12 Ways Drinking Whiskey Helps you – Weight Loss and Many More
Beer bellies, drunken munchies, empty calories; We’ve heard it all. But pop the champagne corks, because there’s another side to it. Scientific studies suggest that there are several ways alcohol can actually help you keep the pounds off. We will discuss today the several untold benefits of whiskey!
First, there’s moderate drinking (here is the benefit of whiskey).
Women who had just one or two glasses of alcohol a day were less likely to gain weight, according to a 2010 study from Archives of Internal Medicine. It argues that you can ‘train’ your metabolism to burn off alcohol more efficiently by regularly consuming moderate amounts, rather than binge-drinking on the weekend. This metabolism boost can help people lose weight more easily than teetotalers. Moderate alcohol intake can also increase your HDL (good) cholesterol.
In terms of which drinks are best for healthy weight loss, try and avoid sugary cocktails and craft beers.
Second, there’s excessive drinking,
which can lead to harmful weight loss.
Consuming massive quantities of alcohol can actually trick your body into thinking it’s full, which triggers a huge increase in stomach acid.
This can also escalate into a serious issue – those known as ‘drunkorexias’ swap food for binge drinking in order to fill their stomachs, which has potentially life-threatening consequences for your health.
Thirdly, there’s death by drinking.
Cirrhosis of the liver can kill you. Dead people tend not to gain weight…
But a glass a day, and you should be OK.
One-week, alcoholic beverages are bad for you. The next week, alcohol is good for you. It’s a debate researchers are constantly in search of proving. Or disproving.
While the jury may still be out on alcohol as a whole, the verdict is in on whiskey. And for those of us who care to imbibe the luscious amber liquid, the vote is in our favor. Studies have proven that that whiskey can be, and is, beneficial to our health. In moderate amounts of course.
12 ways whiskey is helpful (Benefits of whiskey):
1. WEIGHT LOSS
While a healthy diet and exercise should not be traded in for a fifth of whiskey, studies have proven that drinking whiskey can aid in weight loss. By curbing appetite, you are likely to feel fuller and less likely to munch away on a bag of potato chips.
But can an alcohol exchange really make that much of a difference? It depends how much beer you drink—or used to drink—and, of course, how much of whatever alternative you consume in its stead, which may pose its own set of problems. So yes, it can work. But it demands some discipline, as well.
Here are a few caveats to consider if a booze conversion is part of your weight-loss equation:
• You need to sip and savor.
If you’re accustomed to tossing back a couple of pints, you may find yourself under the table in a hurry if you slurp down your spirits with equal gusto. Start with it on the rocks and time yourself. A glass of bourbon should last you about 30 minutes or so. Once you’re comfortable pacing, you can try it neat.
• Your body will burn the booze first.
No carbs and fewer calories do not a free pass make, cautions Stanford-based nutritional scientist Stacy Sims, Ph.D., because your body treats alcohol differently than food. In order for it to be eliminated from your system, it has to be metabolized. The liver takes the bulk of the job, but some residual hangs out and your body uses it first instead of burning carbs or fat, so it interferes with normal metabolism. It also has a greater caloric load per gram than carbohydrates—seven calories per gram versus 4 calories for carbs. Moderation is still the key.
Keep it clear and/or neat.
When picking your poison, clearer spirits have the least impact on your metabolism. They are metabolized faster than anything else and have minimal sugar and sulphites, so you don’t get the same insulin response that promotes fat storage as you do with more sugary drinks. So best to swap beer for a clear spirit cocktail with a very low sugar mixer or a whiskey neat.
• Alcohol drops inhibitions and increases appetite.
Buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks were invented for a reason—to feed people who have had too much to drink. Drinking dims your appetite satiety signals. That means you may feel hungry and eat more if you drink too much. In the end, there’s no magic to the matrix, it’s all a matter of not just making smart choices, but also sticking to them.
A single serving contains less than 100 calories and has no carbs.
2. REDUCES STRESS
There is no question that having a drink takes the edge off. Drinking a single serving of whiskey settles the nerves and calms the brain by slowing activity.
