Dehydration – Minerals

Dehydration occurs when more water moves out of your cells and, subsequently, out of your body than you are taking in.

Your body depends on water for survival.  Water makes up over half of your body weight.  Every single cell in your body requires water to function correctly.  Your brain is over 70% water.  All the electrical impulses throughout your body require water.  There must be sufficient fluid in your body for your kidneys to function properly.  When you are drinking sufficient water, the kidneys can keep your blood at the proper consistency.

Fluid Loss and Dehydration

Remember the definition of dehydration at the beginning of this article.  Dehydration occurs when more water moves out of your cells and, subsequently, out of your body than you are taking in.  There are many ways our bodies lose water.  We lose water in the form of water vapor every time we exhale as we breathe.  We also lose water in our sweat, in our urine and even in our stool.  The average adult loses approximately 10 cups of fluid a day through basic body functions.  Replacing this lost water must be a priority in order for the body to function at its best.

When we lose too much water too fast and fail to replace it quickly enough, we can become dehydrated.  Severe dehydration can lead to death.  Moreover, the impact of chronic, mild dehydration on the body can be staggering.

The following is a list of, too often, not understood facts about dehydration.

•  1/3 of Americans mistake a weak thirst sensation for hunger.  They then overeat or eat when their bodies desperately need water instead.
•  Research suggests that 8 – 10 glasses of water a day eases back and joint pain for 80% of  sufferers.
•  Mild dehydration slows down the metabolism.
•  For every 1% loss of water, there is a loss of 10% in exercise performance.
•  5 glasses of water daily lessens the risk of colon cancer as much as 45%.
•  At least 5 glasses of water a day slashes the risk of breast cancer by 79%.
•  Consuming 5 glasses of water daily makes you 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
•  A 2% drop in body water causes fuzzy memory, trouble with basic math, and problems focusing. Despite this, children and adults seldom drink water at school or work.
•  Dehydration is one of the most common reasons for hospitalization among people over 65.

Common Causes of Dehydration and/or Electrolyte Imbalances

• Some prescription and non-prescription medications.  Diuretics, also and understandably, but also antibiotics, corticosteroid creams and immunosuppressant drugs.   Some of the common side effects of chemotherapy are due to fluid loss and dehydration.  Medications for heart disease can critically upset electrolyte stores in the body.  Medications whose side effects include profuse sweating.
• Kidney damage or disease.  This is not fluid loss, but is failure of the kidneys to maintain proper fluid levels in the body.
• Diabetes of other endocrine system disorders

Some Conditions that May Cause Rapid OR Continued Fluid Loss.

• High fever
• Exposure to excessive temperatures
• To much exercise (sweating)
• Vomiting, diarrhea and increased urine output
• Injuries to the skin such as burns or infections
  Following my husband’s severe burn, we saw the skin on unburned areas dry out terribly.  The skin of his legs and feet, untouched by the fire, literally sloughed off beneath his chair.

Symptoms of dehydration.  Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe.

• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Heart palpitations
• Confusion
• Constipation
• Abdominal pains
• Sluggishness
• Fainting
• Decreased urine output
• Dry mouth, swollen tongue
• Dry skin
• Food cravings, especially for sweets
• Bad breath.  A dry mouth allows for unusual bacterial growth
• Fever and chills.  Severe dehydration may present with fever and chills.
• Seizure

Symptoms of dehydration are often misdiagnosed, especially in the elderly.  Medications are given for individual symptoms without addressing the hydration issue at all.  The need for a large percentage of medications given in this country could be eliminated just by staying hydrated!

Unfortunately, thirst isn’t always a reliable gauge of the body’s need for water.  A better indicator is the color of the urine.  Clear or very light colored urine is an indication of excellent hydration.  Dark yellow or amber colored urine is often an indication of dehydration.  Monitoring the color of the urine is the most accurate way to manage hydration.

How Much Water is Enough

So, how much water should you drink?  We have always been told to drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day (based on an eight ounce glass).  However, water requirements for an individual will vary from day to day. Physical activity impacts the need for water.  Weather conditions can have a huge impact.  The overall state of health of the individual is a very important factor.

In our society, people often consume soft drinks, concentrated fruit juices, and sport beverages as a means of satisfying thirst.  They do this not realizing that many of these drinks, in fact, dehydrate our bodies instead of hydrating them.  Even more importantly, the caffeine, high fructose corn syrup/sugar and empty calories can be very detrimental to their health.  There is just no substitute for a glass of water!  However, it is best to drink small amounts throughout the day rather than a whole bunch all at one time.  To much water, consumed too rapidly, can actually cause levels of salt, potassium, and other needed minerals to fall in a dangerous manner.

