16 PROPERTIES OF GIN FOR HEALTH - NUTRITION - 2024

The health properties of gin or January are numerous: it improves digestion, has a toning effect, fights malaria and scurvy, controls cancer, controls weight and others that I will explain below.

Without going too far back in time, Winston Churchill himself said at the time that "Gin Tonic has saved more lives and minds of English men than all the doctors in the empire put together."

It is about gin, a drink that comes from the distillation of juniper, a plant with great properties and benefits. The properties of gin would not be possible without its main ingredient, which makes it radically different from other alcoholic beverages: the juniper berry.

Health properties of gin

1- Improve congestion

Juniper berries contain a wide variety of medicinal uses, which has led to their use for years as a topical antiseptic, lung congestion, or cough.

Berries make use of beneficial oils for our body that make our bronchial tubes flutter and expel mucus.

2- Improves joint health

If you do not decide to drink this drink, try making a cream to relieve joint pain or diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Proven by a study conducted by BIDMC, it not only helps arthritis but also reduces gout symptoms.

3- Improves digestion

Gin is commonly known as a great digestive that helps digest food better.

This is due to the different herbs used at the time of its preparation, increasing the acid secretions of the stomach and digestive enzymes, consequently leading to decompose food in a more natural and faster way.

In the same way, barley, which is rich in fiber, will work as a supplement to make digestion much faster. Likewise, fiber also has a direct action on cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

4- Toning effect

The gin works as a perfect relaxant and toner, acting on the muscles and the nervous system.

5- Fight against malaria

Gin was used to fight malaria. One of its components, quinine, was used as a malaria suppressant.

Therefore, if you decide to drink a Gin Tonic in tropical countries, it may not come at all bad, it could even save you a good problem.

Despite this, it is recommended that it not be replaced by any type of antimalarial drugs.

6- Fight against scurvy

As with malaria, the English also used Gin Tonic to fight scurvy, which was produced by a profound deficiency of vitamin C.

7- Interior cleaning

Thanks to juniper and its multiple diuretic properties, we can effectively combat swelling or infections in the urinary tract due to the elimination of toxins and bacteria.

Also, if you have a urination problem, a little gin every now and then can help you go to the bathroom much more often.

8- Provides extra energy

Although it sounds a bit strange, the quinine it contains can be used as a nutrient that provides extra energy to our body.

Likewise, we must specify that quinine is the best alkaloid that gin has in its composition.

9- Provides the benefits of other herbs

Gin contains a large amount of herbs in terms of its composition. Among these we can find from the same juniper to coriander, cassia, nutmeg or even rosemary.

10- Improves the condition of the skin

Gin also has a high number of antioxidants. The consequence of this can be seen in a much fresher and more hydrated skin, due to the restoration and support of cell growth that antioxidants can provide.

11- It can prevent cancer

Coming again from antioxidants, the neutralization of radicals in the body makes cancer less likely to appear in our body.

12- Leave good breath

Although this benefit is not scientifically proven, the famous writer Scott Fitzgerald explains that he was drinking this type of drink for years just for the simple fact that the bad breath in his mouth diminished considerably.

13- Control the weight

Like whiskey, gin is also one of the lowest calorie drinks.

Although yes, be careful with the combinations, because some drinks use too much sugar, one of the main elements that make the caloric percentage of alcohol increase its level.

14- Beneficial additions

Gin turns out to be the perfect drink to be able to add different types of complements once it has been served. It is not uncommon to observe this liquid accompanied by different fruits and fruits such as strawberries or oranges or even almonds for example.

Definition and composition

Gin is a type of brandy devised by the Dutch and popularized by the English, coming from "genever or jeneve", which in turn comes from French. This word is translated "juniper."

When it comes to obtaining it, we must emphasize two types of gin, one dedicated to Dutch gins and others to English.

• Dutch gin is created from malted barley, wheat, rye, and corn. The result is a drink with low percentages of alcohol, known as "malt wine." Now, this is distilled at a low temperature so that it does not lose its flavor or its body.

Finally, the alcohol vapors are used to be distilled, passing through juniper cherries, from where the characteristic flavor of this is acquired.

The last step of this is to add flavorings to taste, such as different seeds, fruits or even gummies.

• As for the English gins, they are born from distilled neutral grain alcohol to be later flavored with juniper cherries.

History

The history of gin begins in the early seventeenth century, where the appearance of the German doctor Franciscus Sylvius living in the Netherlands is attributed.

Her first contact with the drink made her call it genever, which would later and definitely lead to what we know today as gin.

It is said that during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), English soldiers were shocked due to the great bravery shown by Dutch soldiers in battle. The gin was the reason. This was a turning point for this drink to begin to spread throughout the continent.

Another important fact would be the ascent to the English throne of William of Orange - corresponding to the third dynasty - along with his wife, when he would approve a strong increase in taxes on beer.

This had as a consequence that the English began to distill gin themselves, which would lead it to become the national drink of England. It was during this period of time that gin would begin to become popular in the British country.

An official commission showed that in 1750, this liquid was drunk in one of every five houses on the northern islands.

Over the years, taxes would be introduced to increase its value and quality up to the present day, seeing the birth of different varieties of gin such as London Dry, or even the classic Gin Tonic.

The latter was produced in the 19th century when it was discovered that the quinine that was in its composition helped fight different diseases. One of them was malaria within the different English colonies.

Curiosities

• On the national scene, the Ginebra San Miguel has managed to carve out an international market niche by producing 22 million boxes a year.
• The tonic is the most used formula in the world when it comes to drinking gin.
• It is not exclusively created to be a "dry stick" drink. Its many merchants and creators have stated that the ideal is to combine it with different substances.
• According to a survey conducted by the American beverage magazine Imbibe, gin ranks eighth among beverages that are drunk alone without any additive.
• The gin takes on phosphorescent colors when we put it next to colored lights due to quinine, which has a natural sulfate.