Alright, buckle up and let’s have a little fun with the health benefits of tequila.
Now, I’m not advocating for a wild tequila-fueled fiesta every night, but hear me out on why this famous Mexican spirit may have some surprising health perks.
First off, tequila comes from the agave plant, and as we all know, plants are good for you. Agave is a natural sweetener that contains fructans, which are a type of carbohydrate. These fructans can act as prebiotics, nourishing the beneficial bacteria in your gut. So, think of tequila as a fancy fertilizer for your gut flora, helping you maintain a happy and harmonious ecosystem in your tummy.
But wait, there’s more! Tequila also has the power to put you in a fantastic mood. We all know the feeling of throwing back a shot and suddenly feeling like the life of the party. That euphoric sensation comes from tequila’s ability to stimulate the release of endorphins, those delightful chemicals that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So, tequila is basically a legal happiness potion. Cheers to that!
Now, I know what you’re thinking – what about those dreaded hangovers? Well, worry not, my friend. Tequila, when consumed responsibly, is one of the cleanest spirits out there. It’s low in sugar and doesn’t contain any nasty additives. This means that you may have a fighting chance against those next-day woes. Of course, moderation is key, because let’s face it, no amount of tequila can save you from a night of reckless partying.
Last but not least, tequila can also help with digestion. It’s believed to stimulate the production of stomach acid, which can promote better digestion and break down those nachos you just devoured.
Now, let’s be real – these benefits don’t mean you should forget about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet. But every now and then, indulging in a quality shot of tequila can bring some unexpected perks. Just remember, enjoy it responsibly and in moderation. Salud!
1. Aids Digestion
Tequila is very good at aiding digestion, especially if you consume the 100 % blue agave tequila. This is because the agave plant contains a significant amount of inulin, a substance that stimulates the growth of good bacteria in your gut. These bacteria do everything for your body from helping your digestive system to strengthen your immune system.
As a result, you will digest your food better, preventing uneasy stomach and other digestive-related problems. According to some people, a shot of tequila before and after a meal will do wonderful things for your digestion. A shot before a meal will improve your metabolism while another shot after the meal will assist the digestion of the meal and soothe stomach problems that may come from the meal.
2. Assists Weight Loss
Are you trying to lose some weight and need that scale to show the right number fast? Besides exercising and eating the right foods in the right preparation, adding tequila shots to your diet may also help you achieve the goal fast.
This claim may be hard to believe, because after all, calories that come in the form of liquid add into our total daily calories faster than we realize, right? So that is why people who drink a lot gain belly fat? While it’s still true, you can also benefit from agavins that possess some weight loss properties. The molecular structures of agavins are build in a less refined manner that prevents the substance from raising the level of blood sugar.
As a result, unlike other types of alcohol sugars that are absorbed by the blood, most of the calories in tequila will only pass through the system. This is why consuming tequila won’t increase the glycemic index. On the contrary, it stimulates better metabolism so your body will burn fat and other types of calories faster.
3. Supplies Foods to Probiotics
Have you heard of probiotics? It is currently a trending supplement among the modern health and fitness enthusiasts. However, probiotics are naturally existing in our intestines. They are the healthy gut bacteria that constantly wage a war to create balance in the system. Probiotics strengthen our immune system.
Drinking tequila is good for these gut bacteria because the fructans in the alcoholic drink supply the probiotics in the body. Tequila contains prebiotics, the type of sugar or carbs that cannot be digested by the body and instead becomes food for the good bacteria in the git. Based on the study published in 2010, fructans that are in fructose can help the count of lactobacilli and bifidobacterial because of its role as a prebiotic.
However, it’s important to remember that only a small amount of tequila works. Just like an excessive consumption of any kinds of alcohol, drinking too much tequila will give the exact opposite result to your gut bacteria. Being too much intoxicated will endanger the good bacteria in your intestines because your immune system will be forced to work really hard to fight the effects of the toxins in any alcohols.