Tips for Staying Hydrated

• Keep a bottle of water with you during the day, at school or at work.
• Try adding a slice of lime or lemon.
• Be sure to drink plenty of water whenever you exercise.
• When you first feel hungry, drink a glass of water instead of eating.
• Drink on a schedule if you have trouble remembering to drink.
• Fill a pitcher in the morning and drink throughout the day.
• Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Fresh fruits and vegetables supply a substantial amount of water.  Additionally, you will be getting a hearty dose of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

It is better to drink small amounts throughout the day rather than a whole bunch all at one time.

Salt and Dehydration

The human body stores 6-8 ounces of salt in the bones. Salt creates protein in blood, and creates hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid aids in the breaking down food and absorption of other nutrients.  Salt is used to carry water in and around the body where it is needed.  This includes to the digestive system where salt and water keep you from becoming constipated.   A person with diarrhea or a loose stool will use up to 1/3 oz of additional salt a day.  Adrenal Stress causes more mineral loss. This mineral loss includes salt.  More salt is lost in the summer when it is hot than is lost in the cooler temperatures of winter.  We lose salt when we sweat or workout.

Also, we lose salt when we cry and when we pee.  A person with insufficient salt will pee out the water drank quicker than a body with sufficient salt. When you are severely salt deficient or not digesting a particular meal, apple cider vinegar will act as hydrochloric acid and help digestion.

Salt and Pregnancy

Pregnant women, for many years, have been told to avoid salt.  It was proven, long ago, that limiting salt, rather than being a good thing, can be dangerous.  Although most doctors realize this there are to many women still taking the outdated advice of their mothers and grandmothers.  Limiting salt when pregnant is actually a pretty surefire recipe for edema and a catalyst for eclampsia.  Eclampsia is a very serious condition and situation for both the mother and her child.  Please do not limit the ingestion of salt, or any of the trace minerals, when pregnant.

Salt, High Blood Pressure, and Heart Disease

This same counsel to limit salt was, in the past, given to those suffering from high blood pressure.  This has proven to be more than unfortunate.  A diet that is to low in sodium may actually increase the risk for cardiovascular disease.

The New York Times makes this observation based on the review of four well-done observational studies.  These four studies included a total of 133,118 people.  The blood pressure of the people studied was followed for an average of four years.  Results were obtained by taking blood pressure readings.  Sodium levels were determined by urine analysis.  The entire review of these four studies was published in The Lancet.  The Lancet is a peer-reviewed weekly medical journal.  It is one of the world’s oldest and best known general medical journals.  Indented below is a short summation.

Results of Peer Reviewed Studies

Among 69,559 people without hypertension, consuming more than seven grams of sodium daily did not increase the risk for disease or death.  Those who ate less than three grams had a 26 percent increased risk for death.  The risk for cardiovascular events like heart disease and stroke was also in the 26th percentile. Comparison was made to those who consumed four to five grams of salt  a day.  (To put these statistics in perspective, it should noted that 2.3 grams is equivalent to a teaspoon of salt.)

In those with high blood pressure, consuming more than seven grams of sodium daily increased risk by 23 percent.  Interestingly, consuming less than 3 grams increased risk by 34 percent.  The comparison were made against people with high blood pressure who ate four to five grams a day.

It would seem that, generally speaking, we should be adding salt to every meal.  It should, also be salt of good quality.  My experiences as a midwife certainly bear this opinion out.

Physical Symptoms of Salt Deficiency 

• Inability to digest food.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Loss of energy and fatigue
• Muscle weakness, spasms, cramps.
• Tendency to heat exhaustion.
• Insomnia, sleeping less soundly (Again, the New York Time Science Watch Report)
• If the deficiency becomes severe enough, the result will be coma and death

Emotional Symptoms of Salt Deficiency

• Sadness, depression (Rats deprived of salt shunned activities they have formerly enjoyed.)
• Anxiety (studies showing this result are still in early stages.)
• Irritability, crankiness
• Restlessness
• Mental confusion

Potassium and Salt

Potassium is an electrolyte mineral.  For clarity, let’s quickly define the term, electrolytes and explain why we need them.  Electrolytes are minerals that have an electric ionic charge.  Electrolytes are essential for all body fluids, tissues, and cells.  Maintaining the right balance of electrolytes helps the body’s blood chemistry, muscle action and other processes.  Electrolytes are essential in order for our cells to create and carry voltages across cell membranes.  They are big players in the communication between our cells.  Some other electrolyte minerals include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and chloride. For this article we will discuss only potassium because of its interplay with salt and dehydration.

