Could water offer enough enjoyment for you to swap it for your favorite nightcap of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir? As unlikely as it may seem, that is precisely what once wine connoisseur Michael Mascha decided to do. In an EpochTV episode of Vital Signs, host Brendon Fallon interviews Mascha on the health benefits of water and what made him make the switch.
Michael Mascha is the author of “Fine Waters,” described as an encyclopedia of water by the London Times. He has a Ph.D. in Anthropology and Communication Science from the University of Vienna and says he had an extensive collection of wine at one time, with 500 bottles in his cellar.
“I had a huge wine collection and was a food anthropologist by training, meaning food and wine were always very important to me. Wine was something to enjoy and share.”
Yet, Mascha has now shifted his interests to water and reveals how water has enriched not just his health but also his appreciation of food and quality time with family and friends.
Water is More Than Hydration
According to Mascha, there is more taste variety in water than many think. “In the past, we looked at water for the pure functionality of hydration.” However, Mascha says there is more to water than simply being clean and cold.
Many foods, like oysters, taste better with water in place of wine says ‘The Water Sommelier’ Michael Mascha in <span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://ept.ms/BestWater_VS" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Which Water is Best?</a></span> on <span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochtv/vital-signs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Vital Signs with Brendon Fallon</a>.</span>
He notes how spring water that is thousands of years old is going to offer a different experience than water sourced from melted snow only a year earlier. When it comes to bottled water available in stores, he says the taste can differ greatly between bottles. For example, water that is sourced from glacier or rainwater is going to have less mineral absorption, resulting in a more soft, neutral taste. Mascha says that stores in Europe offer more varieties of bottled water than stores in the U.S. However, he recommends trying different waters to acquire a taste for what you enjoy.
Health Benefits of Water
Mascha first made the switch from wine to water due to a heart condition that he developed. The first thing he noticed was how much better his food tasted without the strong flavor of wine overpowering his meals. He also began losing weight once he cut the extra calories from alcohol out of his daily diet. But, the health benefits don’t stop there. The health benefits of water come from its mineral content. Different countries classify mineral waters based on their own regulations. The United States classifies mineral water if it contains more than 250 milligrams of minerals per liter. Mascha considers this low mineral content. Iceberg and rainwater are also low mineral content and contain about 10 mg of minerals per liter. However, certain waters from Europe have anywhere from 2000 to 8000 mg per liter.
The source of the water determines its mineral content. Mascha explains that water is a universal solvent, dissolving about anything it gets in touch with. This is why we wash our hands in water, transferring the dirt from our skin to the water, or boiling chicken in water results in flavorful broth. Water that has been underground for thousands of years absorbs minerals as well. Therefore, quality water can be an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and so forth.
Mascha also explains that mineral water is higher in electrolytes than sports drinks such as Gatorade, making mineral water a healthier alternative with less sugar. However, he notes that reverse osmosis systems filter the minerals out of water, making it important to replenish your body with mineral water after a workout to get electrolytes.
Quality or Quantity?
When it comes to the health benefits of water, Mas
cha does not always believe in quality over quantity. He points out that if a person drinks water instead of soda, high-sugar sports drinks, caffeinated beverages, and so forth, they ar
e avoiding calories and harmful ingredients, which will benefit their health. The episode discusses how contaminated water has negatively impacted people’s health historically. Some people used to leave their crowded cities in the summers and live by the beach or countryside, often drinking better water and seeing health benefits—if only for a season. He explains that it wasn’t the water that was magic but the absence of harmful contaminants that improved their health.
NTD’s Brendon Fallon interviews Water Sommelier Michael Mascha in <span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://ept.ms/BestWater_VS" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Which Water is Best?</a></span> on “<span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochtv/vital-signs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Vital Signs</a>”.</span>
Richer Experiences With Water
Mascha says that we often think wine or alcohol enriches time spent with friends, but he has found that not to be true. He believes it is the ritual of being together that makes dinner and social times special, not the beverages being offered. In addition, Mascha points to the varying flavors found in water that come from different sources and the interesting stories behind each source. He says these topics of conversation can add to the enjoyment of water in social gatherings just as much as wine. The EpochTV episode also points out that water quality affects not just the taste in our glass but also the taste of food. For example, coffee is made with nearly 80% water. The taste of the water can significantly impact the flavor of the coffee, as well as beverages such as cocktails and even food recipes that call for water. In this way, Mascha says water can enrich not just our health but also our quality of life experiences, especially in fine dining and social gatherings.
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