. Water is needed to ensure adequate volume inside your cells. Salt is needed to control the water outside your cells and in circulation.
With sufficient water in your body, all the parts of your body have the raw materials they need, the freedom of movement to carry out chemical reactions, and the ease of ridding themselves of waste.
What Does Water Do?
Water is a solvent and transporter — it carries oxygen and removes various wastes from the body. But water has more than a mechanical role in the body. It is an active participant in body chemistry. For example, it is essential in the breakdown of proteins and fats.
Can’t You Just Drink When You Get Thirsty?
No. As you get older, you lose your ability to know when you need water. You can be dehydrated — short several glasses of water — and not know it.
But Being Thirsty Isn’t Serious, Is It?
Being dehydrated on a long-term basis has the effect of strangling crucial processes throughout your body. This may cause most of the diseases of the human body — as well as producing serious pain (including migraines).
How Does Dehydration Cause Pain?
Without adequate water to flush them away, acidic waste products build up in your cells. The acid irritates your nerve endings, sending pain messages to the brain. Dehydration can lead to migraines.
So Drinking More Water Will Change My Life?
It could make a surprising change for the better. Chances are you will digest your food better, sleep better, have fewer aches and pain — for starters. Long-term benefits can include a reduction in migraines.
