Is Tequila good for you? 8 Surprising Health Benefits
The surprising health benefits to Tequila and the real answer to the question: Is Tequila good for you?
Tequila is a drink synonymous with partying. However, did you know Tequila is actually quite the fitness friendly drink? With benefits from weight loss to gut friendly bacteria and much more. These are the 8 surprising health benefits of drinking Tequila which will help you understand if and is tequila good for you.
Jimador harvesting tequila - source: Guide to Mexicos favourite spirit.
The reason Tequila happens to be quite healthy is down to its base sugar - agave. Alcohol is made from the fermentation of sugars into alcohol, spirits are made by the distillation of that alcohol. So to truly answer whether or not tequila is good for you, we first need to figure out if agave is good for you.
Check out the full guide to agave here.
Alcohol gets a bad rep when it comes to health. Usually its not the alcohol at all that contributes to this bad rep but the sugars which are used. Long before alcohol was made to party alcohol was seen as more of a medicine.
Aztecs believed Tequila to be a spiritual drink. Most alcohol comes for the term aqua vitae. Meaning water of life. Alcohol was an elixir, botanicals and sugars were distilled in order to cure everything from flatulence to life threatening diseases.
Now I’m not claiming that alcohol is the healthiest option. No no, don’t get me wrong, drinking more alcohol wont make you healthier. However, there are still health benefits present that we should talk about.
Agave
For the most part, these sugars in booze are what make us feel horrid and pack on the pounds.
Tequila is different, as the sugars used in tequila are from that of the agave plant. Agave contains less glucose and so has a lower glycemic index (GI) value than regular sugar. This means the body absorbs agave more slowly into the bloodstream and as a result does not cause such a rapid spike in insulin amongst many other health benefits.
Agave is one of the healthiest sugar substitutes available and agave is the main ingredient in Tequila. Which means that yes agave is good for you. So does that mean that we can finally say whether tequila is good for you? Well what we can say is it sure helps make tequila one of, if not the most healthy alcohol choice you can make.
Now you could just use agave syrup and ditch the tequila, but where is the fun in that? Try both tequila and agave together in a Tommy’s Margarita for the ultimate ‘health’ hit.
8 Health Benefits of Tequila
#1 Tequila aids digestion
Tequilas not the first spirit that comes to mind when people think about after dinner digestifs. Usually the go to is a limoncello or coffee, maybe even a Brandy.
However, Tequila helps stimulate your metabolism aiding digestion.
So if you’re partial to a post dinner shot to get the O’digestion system working. You might want to consider swapping out your usual for a shot of Tequila.
#2 Tequila is fitness friendly AND helps you lose weight
Okay, so usually when you are in a fitness kick or trying to lose a couple of lbs. Then you will usually avoid alcohol at all costs.
However, not all alcohol is the enemy. Some alcohol is very fitness friendly. I’d go as far as to say healthy.
Red wine is one most people already know about. If you don’t, check out this post I did covering the 8 health benefits of red wine.
Tequila also happens to be one of these few fitness friendly alcoholic beverages.
Tequila is only around 60 calories per shot on average.
Just take a look at the lowest calorie cocktails, a lot of them you will find are indeed Tequila based.
Those calories in tequila are made up of a particular kind of sugar called agavin. The molecular structure of agavins do not raise the blood sugar, meaning that many of the calories pass through the system unused.
As we spoke about in the previous section, Tequila helps with digestion and helps boost your metabolism. So not only are most the calories in tequila passing right through you unused, but it's also helping you burn calories whilst it's doing it.
Which means, drum roll please… Tequila helps you lose weight! Great news for all.
#3 Tequila helps you get better sleep
Tequila is very relaxing. Hear me out, I can already hear you thinking “But Tequila is a party drink? I shot tequila when I want to get up and dance not sit down and sleep”
Yes, it is true that Tequila has gained a reputation for being a party instigator. But tequila is actually very calming to the body and the nervous system. What that alcohol in tequila is doing is allowing you to feel less stressed and more calm.
Maybe that's why it's a great party drink, because it gives you the confidence to whip out them old school dance moves.
This, coupled with the fact that it aids digestion is what gives Tequila its sleep inducing qualities.
Though there are better options for improving your sleep. Just check out these tips for better natural sleep.
#4 Tequila may help prevent type 2 diabetes
Because the sugars in tequila pass right through you without rising blood sugars (yes, i’m mentioning this AGAIN) it means it avoids the dangerous blood sugar spike as well as stimulates insulin production.
#5 It may lower the risk of dementia
Researchers found people who consumed between eight and 14 alcoholic drinks a week had a 37% lower risk of dementia than the general population. As reported by the BBC.