4. Reduces The Risks of Dementia
When drunk moderately, tequila can help reduce the risk of dementia. Dementia is the decline of cognitive functions that is mostly characterized by memory loss. In older adults, this neurodegenerative disease is pretty common. A study that was published in 2009 discovered the effectiveness of tequila in preventing dementia in older adults. The study observed the drinking habits of older people and found its relationship to their dementia risks.
Based on the study, people who drank 8 to 14 glasses of tequila or similar other alcoholic beverages a week will have a lowered risk of dementia by 37% compared to the rest of the population. However, consuming more alcoholic drinks than this amount will give you bad effects. Based on the study, people who drank more than 14 servings of tequila a week experienced an increase in the risk of developing dementia up to twice the normal risk in the population who don’t take alcohol.
From the study, we can conclude that moderation is a must. The scientists haven’t discovered a comprehensive explanation on how a moderate amount of tequila consumption is good for the brain but not more. In animal studies, researchers observed that consumption of a low amount of alcohol will stimulate the brain to release the chemical acetylcholine. This is a very important chemical to improve memory.
5. Helps Treat Digestive Ailments
When it comes to soothing symptoms of different digestive problems, you can also count on tequila to help you. It’s even predicted that in the future, physicians may look into tequila to treat various digestive ailments, including irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, colon disease, Chron’s disease, and other problems. Tequila doesn’t only soothe the symptoms so the patients can feel better and functional, but it can also play the role of a drug messenger.
The delivery of medicines to the colon is a challenging task. Many times, drug delivery fails because the stomach acids destroy the medicines before they go into the intestines. However, some Mexican scientists have discovered that there are certain compounds in tequila that can be used as a drug messenger or carrier. The carrier will be able to resist stomach acids’ destructive capability and enable the drugs to reach intestines and colon.
6. Improves Appetite
Do you have problems with your digestion? Do you experience constipation from time to time? Besides lacking fiber and exercise, the problem could lie in the insufficient food intake. When you don’t take a lot of foods, then your system won’t be able to produce enough feces that can pass easily out of your system. Because of this, sometimes the key to more regular bowel movement is by eating more foods.
While eating more sounds simple, if you have low appetite, this can be a difficult thing. However, a few shots of tequila may help you in this case. While coffee reduces your appetite, tequila can make your appetite right without making it overly increased uncontrollably. In addition, it also stimulates your metabolism. As a result, you will have a more regular bowel movement.
7. Fights Osteoporosis
Besides dementia, osteoporosis is also a major health risk that threatens the elderly. It may even seem inevitable to suffer from osteoporosis as your body gets older and bones get weaker. Fortunately, there are some ways you can do to strengthen your bones and maintain density so you won’t lose your postures and mobility in your old days. One of the natural ways is by drinking tequila.
This may be surprising, but some studies have been conducted to test it and come up with positive results. In a particular study using rodents as animal test subjects, a group of mice received osteoporosis induction by researchers. These mice were then divided into two groups. One of the groups was fed with agave fructans, the kind of polymer molecular fructose that is present in tequila as a synthesis of agave. This fructose contains osteocalcin which is a protein that can generate new bone cells. The other group was left as a control group.
After eight weeks, researchers at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies in the University of Mexico discovered that the group that received agave feeding has 50% more osteocalcin protein in their bodies compared to the control group. In addition, the mice in this group also have larger bones. This proves that agave, including when processed as tequila, can work together with intestinal microbes and stimulate bone growth. When you regularly consume tequila in moderation, you will have stronger bones and better bone density when you are old.
8. Prevents Diabetes
Are you diabetic or do you have a high risk of suffering from diabetes? If you have a family history of diabetes and other risk factors, then you should be very careful with your lifestyle so you won’t make your condition worse. Besides making a lifestyle adjustment such as picking a better diet and committing to regular exercises, you can make tequila your alcohol of choice to improve your diabetic conditions.
