Whiskey is no stranger to the health conscious, but what is it exactly that gives it this healthy reputation? With its high concentration of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, whiskey can help fight off illness, diabetes, cancer - even prevent Alzheimer's!
Drinking whiskey can help increase your heart health, lower your body's inflammation, and reduce the risk of gaining weight.
#4 Healthiest Alcoholic Drink: Rum, Gin, Scotch, Whiskey, or Tequila Neat. Any hard spirits without added sugary mixers are inherently low in calories and sugar and are, therefore, a good option for alcoholic drinks on a diet.
Whiskey has high levels of polyphenols, plant-based antioxidants linked with lowering your risk of heart disease. The polyphenols in whiskey have been shown to decrease “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and increase “good” cholesterol (HDL) levels, and reduce triglycerides, or fat in your blood.
No need for morphine, we have whiskey. Many people still turn to the use of alcohol for pain relief due to its ability to depress the central nervous system. By slowing down the brain and nervous system, alcohol delivers a certain amount of relief.
It is recommended that alcohol not be consumed in the last four hours before bedtime. 1 Even though alcohol may help you fall asleep, it interferes with the quality of your sleep. Moreover, it can take one hour for your body to process one serving of alcohol.
Anti-inflammatory Benefits
Alcohol's anti-inflammatory effects are also thought to be one of the reasons it appears to lower cardiovascular disease risk in moderate drinkers. The key word is moderate, which most people overestimate when it comes to alcohol.
Well, in fact, the liver has an immense capacity to regenerate. Hence, the 'safe limit' for alcohol consumption is said to be 21 units per week (1 unit is approximately 25 ml of whiskey) in men, and 14 units in women. No more than three units in one day, and to have at least two alcohol-free days a week.
According to multiple studies, a glass of whisky a day can help reduce your risk of heart disease and heart failure. According to a study by Harvard, a moderate amount of alcohol raises the amount of “good cholesterol” in your blood. This is a natural protection against heart disease.
However, it is well known that alcohol can help you relax thanks to its sedative and anxiolytic effect. Helping to relieve anxiety and stress, relax the muscles and generally relax the body.
As with any other type of alcohol, whiskey is believed by many to have mild to moderately beneficial effects when consumed in moderation. This means drinking no more than 3oz of whiskey per day for men (2 shots of whiskey) and 1.5oz per day for women (1 shot of whiskey), with no additional alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol's inflammatory effects can aggravate both degenerative joint pain from osteoarthritis and auto-immune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis may flare up in response to a particular type of whiskey or beer. Alcohol's effects on immune function can also inhibit normal joint healing.
Whiskey is loaded with antioxidants
You'll find the same thing in wine but whiskey has much more of these disease-fighting allies. Single malt whiskey has been found to have the highest amount of antioxidants. Speaking of antioxidants, hot toddies have been touted as the common cold cure-all for quite some time.
On the flip side, certain types of alcohol—mainly red wine—have actually displayed anti-inflammatory properties due to its high concentration of polyphenols (10) such as resveratrol.
Certain alcoholic beverages, such as red wine, reduce inflammation because it contains tannin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation of the lining of the GI tract is called ileitis.
Drinking once a week is probably better than drinking whiskey every day. However, this doesn't mean you should pack all the drinks you would've had in one week into a single day! Moderation—one to two servings—is still key. That said, if you stick with this quantity, it's likely to do you little harm.
Side-Effects & Allergies of Whiskey
Whiskey is an alcoholic drink, hence, in spite of its health benefits, it has far more damaging side effects if not taken in moderation. Some of these include: Alcohol poisoning, causing elevated heart rates, nausea, and vomiting.
The whisky writer Charlie MacLean's own approach sums up this broader practice neatly: “Before lunch, ideally starting around 10am, on an empty stomach – although I do allow myself a few cups of coffee for breakfast. Some 'noses' avoid this, but all agree the morning is the best time.
Red wine is widely recognized as one of the healthiest alcoholic drinks out there. Poon notes that it's "relatively low in calories and also offers some health benefits."9 She adds that red wine is rich in antioxidants such as resveratrol and proanthocyanidins and can promote cardiovascular health.
A glass of whiskey after a meal can help to reduce stomach pains or indigestion better than beer or wine. The higher content of alcohol stimulates pepsin, an enzyme in the stomach that breaks down proteins that you've eaten, and helps them continue through the digestive system.
Generally, people drink to either increase positive emotions or decrease negative ones. This results in all drinking motives falling into one of four categories: enhancement (because it's exciting), coping (to forget about my worries), social (to celebrate), and conformity (to fit in).
As little as 20 minutes of exercise reduces inflammation
The results revealed that a 20-minute session of moderate exercise can have anti-inflammatory effects. The study confirmed the researchers' hypothesis.
Chronic inflammation occurs when unhealthy alcohol use triggers various reactions in the body that cause inflammation to intensify over time instead of resolve. In the gut, for example, alcohol can cause an overgrowth of bacteria.