The Wake Forest University ran a 6 year study involving 3,069 people aged 75 or older which showed people who drank regularly had a lower risk of dementia. Why does alcohol lower the risk of dementia? Reasons are unclear, however I ain't going to argue with a study of 3000+ people! Google it.
#6 Drinking Tequila will not give you a hangover!
Hangovers are not just about alcohol consumption. It's the sugars in them alcohols that contribute to dehydrating and making you feel like death. Tequila as we know, is made from agave, one of the healthiest natural sugars in the world.
So if you were to be on a night out, and the only thing you drank was tequila then yes you will get drunk, but no you wouldn't be hungover.
It's worth noting that a lot of tequilas on the market will only use 51% agave so they can technically class it as “tequila” the other 49% are cheap sugars, these are called mixto tequilas, meaning mixed. Something i’ve covered in length on in my 5 Tequila myths debunked article.
So make sure you’re drinking 100% agave tequila for the no hangover phenomenon to work. And don’t go mixing tequila with high sugar juice and sodas. That just wont work. Good clean 100% tequila on its own or paired with good clean low sugar mixers will do the job.
If the front label says it's 100% agave then it's good. If it doesn't mention the agave percentage then stay clear, it usually means its a bad one.
The Tequila brands I recommend which are 100% agave and 100% delicious are;
More of the Tequila brands I recommend can be found at the end of my Tequila Guide article, so check that out. It also covers everything about tequila from what it is to how it’s made, so well worth the read.
Oh, and if you still do get hangovers, then check out these tips on curing a hangover fast.
#7 Tequila helps against osteoporosis
According to a study presented to the American Chemical Society (ACS), the fructans found in agave provide the body with nutrients. These fruntans from the agave plant may help protect against osteoporosis by boosting the body's absorption of calcium.
#8 Tequila is an excellent source of probiotics
Probiotics are friendly gut bacteria that are currently trending in the wellness community. You’ve probably heard about these healthy probiotics describing wellness foods such as yogurt and fermented drinks like kombucha.
However, tequila happens to be a great source for probiotics due to once again, the agave plant.
So… Is Tequila good for you?
Well we’ve gone through the health benefits of Tequila. So only 1 question remains. Is Tequila good for you? The answer… No.
I know what you’re thinking. “But Cameron, what about all those health benefits you mentioned?” and yes, Tequila packs a bunch of health benefits and as far as spirits go, tequila is the best one for you and the healthiest option. Not to mention one of the lowest calorie options. But that doesn’t necessarily make it good for you.
At the end of the day alcohol is going to do more harm then good. Now I’m not saying you have to go sober or quit drinking to be healthy. Life is about balance and moderation. And if you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle but still want to drink, then yes, Tequila is absolutely your best option and compared to spirits like rum or whisky, then Tequila is good for you. But in the bigger picture. It’s a lot better for your health not to drink then to drink.
But as I said, everything is key in moderation and tequila is tasty. So don’t feel like you can’t have the best of both worlds - health and tequila.
Negatives to drinking Tequila
So as we did run through the surprising health benefits and like I said, it’s all about balance. Here’s the top 5 negatives to drinking to help you decide whether Tequila is good for you;
excessive consumption can lead to health issues such as liver damage and addiction
excessive drinking results in High blood pressure
not drinking alcohol at all is healthier then drinking the healthiest option
although it’s low in calories, they are empty calories
Heavy drinking can damage the heart
Shop Good Tequila
Want to indulge in some delicious Tequila nectar? These are a few more of the Tequila’s I recommend.
The best of the best - Top shelf Tequila
If you’re feeling flush, you think you deserve a nice treat or you just want to change the way you think about Tequilas, then these are the ones to try.
Yes, they are more expensive then the regular tequila you will see. But these 3 products are the best of the best. The crème de la crème. You need to try 1 if not all these 3 Tequilas at least once in a lifetime.
Drink Responsibly
Although Tequila is a healthy drink please remember to drink responsibly. I think it goes without saying that these health benefits don’t work if your game is to down a full bottle of Tequila on your own. Remember, moderation is the key.
Having a nice meal on a special occasion? Go for a shot of tequila after to help digest. Having a few drinks with the gals? Swap out your vodka coke for a tequila highball. Just don’t think “well I don’t normally drink everyday but because tequila is healthy i’m going to have a bottle at night” That just isn’t smart.
Check out some of my guides on mindful drinking if you need some resources on creating a healthier relationship with alcohol.
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Hi, I’m Cameron, guv’nor of Smartblend and author of this article. If you liked this then you’re in luck, I have a bunch of agave spirit content here. Oh, and don’t forget to sign up below to receive the Smartblend monthly newsletter!