Social media is spreading information about a Japanese study that found that drinking four glasses of water on an empty stomach treats and prevents numerous diseases. We decided to check whether such a study exists and whether scientists really came to such conclusions.

Newsletter reports that four glasses of water on an empty stomach can help with a 100 percent guarantee for a variety of pathologies: headache, anemia, gout, paralysis, epilepsy, obesity, gastritis, constipation, sore throat, asthma, tuberculosis, dysentery and meningitis. It is claimed that the technique treats diseases of the genitourinary system, organs of vision, hearing, and also normalizes the menstrual cycle. There are even time frames within which relief from diseases is guaranteed. It is claimed that headaches will go away the fastest (three days), stomach and kidney problems should go away in ten days, and the menstrual cycle will improve in 15 days. It only takes a month to cure diabetes, hypertension and anemia. Those with tuberculosis or meningitis (six months), as well as cancer (nine months), will have the longest treatment with water. The healing effect of water is explained by the fact that it activates the work of internal organs after sleep. Information about water treatment methods can be found on social networks (“VKontakte”», "Odnoklassniki» And Facebook), as well as on websitesdedicated to healthy image life.

To begin with, it is worth noting that it was not possible to find relevant research on various combinations of keywords in such authoritative databases of scientific publications as PubMed or Google Scholar. Fact checkers of the American myth-debunking project Snopes also couldn't find a study that describes what is stated in the newsletter. It is only known that already in 2010 the newsletter was distributed in English.

The newsletter lists diseases caused by different groups of pathogens: bacteria (tuberculosis), bacteria or protozoa (dysentery), bacteria, viruses or fungi (meningitis, angina). The list also includes diseases with a genetic component (diabetes, asthma). Among others, cancer is also indicated (without specifying the type of tumor and its location), while oncological diseases are also can have a genetic predisposition, develop as a result of the accumulation of carcinogens, or result from exposure to radiation.

Moreover, some of the diseases that are proposed to be treated with water are currently classified as incurable. For diabetes, asthma, gout or epilepsy in principle, the concept of “recovery” is not used; doctors only talk about the possibility of entering a long-term non-drug remission, when the disease does not manifest itself with symptoms.

A particular danger is that the newsletter about water treatment suggests using this method even for diseases for which emergency medical care in a hospital setting is indicated. Yes, WHO indicatesthat without adequate treatment, meningitis is fatal in half of patients. But even with treatment, the mortality rate is high: with bacterial meningitis, approximately every tenth person dies, and every fifth person develops severe complications. Amoebic dysentery is no less dangerous: in terms of mortality from parasitic diseases, it takes second place in the world after malaria.

A separate question about the logic of the newsletter arises after reading the statement that such water consumption for 15 days cures an irregular menstrual cycle. Normal cycle varies in the interval from 24 to 38 days, after 15 days of water consumption, in most cases it will not even be possible to determine whether the cycle has become regular or not.

The only condition in the newsletter for which increased water intake may be beneficial is constipation. In an article in the journal Clinical Surgery of the Colon and Rectum notedthat water and exercise may be beneficial in preventing this condition. However, there is no scientific evidence that increasing water consumption effectively copes with chronic constipation that has already occurred, unless it arose due to dehydration.

It is also worth noting that water can poison you. This condition is called hyperhydration; even lethal outcomes. Four glasses of water, of course, will not develop such a pathology, but in general, consuming too much liquid can cause a decrease in the concentration of sodium in the blood, which, in turn, may lead to swelling of the brain and lungs.

The public danger of this mailing is as follows. One of the reasons for the high mortality rate from cancer is is that, having received such a diagnosis, instead of starting treatment according to medical protocols, a person appeals to such pseudoscientific, esoteric or “folk” methods. At the same time, the patient loses time, the disease progresses and it becomes more and more difficult to achieve significant improvement. Thus, the newsletter can be considered not only untrue and useless, but also dangerous.

Cover image: Libershot