Americans share much in common with their European kin, but there are decided differences. One is in the water they drink. Many Europeans have earned reputations as water connoisseurs for good reasons.
The United States and the European Union differ in their standards. What changes from one end of the pond to the other? Is there a benefit to improving the taste and quality of water, and if so, what could folks in America learn? Here’s why Europeans are known as water connoisseurs and how you can elevate your drinking experience.
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Drinking Water Standards: The U.S. Versus Europe
While news pundits talk about “Western governments,” they focus on similarities. However, there are marked differences, beginning with the entities overseeing water use.
Each government system assigns educated, dedicated officials to ensuring the nation’s drinking water remains pure. Leaders vote upon standards recommended by advisors to protect citizens against disease. Such measures matter. After the U.S. adopted stricter standards, cases of cholera and typhoid dropped from 100 cases per 100,000 people to 0.1.
1. The Governing Bodies
In Europe, the recast Drinking Water Directive is the EU’s primary law on drinking water. It applies to all water intended for public or private use in drinking, cooking, food preparation or other domestic purposes regardless of its source or distribution method. The main tenets include:
- Water quality standards as, or more stringent than, the WHO recommends.
- Tackling emerging pollutants, like PFAs, microplastics and endocrine disruptors.
- Reducing water pollution at its source with a risk-based approach.
- Ensuring vulnerable and marginalized groups better access to clean water.
- Promoting tap water use to reduce plastic production.
- Improved standards across the sector to reduce leakage and increase transparency.
Across the pond in the U.S., the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act gave the EPA authority over drinking water. Their principal approach is to set standards for contaminant levels. The FDA then either adopts the same standards for bottled water or adjusts them to compensate for other conditions. For example, you may have more lead in tap water than bottled, as this element can leach from old pipes into the existing supply — it’s a matter of economics and needed infrastructure improvements.
2. Tap Versus Bottled
The E.U. and U.S. also differ in their treatment of tap versus bottled water in another way. While the E.U. classifies such beverages as either spring or natural mineral, the U.S. labels bottled water in different ways, as follows:
- Spring water: Flows naturally from an underground source.
- Mineral water: Untreated water from a natural underground source.
- Artisan water: Ground water under positive pressure.
- Sparkling water: Comes naturally carbonated from a spring containing dissolved carbon dioxide.
- Purified water: Water from a natural source that undergoes filtering to remove contaminants.
You’ll learn more about what’s inside your bottle when you buy American. However, please don’t fool yourself. Europeans might be short on labels, but they’re huge on premier bottled water from various countries of origin.
Also Read: Refreshing Drinks: Two Recipes To Fight The Heat And Stay Healthy
The Brands European Water Connoisseurs Prefer
What are some of the most preferred European bottled water brands? You might have to order these online from the Old Country, but doing so could be worth the shipping expense.
- Crodo Valle d’oro: Italy
- Apollinaris: Germany
- San Pelligrino: Italy
- Vittel Hepar: France
- Rosbacher: Germany
- Pedras Selgadas: Portugal
- Glenpatrick Spring: Ireland
- Vichy Nouvelle: Finland
- Romerquelle: Austria
- Radenska: Slovenia
8 Benefits to Becoming a Water Connoisseur
Why should you become a water connoisseur yourself? There are several reasons connected to your health and well-being.
1. Improve Overall Hydration
Drinking water is the number one way to combat dehydration. Tea and coffee are rich in antioxidants but act as diuretics, making you pee more often, reducing the benefits you receive. Sugary colas and fruit juices are health nightmares, increasing your risk of Type 2 diabetes. Additionally, recent studies show that consuming these ups your liver cancer risk.
Humans can only survive for a short time without this precious fluid, and failing to get enough can lead to numerous nasty symptoms. It’s a survival necessity, and everyone, even those who don’t spend much time in the wild, should invest in a filtration straw. They’re inexpensive and can literally save your life during natural disasters or other disruptions that cut off the regular supply.
2. Safeguard Your Heart
When you become dehydrated, your blood pressure increases, as you have less of this precious fluid to move through your veins. It elevates your sodium levels, which also raises your digits. Staying hydrated maintains healthy blood volume, decreasing your diastolic and systolic numbers. Heart disease remains the number one killer worldwide, and protecting your ticker by sipping up is one way to combat it.
3. Prevent Chronic Disease
Can dehydration age you? Recent research suggests the answer is yes. Researchers measured hydration levels by looking at sodium levels and found that those who became dehydrated had a 10% to 15% chance of being biologically older than their chronological age. Additionally, they had a 64% higher risk of developing chronic diseases.
4. Feel Fuller Longer
Drinking water can help you feel fuller longer. Sufficient hydration gives weight to the materials in your gut, making you feel sated. People sometimes mistake thirst for hunger because the same part of your brain processes both sensations. If you’re trying to shed unwanted pounds and battling cravings, see if sipping up more often helps quiet them.
5, Maintain a Healthier Complexion
Getting dehydrated can make you look older by drying your skin and leaving it sunken and ashy. Conversely, staying hydrated plumps your skin cells, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and evening out blotchiness.
6. Keep Your Energy Levels High
One of the surest signs of dehydration is lethargy or fatigue. Your body needs water to carry out chemical reactions like digestion. If it’s in short supply, your body can’t do what it must to function at its peak, and it begins shutting down to conserve resources.
7. Stave Off Headaches
Headaches are another sign of dehydration. If you work in an office with dry, indoor air, get mindful about how much you sip. That 3pm temple-pounder you inevitably suffer could be the result of too little water.
8. Protect Your Kidneys
Finally, dehydration wreaks havoc on your kidneys. These organs filter waste from your blood but they can’t do their job without sufficient fluid. Even mild dehydration can result in permanent damage, so carry your reusable bottle with you and sip frequently.
Lessons Learned From European Water Connoisseurs
Europeans have a well-deserved reputation as water connoisseurs. They adhere to the strictest purity standards and offer dozens of brands of bottled water from various countries.
There are many health benefits to becoming a water connoisseur. Emulate your friends across the pond and improve your overall well-being.
Also Read: How Much Water Should You Drink In Winter?