CBS Atlanta 46CBS Atlanta viewer believes water helped her get healthy

A CBS Atlanta News viewer said her health improved after drinking the right amount of water.

Kathleen Charbonneau said drinking enough water helps her live a healthier life. Staying healthy is important for the mother of four. She said water is the key.

"To me it's just essential. I can't see not drinking water," Charbonneau said.

CBS Atlanta News did a story on Dr. F. Batmanghelidj. He believes drinking enough water and staying hydrated can cure most diseases. 

Viewers responded. One viewer said water stopped his epileptic seizures. Another said water helped get her off dialysis.

Charbonneau was diagnosed with sarcoidosis seven years ago. It's an auto-immune disease that causes swelling, pain and shortness of breath, among other symptoms.

"My ankle had swelled up probably 10 times the size it should be. Then it moved up to my knee and into my hip," Charbonneau said.

And she was having trouble breathing. It's something she dismissed because she was always active with her young kids.

"The lymph nodes in my lungs were enlarged. They did a biopsy was I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis after that. I was given inhalers. I was on steroids. I was given something called methotrexate which is really strong and it worked, but it shut my immune system down," Charbonneau said.

Then she started drinking more water. Those pesky symptoms went away.

"I thought, 'my lungs are an organ. It's a muscle and if I'm dehydrated, they're not going to work properly,'" Charbonneau said.

She's lived a healthier life since then. She believes it's directly related to staying hydrated.

"For me, it's the water. It works for me. I haven't been on prednisone. I have not used my inhaler in about three years at least," Charbonneau said.

The formula for Batmanghelidj's water cure is to divide your body weight in half and then drink that many ounces of water per day.

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