Potassium’s Essential Functions

• Maintain optimal blood pressure or lower blood pressure reading, as needed.
• Help decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Aids the kidneys in regulating the levels of water inside and between the cells.  Both salt and potassium affect this aspect of kidney function.
• Potassium is essential to the nervous system.
  Sodium ions moving into cells and potassium ions moving out of cell generate nerve impulses. The movement of these ions changes the voltage of the cell activating nerve impulses.
• Potassium is a necessary mineral for liver health and the production of bile.
• Because of its effect on the liver, potassium is essential to the breakdown of fats.
  Dark brown stools indicate adequate bile. You can be sure that fats are NOT being broken down or utilized when the stool floats and is light colored.
• Smooth muscle contraction requires adequate potassium.
  Your heart and your colon are made up of smooth muscles.  Adequate potassium is essential to proper functioning. The right balance of potassium literally allows the heart to beat.
• Potassium appears to act as a facilitator in the production of seratonin.  Further, neurotransmitters such as seratonin cannot be utilized to stabilize and improve mood without potassium.

Physical Symptoms of Potassium Deficiency

• Low energy levels
• Never feeling hungry
• Burping
• gas and a swelling belly
• Weak muscles
• Twitching
• Restless leg syndrome
• Chronic pain
  People with chronic pain are three times as likely to develop mood or anxiety disorders.  In like manner, people with mood disorders are much more likely to develop chronic pain.
• Abnormal heart rhythms. Excessive potassium may also trigger heart palpitations.

Emotional Symptoms of Potassium Deficiency

• Can’t take anymore data.
• Despair
• Feelings of being completely overwhelmed
• Discouragement

Sources of Potassium All fruits and veggies, especially the green ones like spinach and chard. Coconut water is a super source of potassium. Molasses is another great source and has the added benefit of being a source of iron. Bananas are particularly high in potassium. Salting watermelon, cantaloupe or even bananas is a good idea.  You would be balancing salt with the potassium found in these foods.  Besides, they taste really good that way!  Particularly good food sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, beans, apricots, salmon, avocados, mushrooms, nuts such as almonds and peanuts, raisins, dates, and carrots.  Potassium, like many other vitamins and minerals, can leach out if boiled in water.  It is best to steam (lightly), bake, grill, saute, or roast vegetables to retain more of the nutrients.  If you do cook your vegetables by boiling, consider using the water in a soup or a stew later.

Salt and Potassium balance is essential. If the body has more potassium than salt it will dump the potassium to stay in balance with the salt.

The importance if adequate hydration and well-balanced electrolytes cannot be over emphasize.  If you are dehydrated, even just a little, you can be sure that your electrolytes are also out of whack.  Here is a simple – and quick – way to determine whether or not your body is dehydrated.

Use two fingers to pinch up some skin on the back of your hand.  Watch closely as you let the skin go.  The skin should spring back to its normal position in less than a second or two.  The skin returning to normal more slowly is a pretty reliable indicator that you are dehydrated.

Tips for Recovering From Dehydration

A tendency to chronic mild dehydration is very different from a serious state of dehydration following a debilitating illness.  The suggestions for management of these two states of dehydration will also be very different.

Chronic Mild Dehydration

Drink More Water

First and foremost, also is to learn to drink more good water.  Soda pop and sugary juices and sports drinks DO NOT prevent or remedy dehydration.  In fact, they make even a mild situation of this sort so much worse!  Sipping water throughout the day is much better than glugging a lot all at once.

Herbal Teas

Herbal teas are a good source of fluid.  They will have the added benefit of providing needed nutrients. Herbal teas, chosen wisely and used daily, can strengthen every organ system.  Bones and the muscles can become stronger.  Immunity to disease, even the common cold, can be enhanced.  Butterfly Express provides herbal combination recipe packs already made up and at amazingly low prices.

One of my favorites is MIN (formerly called Minerals).  MIN contains some of the most nutritious herbs in Nature’s Pharmacy.  Dulse, Alfalfa and Nettles together contain every necessary trace mineral.  Horsetail supports the kidneys and acts as a diuretic.  Raspberry leaf supports the endocrine system and is an excellent herb for hormone balance in both men and women.  Dill support the digestive and endocrine systems.  Yarrow acts as an astringent, drying up infections and excess mucus.  Chamomile is a nervous and digestive system tonic.  MIN is perfectly safe, excellent in fact, to use when pregnant or nursing. MIN even tastes pretty good – at least as herbal teas go.  You can always add a little bit of honey.  A few rosehips will sweeten the taste and provide vitamin C.

