Known in the 18th century as the ‘Mothers ruin’, this juniper based spirit has come full circle and is now popular the world over as a sophisticated and tasty tipple. What you might not have known about it is that it actually has a few health benefits, if you don’t drink the whole bottle of course!
Made from juniper berries, these little nuggets of goodness come packed with super food powers including; fighting infection, preventing heart disease, improving blood circulation and helping to fight liver and kidney disease.
These are just a few of the benefits that you can get from gin. Before you rush off to make your favourite gin cocktail, let’s take a look at a few other surprising health benefits of gin.
Juniper berries are super berries and have a multitude of infection fighting qualities. Used in the 18th century as a topical antiseptic, juniper berries contain oil that can help agitate bronchial passages helping to expel mucus and fight off coughs and lung congestion.
To this date there has not been any clinical proof that this actually works, but many sufferers swear by its effectiveness. A common theme is using gin soaked raisins to reduce joint inflammation with people reporting that it’s helped relieve achy joints, gout and rheumatoid arthritis.
That sharp kick you can get with gin is down to the juniper berry and a mix of super healthy herbs. These can aid in increasing stomach acid secretions and digestive enzymes. This in turn helps to increase fluids in the gut necessary for breaking down ingested food and improving your digestion.
The little juniper berry is a diuretic which will help increase your urine output. This is great if you suffer from urinary tract infections or bloating, as it will stop water retention and help you flush out bacteria.
Who isn’t looking for the elixir of youth? Well due to the juniper berry being packed full of antioxidants, these can help your skin to keep fresh and youthful. Antioxidants will help in cellular restoration thus giving your skin a plumper and less wrinkled appearance.
Due to juniper berries containing flavonoids, these can help improve your circulation, increase cardiovascular health and prevent clogged arteries. Of course drinking too much can have the opposite effect so make sure it’s in moderation!
Trying to lose weight is hard and it’s even harder being social and watching all your thin friends guzzle down drinks with seemingly no weight gain! Gin is one of the least calorific drinks weighing in at only 97 calories a shot. Team that with a zero calorie mixer and you’ve got yourself a refreshing, guilt free drink to enjoy at the end of a long week.
Of course I’m not saying you should drink gin instead of going to the doctor for any of the above issues, but it’s nice to know you actually can drink to good health and actually improve your body’s health while enjoying yourself. So get mixing those gin cocktails.......Cheers!