Sipping on a highball of gin, the tongue becomes overwhelmed with a host of botanical notes. Juniper, citrus, coriander, rosemary, and other botanicals give gin the unique biting flavor that gin drinkers crave. It's those very herbal and floral notes that contribute to gin's overall health benefits. While drinking to one's health may sound counter-intuitive to some, in moderation it can be beneficial - especially when gin is the main ingredient.
Videos by Wide Open Country
If you find that a gin and tonic is your go-to of the alcoholic drinks in the world, then you're in for a real treat. One of the less calorific spirits and full of those super berries known as juniper, gin's different herbs work together to create a soothing experience for your body, apart from the hangover if you don't stay hydrated. From easing arthritis to warding off sickness, gin is like medicine to the body, a truly natural remedy. In fact, it was historically used medicinally and it's low calorie! So mix yourself a highball and drink to your health with these seven wonderful health benefits of gin.
1. Gin can help fight illnesses.
How many of you know that one person who drinks gin like it's going out of style, but never gets sick? Well, there's a reason for it. Gin is loaded with juniper berries. Juniper berries are a natural medicine that contains anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties along with some antioxidants. Consuming them lowers your chances of sickness and improves your general health.
Gin is so potent that it was used medicinally to cure malaria as an old-world remedy. When Europeans began colonizing the tropics, they found malaria to be worse than it was in Europe. A cure was needed to keep the colonizers alive. Discovering that the quinine in tonic battled malaria, the British began to drink it in moderate consumption.
However, the flavor was rather unappealing so they mixed it with their gin rations. Thus, the British found that mixing gin with tonic acted as a drug, a true best natural spirit and effective treatment that would fight off malaria and save lives. Three cheers for Bombay Sapphire!
2. Gin aids with digestion.
A post-meal digestif is a rewarding dessert after a filling meal. If you're looking for an after-dinner drink, look no further, because gin is here to help. It aids in digestion thanks to the bitters used to make it. The bitters themselves cause digestive enzymes and stomach acid to increase, helping with stomach acid secretions and making it truly a double measure of the alcohol's particular benefits.
By doing so, the body is able to break down that giant cheeseburger you just gorged on, helping it not to gunk up your system. This prevents bloating and water retention involved with consuming high-sodium foods. If you're looking to skip the sugary fizzy drinks while out, a gin cocktail will give you the gift of a flatter stomach.
The juniper berries also aid in heartburn - so maybe keep a bottle of gin around for your next burger craving.
3. Gin flushes out toxins.
Gin is a diuretic. Once again, thanks to our friend the juniper berry, gin can help flush out nasty toxins in the body due to the increased need to have to pee. Often when we consume too much sodium, the body retains excess water. Gin can help solve this problem due to its medicinal properties and its core ingredient.
And if you find yourself with a urinary tract infection - while it's not pleasant - the diuretic nature of juniper berries can help the body flush out the bacteria that caused the infection in tandem with proper medication.
4. Gin keeps your skin healthy and bright.
Who doesn't want smooth, soft skin? Gin can help you achieve your goal of healthy skin, thanks to the lovely juniper berry. The antioxidants in juniper berries improve the elasticity of the skin, smoothing out wrinkles, and keeping the cells healthy. Gin bath, anyone?
Additionally, when you focus alcohol consumption on gin-based drinks, these drinks are often relatively low calorie with lots of natural ingredients like citrus fruit so you will skip the negative associations with sugar that affect everything from clogged arteries to liver disease to heart disease.
5. Gin promotes weight loss.
Alcohol is often associated with weight gain and obesity. Gin on the other hand can help you keep the pounds off. By drinking gin, in small quantities, your metabolism gets a boost and its antioxidant properties work wonders for youthful skin. And we all know a fast metabolism means a healthier waste line!
Gin also has one of the lowest caloric contents as far as alcohol goes at 97 calories per shot, making a regular intake of gin one of the safest drinks around. Mixing that with some tonic water makes for a very low-cal cocktail. Stay away from the sugars when making your cocktails though, because that will deplete the boost in metabolism.
6. Gin eases arthritis.
Possibly one of its most sought-after health benefits, gin can soothe your achy joints and ease your arthritis if you're one of the millions of arthritis sufferers around the world. The juniper berries attack the inflammation that cause pain, while its compounds work to strengthen connective tissues.
One home remedy calls for the use of gin-soaked raisins. You soak the raisins in a bowl of gin and take nine a day to ease the inflammation. Golden raisins often seem to have the best, right bite.
If you find yourself suffering from other joint pain such as gout, gin can help out with that as well. Just be sure to keep it in moderation and responsibly advocate your gin use, otherwise, it is a real possibility you may be suffering from a throbbing headache in the morning.
7. Gin leads to an increased lifespan.
While it might not be the fountain of youth, drinking gin can prolong your lifespan - in moderation of course. Drinking gin can reduce your risk of life-threatening disease. The juniper berries in gin contain antioxidants that fight of free radicals. Killing free radicals that cause disease, like cancer, can increase longevity.
They also improve your cardiovascular health, decreasing your chance of cardiovascular disease, which becomes a bigger threat as we get older. Now that we can all drink to. Thirsty for a good gin drink? Give this gin and tonic recipe whirl. Your body thanks you.