MIN tastes better than BHM, another high vitamin and mineral formula. If I am faithful with MIN, as a tea or a tincture, I can avoid BHM.  I resort to BHM only when there is a need for mega burst of nutrition following an accident.  BHM is amazing.  It just tastes a bit nasty!

As a midwife, I insisted that my mother’s drink a quart of raspberry leaf tea daily.  Tinctures are wonderful, especially for long-term storage.  There are, however, some properties of many herbs that pull best, or only, in water.  In addition, drinking a quart of tea a day guaranteed that they were drinking sufficient water.

Fruits and Vegetables

There are many vegetables that contain large amounts of water.  Some of them are strawberries, cucumbers, citrus fruits, peaches, and pineapple.  Melons, especially watermelon, are excellent for hydration purposes.  Apples, apricots and plums also make this list.  In other words, enjoy fruits, especially during the hotter summer months.

Electrolytes and Minerals

I had a hard time deciding whether to put Electrolytes under chronic dehydration or save it for the following section.  I  decided to place electrolytes and minerals here because I believe they should, most often, be supplemented daily.  Even if you pay very close attention to your diet, it may be wise to add a daily electrolyte supplement.  This is especially true if you tend to “work up a sweat” during the day.  Using a high quality sea or Himalayan salt, every day, is a good idea.  Trace mineral, supplemented either all together or separately, keep me feeling my best.

Dehydration Following Illness

A period of serious illness, especially if it was accompanied by a high fever, can leave the body seriously dehydrated.  There will also, usually, be serious mineral deficiencies.  The restoration of electrolyte balance will need serious attention, probably for an extended period of time.  All of the above suggestions for chronic dehydration will be of great value here.  In addition, there are some herbal, essential oil, and homeopathic remedies that should be mentioned.  These remedies would, also be useful in less drastic situations and for chronic dehydration.

Herbal Remedies

Dehydration during serious illness always results in the kidneys taking a hit.  Mullein is a demulcent herb without peer or competition, except possible by slippery elm.  Demulcent means that it is soothing and healing to tissues and reduces inflammation.  This is just what the kidneys will be needing at this time.  The very best way to ingest these herbs, for this situation, is as a warm herbal tea.

Marshmallow, especially mixed with mullein, is my favorite herbal tea for the effects of dehydration.  Marshmallow, if you don’t already know, is that obnoxious weed commonly referred to as “cheesy weed” by children.  It has an annoying long tap root and is difficult to dig.  The long tap root gives it access to minerals from deep in the soil.  My “tricky” kidney loves this one!  Please be sure to drink the tea warm.  It tends to become nastily gelatinous if allowed to cool for to long before drinking.

Parsley, root or leaf, would also be a good choice.  Parsley is much more than a diuretic herb.  It is specific to the rebuilding of both the kidney and the adrenal glands.  Parsley is rich in vitamins and minerals and contains a lot of easily assimilated iron.  Parsley contains whopping amounts of vitamins A, B, And C.  (Parsley tea should be avoided by nursing mothers.  It can dry up the supply of milk.)

There are many other herbs which would be excellent.  These are only a few of my favorites.  While tinctures are great, for this application drinking the herbs as a tea is much preferred.  You are working with dehydration, after all.  Additional fluids, as well as the minerals that “pull” best in water, are the goal.

Essential Oils

What essential oils would be good for recovery from dehydration? At first thought, I was a little bit baffled.  I do not think that this word is used anywhere in the essential oil book that I wrote.  An obvious oversight on my part.  On further consideration, the list became quite long!  Essential oils are amazing!

^LeAmbition

Ambition is a whole body rejuvenator.  It is a pick-me-up for every part of every body system.  I can think of no better oil for recovery after illness or the devastating effects of serious dehydration.

