Have you ever reached for a tall glass of water on a hot summer day expecting it to be ice cold only to find it’s lukewarm, or worse, hot?! That’s like pouring salt in your coffee thinking that it’s sugar; disappointing at best and disgusting at worse. Show
There’s nothing quite as refreshing as ice water, especially during the warmer months. But why is that? Why does ice water taste so good? Scientists have a few theories. Read on to discover why we can’t seem to get enough of the cold stuff and why an ice and water machine is an excellent choice for your office. Ice Suppresses the Flavor of the Beverage It’s In
Researchers believe most people prefer to drink ice water because it’s less flavorful than room temperature water. That might sound counterintuitive, but warm water (especially warm unfiltered water) tends to taste sweeter and more acidic. Cold water, on the other hand, suppresses the sensitivity of our taste buds and quells any impurities that make the water taste slightly different. Humans Have an Acquired Taste for Cold Water
What sounds more appealing: a stagnant puddle or a flowing river? Most would choose a flowing river since in nature stagnant water is often an incubator for bacteria and parasites. Yet, water in a flowing river doesn’t have a chance to warm in the hot sun, which makes it harder for dangerous germs to survive and multiply. Some studies found the human species acquired a taste for cold water to protect ourselves from possible diseases. Ice Water is More Refreshing After a Workout
The experience of drinking ice water when you’re overheated can quench your entire body, which is why you crave it during exercise. Heat exhaustion or heat stroke is common during the summer. When you drink ice water before, during, and after a workout it can delay or reduce the rise in your body temperature, providing a refreshing feeling in the process. The Physical Sensation of Drinking Cold Water Tells Your Brain that You’re Rehydrating
Studies also suggest that the immediate relief we get from drinking ice water is purely psychological. Think back to the last time you were thirsty and couldn’t wait to chug a glass of water. When you finally did, was your thirst immediately satisfied? You probably felt refreshed even before the water had time to enter your stomach or your bloodstream. Researchers from the University of California San Francisco theorize the neurons in the brain that monitor blood composition can trigger the feeling of thirst whenever the body’s water levels are imbalanced. It is believed that as soon as you start drinking cold liquids, the signals from the neurons subside and they completely turn off once you consume enough liquid. A Quench Ice and Water Machine Offers an Endless Supply of Clean, Great-Tasting IceNow you know why ice water tastes so good, but is it good for you? Some believe ice water causes a bodily imbalance and slows down the digestive process. Yet, Western medicine shows little evidence to prove that cold water is bad for you. According to research, ambient water between 50 and 72 degrees allows our bodies to rehydrate faster because it is absorbed more quickly. However, most people are more inclined to drink colder water, leaving them more hydrated than if they were to drink ambient water less frequently. Drinking cold water also burns slightly more calories than drinking ambient water. Regardless of temperature, water is good for overall health. It can help the body flush out toxins, aid digestion, and prevent constipation. The Quench Water Experts suggest going with what you prefer since you’ll most likely drink more of it. If you’re trying to get your employees to drink more water this summer, we strongly recommend looking into a water cooler with an ice maker. Giving workers access to an endless supply of both water and ice is an effective way to get them to hydrate more frequently. Quench has several ice machine rental options that are great for the office this time of year. Some of our go-to ice machine rentals include the Quench 950, Quench 980-12, and the Quench 990 Series (available with SensorSAFE infrared touchless dispensing technology). Ice maker machines not only encourage your workers to drink more, they’re a good way to boost the overall morale in your office. It can enhance the office ambience and offer a refreshing treat to look forward to throughout the day. Most businesses provide their workers with water coolers. But a water cooler with an ice maker is a definite upgrade from the office norms. Plus, ice dispensers are sure to be appreciated during the sweltering weather. Quench offers a range of ice dispensers to improve different workplace environments. To help you determine which ice maker machine is best for your workplace, click here to use our Product Finder, and if you have any questions, just give us a call at 6109302334.
We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process. Indeed, water has a taste and not all water tastes the same. Taste is subjective and influenced by both your own biology and the water source. Let’s get into how source and taste receptors affect water’s flavor, what different types of water options are available, and what to do if you just can’t get yourself to drink enough because you don’t like how it tastes. The most important dimension of a water source’s effect on how it tastes has to do with the minerals that are dissolved in the water. Ever seen the term “parts per millions” (ppm) on your bottle of water? This refers to how much of a particular mineral is present in a given volume of water. For example, if you buy a 1-liter (33.8 fluid oz.) bottle of sparkling mineral water, your bottle might say that it contains 500 ppm of total dissolved solids (TDS). This TDS measurement is basically a shorthand for telling you that your water contains naturally occurring minerals like calcium, phosphorous, sodium, and numerous others. Not all of these minerals are readily detected by your taste buds. The average person may not even be able to tell the difference between mineral water and, say, spring water. But a 2013 study looked into this with a blind taste test on 20 bottled mineral water samples with varying mineral contents to 25 bottled and tap water samples. The researchers found that the following four most distinctly affected taste perception:
You’re not necessarily going to see these chemical compound names plastered all over your bottle’s advertising. But if you look closely at your water’s ingredients, you may see these and other ingredients, like sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), and chloride (Cl⁻) in the TDS breakdown. Humans have taste receptor cells (TRCs) that can differentiate between five major “taste qualities”:
Each of these qualities causes TRCs to activate a different part of your brain, and water has been found to activate the “sour” TRCs. A 2017 study showed that drinking water stimulated “sour” TRCs in lab mice that caused them to drink more water in order to hydrate themselves. This study even found that manually activating the “sweet” and “sour” TRCs could alter the way that water tasted to the mice, causing them to change their drinking behaviors. With water, acid-sensing TRCs are key to the “sour” reaction that affects the way water tastes to us. These TRCs are connected to the part of your brain known as the amygdala. This area is involved in processing emotions and in working memory. Scientists believe this connection has evolved because of the survival need to sense that certain tastes, like bitter, may mean that food is bad or poisonous. This applies to water, too: If water has an unusual taste, this might mean it’s contaminated, so your body forces you to instinctively spit it out to avoid possible infection or harm. A 2016 study seems to support this idea. Researchers found that strong or distinct flavors like “bitter” and “umami” resulted in heightened amygdala activity. This suggests that your body is highly evolved to be keenly aware of certain tastes. This can make different types of waters taste noticeably different from each other, and emotional reactions associated with those tastes can also affect your overall perception of taste. The type of water you drink can change the taste, too. Here are some of the most common types:
You might find it hard to make yourself drink enough water if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like the taste of water. If that case for you, there are many ways to make it taste better. Here are some tips to make sure you stay hydrated and enjoy the water drinking experience a bit more:
There are water pitchers and bottles that have basic filters (often using “activated charcoal”) marketed as removing odor and flavor elements from water. Organizations like Consumer Reports and NSF International offer more information about water filters of all kinds. Shop online for sugarless drink mixes, ice cube trays, and charcoal water filters. So yes, water does have a taste. And that’s most affected by:
If you don’t like the taste of water, there are other options to stay hydrated and make it taste better. Last medically reviewed on May 30, 2019 Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. |