Crohn's Disease Water Cure

Crohn's disease is a disease that causes inflammation of the digestive tract. It can affect many areas of the body, but typically affects the lower part of the small intestine. The swelling and inflammation involved can cause pain and discomfort for the individual. Crohn's disease is considered to be a serious form of inflammatory bowel disease. The water cure works for Crohn's disease, because it helps with circulation, the digestive tract, and to keep the lower intestine functioning properly.

What is the Water Cure?

• The water cure recipe states that the individual should drink half their body weight in ounces of water each day. For example, if someone weighs 150 pounds, they should be drinking 75 ounces of water on a daily basis. One regular-sized water glass holds approximately 16 ounces of water, which means the individual should drink just under 5 large glasses of water a day. For every quart of water that is drunk, the individual should add in ¼ of a teaspoon of salt. One quart of water is equal to four cups of water. That's a little more than 2 quarts of water a day if drinking 75 ounces, so ½ a teaspoon of salt should be added to the water at some point throughout the day.

Things to Avoid

• The water cure guidelines recommend avoiding caffeine and alcohol all together. The reason behind this is that both of these beverages act as natural diuretics, which will eventually dehydrate the individual. Think about this: for every 6 ounces of alcohol or caffeine you drink, 10 to 12 ounces of water are required to re-hydrate your body.

Understanding the Water Cure

• According to F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., more than 50 percent of the human body is made up of water. Some experts estimate that as much as 70 or even 80 percent of the human body is made up of water. Circulation, digestion, absorption, and excretion all depend on how much water the body has available to it. Mature individuals hold less water. If the body doesn't have enough water, it may be difficult for the individual to properly digest their food. If a person is losing fluid or not retaining enough fluid, they need to consume more water. There is a lot of information available about water retention and reducing fluid retention, but not nearly enough information about putting water back into the body and staying hydrated.