The Wrong Treatment

Lately I see many websites popping up referencing an article I wrote (this site apparently is down till the 21st of March as it is migrated to a new site) about two years ago, distorting it to the point that drinking the kind of hydration they recommend can actually be harmful. One of these sites is here that is actually linking directly to my article as if what is in their article is what is in mine but that is wrong.

Lately so many articles are popping up with the wrong information that I though it is important to write the correct information so that migraineurs don’t get hurt. It is also important to make sure that a well-intended article is not allowed to be twisted to bits and made fake.

So first, I discuss the importance of hydration; next why salt and why not just salt; why not a ton of salt; and finally why not lemon.

The Importance of Hydration

Hydration is elementary for our body. On average, a man’s body is about 70% water and a woman’s body is about 55%. The difference comes from the amount of fat a female body contains when it is healthy, which is much more than men have. Obviously not everyone fits the mold so the amount of water is somewhere between 55% and 70% for most everyone. This means that if we grab an average 140 lbs female, her water will weigh minimum 77 lbs. That is a lot of water. A man who may weigh 160 lbs, his water weighs approximately 112 lbs. So when we talk about water, you know we really are talking about the most important substance in your body. However water does not do anything in the body without help from various minerals, such as sodium chloride (salt), potassium, etc. In other words, water is used to create electrolyte. It is not meant to be just going into your body by entering through your mouth and come out the other end in 10 minutes. It also isn’t supposed to be clear water-color and transparent as some TV doctor suggested on his show because of which many people aim at completely clear urine.  That is wrong. That means the water you drank did not do anything in your body.

Possible causes for clear light urine color:

• You are drinking too much water
• You are eating too much carbs
• You are not eating a balanced potassium and sodium mix
• Your kidneys are in trouble
• You have diabetes type 2
• You urinate too often
• You are taking diuretics and/or medicines

Possible causes for dark urine color:

• You are drinking too little water
• Your kidneys are in trouble
• You are urinating too seldom
• You are severely dehydrated by tea, alcohol, or medicines

The proper urine color is transparent yellow. Unfortunately those of you taking vitamins will have a hard time checking the true color. But if you deviate much from the healthy color, it is time to consider revising your hydration.

Why Salt & Why Not Just Salt?

Salt is a great element without which there is no life. A person’s body is filled with several lbs of salt. We lose salt as we breathe, sweat, talk, etc. It is lost together with water. We also urinate it out so it needs to be replaced. We cannot make salt but we are made of salt water so we must eat salt. Salt creates the type of voltage cells use to generate action potential for the brain and the heart and other cells. It is especially critical for both the brain and the heart,

Action potential changes the shape of the cell’s membrane to allow voltage gated pumps to open and close. Resting potential is when the cell is “charging up” for the next action potential. Action and resting potentials are powered by the substances in electrolyte. Salt, a key electrolyte mineral, breaks up in the body into ions of sodium (Na⁺) and chloride (Cl^–) and they must remain mobile. Sodium moves out of the cells in exchange of potassium (K⁺) moving in; potassium is another key substance in electrolyte. Thus eating salt is not enough. A proper brain needs salt and potassium and a lot of other minerals, collectively found in the electrolyte, that generate voltage and transport nutrients into the cells and toxins out of the cells.

Why is that important for migraineurs?

Migraine is not an illness but a condition in which the brain is fighting an inability to generate action potential. This is shown in the scanner as cortical depression–these are regions of zero electrical activity. A migraine brain is anatomically different from a non-migraine brain. The original Stanton Migraine Protocol^® teaches you how to ensure proper voltage supply for your brain at all times, preventing the formation of cortical depression regions. Since electrolytes are important in the prevention of such regions, the entire spectrum of elements in electrolytes are important to maintain. Dumping a bunch of salt into a glass of water with some lemon will not help in creating proper electrolyte. Drinking electrolyte water types sold in stores will also not provide proper electrolyte balance. Migraine brain is so different from other brains that keeping electrolyte in balance requires a lot more than adding salt to water; other things are also important. These are discussed in the Stanton Migraine Protocol^® extensively.

Why Not A Ton Of Salt?

Salt is great but it needs to have proper balance with potassium. Add too much salt without enough potassium and  exchange of sodium (from inside the cells to the outside) is not possible and thus no old (used) water can be released by your cells and it cannot be replaced with fresh water either so the water runs past your cells.

This can cause toxicity to the cells. This also causes the water to be urinated out within 10 minutes from your drinking it, because all your cells are fully saturated and cannot let more water in. Thus too much salt can prevent hydration! The articles that mention “migraine cure” by drinking salt water with lemon juice recommend 2 teaspoons of salt in a glass of water–here is an example–and there are many more out there with the same message. That much salt is twice the USDA recommended daily maximum! It can seriously hurt you. 

Why Not Lemon?

Lemon is a great fruit. It is a fruit that has sugar and very little potassium. It does not taste sweet (nor do many alcohols or vinegar that are also sugar) but it is sugar. An average lemon has 3.2 grams of carbs in its juice and since 4 grams of carbs is equal to a teaspoon of sugar, a lemon is almost a teaspoon of sugar. You may not think much of that but one of the key reasons migraines hit is because of sugar. Why this is happening is explained in the Stanton Migraine Protocol^®. Thus drinking a migraine-causing sugary drink with a tremendous amount of oversupply of salt and with way too little potassium (a wedge of lemon has only 6 mg potassium) will do only one thing: make you throw up, as it happened so far with all who tried it among those who joined my program for migraine prevention and treatment.

For reference, the USDA RDA (recommended daily allowance) for sodium is between 1500 mg and 2400 mg sodium (2400 mg is 1 teaspoon) based on age and health and between 3500 mg and 4700 mg potassium. Migraineurs have different energy need because of their highly over sensitized brains with more sensory neuron receptor connections. Migraine-brains use more voltage. With the numerous articles on the internet recommending 2 teaspoons of salt in water and a wedge of lemon, they mix 4800 mg sodium and 6 mg potassium. Compare that to the USDA RDA. The the Stanton Migraine Protocol^® uses slightly different ratio compared with the USDA but not by much. The Stanton Migraine Protocol^® uses other knowledge to prevent migraine and not salt and lemon. The the Stanton Migraine Protocol^® in not a salt protocol by any stretch of the imagination. 

If you have migraines or know someone who does, please advise them to not drink the toxic mixture of 2 teaspoons of salt and lemon in water because it may hurt them! Please share to be sure that those who are inclined to try, do not! And though many places refer to this mix as the Stanton Migraine Protocol^®, it has nothing to do with the Stanton Migraine Protocol^® so please avoid!

Thank you for your help!! Please share!

Comments are welcome, as always!

Angela