After a long, hard day at the office, relax with a nice stiff drink. You’ve earned it.
3. CONTROLS DIABETES
As whiskey ages in wooden barrels, it not only gets its amber hue, it also gains ellagic acid. The ellagic acid found in whiskey can control how much glucose is being released from the liver.
By slowing it down, it keeps the blood sugar in check. Whiskey also doesn’t contain any sugar. Now that’s something we all can enjoy. Whereas consuming alcohol is not recommended for patients with diabetes, studies have shown that long-term moderate alcohol intake can help the body regulate insulin, which could potentially reduce your risk of contracting type 2 diabetes. However, heavy drinking can increase your risk.
4. DECREASES RISK OF ISCHEMIC STROKE
Blood flow is crucial in maintaining a stroke-free life. When a blood clot occurs, blood can be blocked from the brain and cause an ischemic stroke.
Whiskey allows the circulation of blood to continue blockage free. A shot of whiskey a day may very well keep the doctor away.
5. HEALTHY FOR CHOLESTEROL LEVELS
There is good cholesterol and there is bad cholesterol. The good, known as high-density lipoprotein or HDL, is increased when drinking whiskey. It keeps the bad in check and levels out the playing field.
6. PREVENTS HEART DISEASE
With good cholesterol comes, you guessed it, a healthy heart. The antioxidant boost from whiskey aids in coronary heart disease prevention. The phenolic compounds in whiskey are absorbed into the body easier than that of red wine.
This is great news for whiskey drinkers. The only downside is in order to grab these health benefits of whiskey, you can only consume whiskey once a week.
7. REDUCES RISK OF CANCER
Antioxidants are cancer’s archnemesis. The ellagic acid whiskey picks up from aging in those beautiful barrels has antioxidant properties. Not only does whiskey combat free radicals, but it also is said to prevent them from forming.
By inhibiting cancerous cells from spreading, we can officially add whiskey to the cancer-fighting team. To get the most out of this benefit, drink single malt.
8. GIVES YOUR MEMORY A NEEDED BOOST
Wait, what? Exactly. Drinking more whiskey can help improve memory and slow the onset of dementia. The antioxidants help the brain retain information, which could be unfortunate if you’re tone deaf like me and decided to do some karaoke after a few rounds.
Luckily, since it reduces plaque build-up that causes Alzheimer’s, you’ll have a lifetime full of karaoke memories.
9. INCREASES LONGEVITY (Benefits of Whiskey, Huh!)
I’m guessing you already know the answer to this one, antioxidants! That’s right, antioxidants increase our lifespan and fight the effects of aging. A 2010 study released by the Research Society on Alcoholism found that middle-aged and older adult moderate drinkers had a lower overall mortality rate than heavy drinkers or even non-drinkers.
While whiskey is no fountain of youth, it may keep you going strong longer than if you had none at all. That alone is worth a sip or two.
10. BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM
Apparently, there was a good reason the doctor prescribed whiskey to get better. More antioxidants than a glass of OJ, whiskey kicks into gear when colds bog us down. While replacing your morning OJ for an Irish coffee before work is not recommended, it certainly may be a good way to spend your weekend brunch.
11. WHISKEY TREATS THE COMMON COLD
You probably grew up hearing that drinking a Hot Toddy is a great palliative for a cold. Unlike other home remedies, this one has its basis in science. The ingredients of this favorite winter beverage have many of the same properties as a dose of Nyquil. Whiskey acts as a decongestant by dilating your blood vessels, while the honey, lemon and herbal tea have anesthetic properties and can loosen mucus.
12. LOWERS THE RISK OF DEMENTIA
If you’ve ever woken up from an evening of heavy drinking unable to remember what you did the night before you may not believe it, but a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information concluded that drinking one to six drinks weekly could lower your risk of dementia over and above avoiding alcohol completely.
Now that is a toast we can drink to. Raise your glass, and cheers, to good health!
(For Benefits of Drinking Wine, Click Here!)
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References:
https://www.bicycling.com/health-nutrition/a20008438/could-drinking-whiskey-help-you-lose-weight/
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