^LeAutumn

^LeAutumn is an amazing blend.  ^LeAutumn is the first Butterfly blend that contains the essential oil made from the coffee bean.  I hate the smell of coffee and expected to hate the smell of this blend.  Not at all!  ^LeAutum has an amazing aroma.  You will be absolutely amazed that it has no vanilla in it.  The aroma is so reminiscent of vanilla (which I love).  This blend is stimulating and sustaining to the circulatory and cardiovascular systems.  I think this property is the key to ^LeAutumn’s use in recovery from illness and serious dehydration.  ^LeAutumn is being used at the moment for a child with a particular learning disability.  The synergy of this blend has an affinity for brain tissue and the nerve bundles and connections there.  I suspect we are only just beginning to understand the things this blend is capable of accomplishing.

^LeIntensity

^LeIntensity is a very “hot” essential oil blend.  It contains capsicum (cayenne) so be sure to dilute well.  ^LeIntensity also contains cinnamon bark and clove as well as peppermint and turmeric.  I cannot think of another blend in the Butterfly line that would be its equal as a stimulant to all body systems.  The great healers damiana, gingergrass, lavender, and litsea cubeba are also included.

^LeBenediction

Generally appreciated for protection from the energy of other, ^LeBenediction’s other properties are too often overlooked.  ^LeBenediction is useful for the energy system, as one would expect.  It is also of great benefit to the respiratory tissues and the entire endocrine system.  ^LeBenediction has a special affinity for rebuilding ducts.  The ducts of the digestive and endocrine systems are hard hit by dehydration!

^LeEndoRelief

It is absolutely imperative that damage done to the endocrine system be repaired after illness or dehydration.  ^LeEndoRelief is the very best essential oil blend for this purpose.

^LeLifeForce

^LeLifeForce is especially indicated whenever the body has been weakened by illness.  Serious dehydration would certainly fit this bill!  Soaking the feet in water to which ^LeLifeForce has been added would be particularly beneficial  in this situation.

^LeVitality

There are several aspects of  ^LeVitality that might prove useful here.  First, ^LeVitality is a remedy for impending shock.  It is also an adrenal stimulant and seriously aids the kidneys in performing their tasks.  ^LeVitality is also a very good anti-inflammatory. With serious dehydration, removing inflammation will be one of the most important necessities.  ^LeVitality is useful in treating toxemia of pregnancy.  The effects of serious dehydration on the body would be similar in many important ways.

Homeopathics/Blessed Waters

I love essential oils!  Herbal remedies have blessed my life and benefited my family in so many ways over so many years!  For  recovering from serious illness and dehydration, homeopathics are without parallel. There are so many remedies that could be mentioned, I hardly know where to start!  Also, for a homeopathic to be really effective, the “symptom picture” must match the person and the situation.  The following are a few, a very few, suggestions.  Please do your homework should the need arise for you or for your family.  Match the symptom picture to the symptoms that are being displayed at the present time.

China officinalis

China officinalis is the first remedy that comes to mind for dehydration from any cause at all.  An important keynote of this remedy is “debility due to . . . loss of vital fluids”.  China will stabilize water levels in the cells and do it very quickly.  Within minutes, you should feel your mouth becoming more moist.  The same thing will be happening throughout your body.

Carbo vegetablilis

Carbo vegetabilis is usually thought of for digestive issues.  However, it is excellent for anyone who feels weak with low vitality from loss of vital fluids.  Carbo veg is one of the best convalescent remedies in homeopathy.  It acts on circulation, particularly the capillaries.  The tiny capillaries are often compromised when the tissues of the body become overly dry.  A keynote of Carbo veg is confusion.

Graphites

A little bit of information for the serious homeopathic student reading this: graphites is a mineral carbon related to Carb-v, discussed above.  It is also related to Ferrum, which is iron.  Ferrums are generally indicated when there is weakness or debility.  By using Graphies, you would be gaining a little bit of help of each of these mineral kingdoms.   A keynote, as it applies to dehydration, is dark brown, sour smelling urine.

Sepia

Sepia is the #1 polycrest remedy for women (Polycrest meaning  useful for most people at some time or another.)  This remedy, Sepia, is #3 for men.  Being mentally and physically worn down is a common aftereffect of dehydration.  This mental state is one of the keynotes of Sepia as a remedy.  Irritability is also a common denominator of this remedy and dehydration.  Sepia has a dramatic action on the vital forces of the body.

Veratrum album

Profound prostration, often with weakness and even blueness.  Symptoms are usually sudden and quite violent and extreme.  Mentally, the person will feel that the situation is desperate and likely to get much worse!  An odd symptom, especially if the dehydration was caused by heat, is a feeling of chill and coldness.

Homeopathic treatment is, in my opinion, the quickest and surest way to recovery from these types of situations.  Also, there is no need to utilize only one modality in any situation.