Drink More Whiskey. It’s Good For You

The Health Benefits Of Imbibing Whisk(e)y

By Richard Thomas

In olden times, strong whiskey was often thought of as genuinely medicinal. Leaving aside a sawbones surgeon giving it to patients in lieu of anesthesia, it was also widely regarded as a useful stimulant at one time.

Now the view that whiskey could be something good for you is widely disregarded, in much the same way that people no longer realize that good beer is also quite nutritious. Yet, taken in moderation of course, being a whiskey drinker can have some very interesting health benefits.

1. It’s low carb, low calorie drinking. Ask yourself this question: when was the last time you saw a fat whiskey drunk? An 80-proof shot (1.5 oz) of Jim Beam is 100 calories, with no carbs and no fat. A comparable 5 oz serving of red wine typically has slightly more calories, 125, but 3.8 grams of carbs, and a 330 ml can or bottle of the typical lager beer has 153 calories and 12.6 grams of carbs. Richer beers, and most of the better craft beers are, have even higher numbers.

2. It’s packed with antioxidants. Several experts have testified that whiskey has more antioxidants, such as ellagic acid, than a comparable amount of red wine. Pundits have been singing the virtues of drinking red wine for those antioxidants for at least two decades now, so it’s high time to sing the virtues of whiskey on this count even louder.

Although the benefits of antioxidants remain a matter of some debate in the health science community, ellagic acid specifically is believed to help prevent cancer; resist heart disease; boost memory; and resist age-related eye diseases.

3. Whiskey heals the heart. Some studies have suggested that the moderate intake of whiskey has a beneficial effect on the heart. Certainly this is one of the folkloric medicinal applications of the drink. Insofar as to why, it’s believed that the alcohol intake relaxes the arteries, and some also think it helps boost the count of “good” HDL cholesterol in the blood.

5. It also combats stroke. A Harvard study indicates moderate alcohol consumption is also effective in preventing blood clot-caused strokes too.

4. You’ll stay smarter for longer. Some studies suggest a statistical correlation between drinking whiskey and resistance to Alzheimer’s and dementia.

5. A drink reduces stress. It seems like a no brainer to explain that a nice drink helps reduces stress, but some people won’t believe it, which is why it’s a good thing it has been demonstrated in scientific studies. A neat whiskey is among the best drinks you can have in this category, because good whiskey is for sipping! If you are doing it right, you are already relaxing while having your anti-stress medicine.

6. It’s safer for diabetics. Remember the carb count we started out with? Whiskey is also zero sugar, and those two things make it as close to an ideal alcoholic beverage choice as a diabetic can make. Someone with diabetes still needs to carefully monitor their alcohol consumption, of course, but whiskey is more forgiving than other drinks.

Ingredients for a Hot Toddy
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

7. Have You Ever Heard Of A Digestif? An entire class of strong, spiritous liquors are classified as digestivs, because they are pleasant to drink after a heavy meal, and assist in digesting it too. The presence of high alcohol in the stomach stimulates the release of pepsin, which helps to break down protein (i.e. meat), as well as stimulating secretions from the gall bladder and pancreas.

8. It’s an old school cure for the common cold. The Hot Toddy is about as old school as old school gets as a cure of the common cold, and it’s main ingredient is whiskey. Combined with the lemon, tea, and honey in a drink served at high temperature, it’s the thing for your sniffly, sneeze, sore throat ailment.