Our favourite party drink has hidden health benefits.
If you’re fond of a tequila tipple (or three) then this news is cause for celebration.
Scientists have recently discovered the drink, which until now we’d mostly associated with many blurry nights out, could in fact be good for your health.
Seems hard to believe, especially when we’ve suffered through some memorable (read: terrible) tequila-fuelled hangovers, but the fiery liquor has been found to possibly promote bone growth.
According to a paper published in Science Daily, researchers have discovered how a substance of the tequila plant helps the body to better absorb calcium and magnesium.
Both minerals are essential for bone growth, and the compound found in the blue variety of the agave tequilana plant could help with the formation of new bones.
“The consumption of fructans contained in the agave [plant], in collaboration with adequate intestinal micriobiota, promotes the formation of new bone, even with the presence of osteoporosis,” says Dr Mercedes Lopez, from the Centre for Research and Advanced Studies in Mexico.
For those affected by osteoporosis, the condition where bones become thin and break easily, the findings could provide a real breakthrough.
Aside from potentially promoting better bone growth, tequila also has other surprising health benefits.
If you’re a diabetic, the Mexican liquor is the one spirit that’s unlikely to see your blood sugar levels spike. This is because tequila is made from the agave plant and research has found the natural sugars (fructans) in agave are non-digestible and do not raise blood sugars.
But before you go rushing out tonight to order one (or three) of these sugar-free health-giving shots, the bone health research is still being questioned by Harvard scientists.
We’re still pretty happy though; our favourite party drink might not turn out to be nearly as bad for us as we thought!
