Effects of Karlovy Vary water
The thermal waters of the Karlovy Vary springs differ in temperature, but have almost identical chemical composition. The difference in temperature influences the way the water affects the motility of the digestive system. The thermal waters have the same effect on the mucous membrane cells of the digestive tract and body tissues. Let's look more closely at how a course of drinking thermal water treatment in Karlovy Vary affects human organs and systems.
Movement of water through the digestive tract
When water is ingested internally, sips of water enter the esophagus, mechanically flushing it. A mass of warm water, cooled in the process of drinking to about body temperature, expands the stomach, partially smooths its mucous membrane, mechanically flushing out the folds and neutralizing residual gastric juice. The hydrocarbonates at this point are broken down with the release of carbon dioxide. Ions of potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, lithium act on the mucosa according to their pharmacological properties, normalizing the secretion of gastric juice, the process of protein breakdown by enzymes and increasing the resistance of the mucosa to chemical damage. Laboratory studies of Karlovy Vary water on rats showed that repeated intake of thermal water increases resistance to the processes that cause gastric ulcers.
Thirty minutes after drinking Carlsbad water, the stomach is completely empty and ready for digestion. The speed at which the water flows from the stomach to the small intestine determines the readiness of the gastrointestinal tract for defecation. If the rate at which water passes through the stomach into the intestines is increased due to illness or as a result of surgery, taking thermal water increases the body's readiness for frequent stools (diarrhea).
Further the water enters the duodenum. At this stage it has a changed chemical composition and is mixed with the contents of the stomach. In the duodenum the water is absorbed along with the minerals it contains, and the mucosa releases the hormones of the digestive tract responsible for regulating the digestive process. Absorbed sulfate ions improve the secretory functions of the liver. At their expense, a sufficient amount of bilirubin, bile acids, estrogens enter the bile. The liver begins to break down drugs and various toxic substances more effectively. As a result of the secretion of changed hormones, the release of digestive enzymes of the pancreas increases, the composition of bile changes, the motility of the gastrointestinal tract improves, the emptying of the gall bladder after a meal is facilitated.
Each increased intake of water from the outside reduces the consumption of water, stimulates urination and the secretion of all glands, including sweat glands. At the same time, the body's need for the large intestine to absorb as much water as possible is reduced. This makes the intestinal contents less dense and more easily emptied. Excessive consumption of water can therefore cause watery liquid stools, the dosage must be chosen by the doctor and followed.
Effects on the liver and bile ducts
Drinking thermal water from the springs of Karlovy Vary increases the concentration of glycogen - an animal starch in the liver, which is a reserve form of sugar and therefore the energy required for the activity of the liver and the regulation of blood sugar levels. The concentration of some liver enzymes in the blood also changes. The liver is able to absorb more bilirubin, bile acids and other substances from the blood so that they can be excreted through the bile, the composition of which also changes. We wrote about the important function of sulfate ions in the functioning of the liver in the previous section.
Karlovy Vary water is a natural choleretic agent, which does not overload the liver cells. The secreted bile is less dense, it passes more freely through the biliary tract, removing with it potential pathogenic contents. In experimental rats whose liver had been reduced by surgery or had been damaged by chemical exposure, the intake of water enhanced and restored beneficial hepatic processes.
Impact on the pancreas
The drinking treatment with Karlovy Vary water causes the pancreas to produce more digestive juice and digestive enzymes. This reduces the consistency of the digestive juice, which allows it to better flow through the pancreatic ducts and remove their pathological contents. This property is especially effective in cases where the patient's ducts are deformed and damaged by the disease.
Regulation of blood sugar levels
One of the properties of calcium-magnesium mineral waters, which include the thermal water of Karlovy Vary, is to increase the release of insulin by the pancreas. We are not talking about cases of severe impairment of this function. The stimulation of insulin secretion lowers blood sugar levels. At the same time, sugar in the tissues begins to be used more efficiently, and the content of phosphate in the blood plasma decreases. Diabetic patients who receive insulin injections achieve a reduction in the insulin dose by drinking course.
Lipids in the blood
Systematic intake of thermal Karlovy Vary water reduces the level of cholesterol and other fat-like substances in the blood. Neutral fats (triglycerides and triacylglycerols) are an exception, as their reduction requires a diet and reduction of increased body weight.
Water and mineral balance
The mineral substances in Karlovy Vary mineral water enter the body, compensate for their insufficient reserves, take part in tissue processes, and are excreted with urine. In case of taking large quantities of water, swelling may occur due to the high sodium content. However, there are some medications that can prevent such effects.
General reaction of the body
Drinking treatment with local mineral water is not a load on the body. A course of drinking water improves digestion and trains easier and lighter flowing digestion. Due to the fluctuating levels of minerals in the blood, the increased volume of water drunk and the unusually strong stimulation of hormone production, the body triggers adaptation processes. This adaptation takes several days and on the 8th-12th day it is manifested by the so-called "resort reaction", the intensity of which may differ according to the age, the health condition of the patient and other factors.
"Resort reaction" is a short-term (1-2 days) deterioration of the condition, which may be accompanied by the following symptoms: discomfort, fatigue, loss of appetite, bitterness in the mouth, diarrhea, less often - vomiting of bile. The symptoms disappear on their own and from the third week onwards the condition normalizes. This is why the doctors in Karlovy Vary strongly recommend that you stay in the spa for at least 21 days so that your body has time to adapt to the therapeutic load. After completing a course of treatment in Karlovy Vary, there is a long-term improvement. After 3-4 weeks of treatment, the positive effect lasts for an average of one year, sometimes even longer.