Tequila is created by processing agave that contains a natural substance called agavins. Agavins is a type of natural sugar acquired from the plants. Unlike other types of sugar in processed foods, agavins is not easy to digest. In fact, the body treats agavins more like fiber than simple sugars. Because it’s difficult to process, agavins are not easily absorbed in the blood.
So while drinking or eating foods that contain agave’s syrup or nectar can increase the level of your blood sugar, agavins is basically safe. In addition, there are even claims that agavins can regulate the level of blood sugar in the veins.
Scientists in Polytechnic Institute of Guanajuato researched this matter and discovered that the fructose polymer which is inside the agave can increase the necessary hormone to stimulate insulin production. When the insulin level is increased, diabetes will be controlled and the blood sugar will not spike and cause problems.
9. Treats Insomnia
A good night sleep is very vital for everybody. Sleep gives a chance for your body to rest and repair your damaged cells. Without proper sleep, you won’t have enough energy to get through the next day, your mood will be low, and your immune system will be of harm.
Fortunately, drinking some tequila during the night can induce good sleep. If you are suffering from insomnia or other kinds of sleep difficulties, you should drink a shot of tequila before your bedtime. The alcoholic drink will make your body relax and treat your restlessness.
10. Eases Depression
The ability of tequila to promotes relaxation may also be work for people with depression. If you are under a huge stress, suffering from anxiety, or in the depressive phase of your bipolar syndrome, taking tequila in moderation will help you ease these unpleasant feelings and make you more relaxed.
While alcohol is not a good coping mechanism for depression, especially for a prolonged period, there is no harm in calming yourself with a shot of tequila when the blues hit you. It can also bring fuzzy warm feeling into your body which may counter the depression.
11. Fights Cholesterol
A glass of wine is usually the kind of alcohol which is commonly boasted about its health benefits, especially for its ability to fight cholesterols.
However, have you heard that a glass of tequila also offers a similar benefit? Scientists from the American Chemical Society published a study that discovered the spirit’s ability to stabilize cholesterol by lowering the levels of LDL (the bad cholesterol) and improving the levels of HDL (the good cholesterol).
High cholesterol levels will lead to many dangerous illnesses. Because of this, drinking tequila is recommended if you’re into alcohol but want to avoid cholesterol-related diseases.
12. Numbs The Pain
Most people consume alcohol to numb their emotional pain, but do you know that the substance can also act as a painkiller?
Any alcohols will probably offer the same benefit based on people’s anecdotal evidence, however, tequila’s power to numb physical pain has been tested and proven. The spirit is able to dilate the blood vessels.
As a result, the flow of blood becomes better and the pain is reduced.
13. Cures Common Cold
Tequila can also be used as a remedy for common cold and flu. Many people will take any liquids to combat the bad weather because the idea of warming oneself by taking some shots of alcohol and just laying on the couch while it’s snowing outside is definitely interesting.
However, tequila’s ability to cure a cold and flu was supported by some doctors in the past. In the 1930s, doctors in Mexico would prescribe a drink made of tequila blanco, lime juice, and agave nectar to fight off cold. The concoction will fight eradicate bacteria, warm the body, and clear the airway. As a result, the patient will recover from the flu sooner.
14. Won’t Give Hangover
There is an old myth that tequila will not give people a hangover. While it seems highly unlikely that a spirit gives no annoying aftereffect, pure tequila which is made from 100% agave gives a much less harsh hangover compared to any other alcohols.
Some people even report no hangover symptoms at all after taking this type of tequila. This is because 100% agave tequila only consists the natural agave sugars which give better effects than the artificial sugar.
However, most tequila receives color or other addition, which may taint the purity and thus cause a hangover.
15. Stimulates Neural Activity
Tequila contains potassium which is an important macronutrient that helps multiple body functions, including the brain function. This is actually the same reason to why tequila can keep your memory sharp, ease your stress and improve your mood.
The potassium in tequila will help more oxygen to reach the brain, thereby increasing the brain’s cognitive abilities as the neural activities are stimulated.
It is important to maintain sufficient levels of this mineral because it prevents brain stroke and supports your cognitive functions.