By John Salak –
Americans like to drink. One study revealed that 85 percent of those 18 or older had drunk alcohol at some point in their life and 69 percent claim they drank in the last year. Recent studies support the notion drinking is dangerous, including reports that link alcohol to high risks of cancer, among other problems. Despite these warnings, drinking isn’t going away. So it’s all about serving up the least unhealthy alcohol options.
Research, in fact, shows that tequila, red wine and whiskey are the healthiest alcohol options, while beer and any sugary mixed drink are the least healthy.
Tequila is made from the agave plant. The agave plant grows in Mexico and is a natural sweetener. Many believe that tequila’s health benefits stem from agave, but that’s unlikely since agave loses any possible paybacks during tequila’s fermentation process. Despite this, tequila remains a relatively healthy alcoholic choice because it is pure alcohol and low in calories.
Red wine is also largely thought to be healthy thanks to the French paradox. This paradox states that because the French drink large amounts of red wine and generally have low rates of heart disease and low cholesterol levels, red wine must then be healthy.
There is no direct study to prove this and the French diet tends to be healthier. Nonetheless, red wine does contain some healthy properties. Red wine is made from grapes. When the grapes are fermented to make wine, they produce antioxidants. Studies show these antioxidants can reduce inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease and cancer. But how much is too much of a good thing? Moderate drinking is the key, which means drinking one to two glasses of red wine a night.
Whiskey also holds many antioxidants, according to Forbes.com. A BBC report supported the notion that drinking whiskey has some benefits. It cited one study that found that those drinking 12-year malt whiskey saw an increase in antioxidants, which could minimize their risk of heart disease.
One important caveat, the research was sponsored by the Scotch Whisky Research Institute and positive results only came from moderate alcohol consumption. Whiskey, admittedly, does offer the benefit of being a pure alcohol. Similar to tequila, whiskey is low in carbohydrates and has no fat.
A common belief that whiskey can lower the risk of dementia is supported by a 2003 study. It concluded that compared to abstention, consumption of 1 to 6 alcoholic drinks weekly lowered the risk of dementia among older adults. However, the Alzheimer Society debunked this report, noting that drinking alcohol in moderation does not prevent dementia, while excessive drinking increases the risk of dementia.
Lastly, whiskey is famous for healing a cold. There aren’t many studies to back up this claim, but some may feel some relief from drinking whiskey because alcohol dilates blood vessels, helping the mucous membrane fight the infection.
While red wine, whiskey and tequila in moderation may offer some health benefits, beer and sugary drinks should be avoided. Beer is high in calories. It also contains a lot of congeners, which contribute to hangovers. High levels of sugar are hard for the body to process and are also high in calories.
Ultimately, alcohol can deliver some benefits. But these are limited and consumption in moderation is the key. So is selecting the right kind of alcohol.
