The gang at Esquire asked Mehmet Oz (aka “Dr. Oz”) a dozen questions about health. The only really interesting exchange:
You’re marooned on a desert island and you can choose only three foods to have. What are they?
Broccoli, walnuts, and beer. Broccoli has a chemical in it called an indole, which helps the liver detoxify itself. Walnuts have protein and omega-3 fats — the good kind — so they’re healthy calories. And beer has some carbs, which is helpful on a desert island. But most important, it’s a clean source of water due to the alcohol and the antibacterial activity of the yeast that ferments it. In fact, there’s some thought that beer was first created to provide clean water — the alcohol was just a nice side effect.
Presumably, then, if you could have only one food it would be the beer. You need water more than anything except air and beer provides calories, bulk, and carbs to boot. Indeed, some call beer “liquid bread” and Guiness is known by many as “Irish Breakfast.”
