The Health Benefits Of 10 Kinds Of Alcohol

Health | Drinks | Food | Did You Know

What Happens To Your Body When You Drink

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Cheers! Let's raise a glass to your health.

I used to think of drinking as a way to cut loose on the weekend, but I'm not as young as I used to be and can't stay up all night any more.

These days I prefer a quiet drink at home, and I was happy to learn my nightly ritual is good for my health.

It turns out, whether you're a beer nerd or a wine connoisseur, your drink of choice has some awesome health benefits.

1. Beer

Beer.
U3144362 / Wikimedia

A lower risk of heart disease? I'll drink to that.

Italian researchers say a pint a day reduces your risk of developing the condition by 42%.

Meanwhile, Dutch researchers say moderate drinking also lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In case you need another reason to crack open a cold one, beer slows down calcium loss from your bones.

That helps prevent osteoporosis and painful kidney stones. Win-win!

2. Brandy

Brandy.
Pixabay

This drink is considered highbrow here in America, but it's very popular in France.

In fact, locals who guzzle down Armagnac brandy in Gascogny, France have a lower rate of heart disease than the average person.

The strong volume of alcohol in the drink also makes a single serving the perfect sleep aid.

Plus, each glass is packed with antioxidants - molecules that protect your body from damage and aging caused by "free radical" atoms

3. Rum

Rum.
Mike McCune / Flickr

Yes, this drink is a little too sugary too enjoy every day.

But even rum has some surprising health benefits.

The drink is a natural blood thinner, which protects your body from a painful condition called peripheral artery disease.

Rum also boosts your body's supply of good HDL cholesterol, which clears your arteries and lowers blood pressure.

This drink also protects bone density, which can relieve the chronic pain caused by arthritis.

4. Vodka

Vodka.
Pixabay

Why do Russians love this drink? It keeps them mellow.

Studies in the 1990s showed that vodka was the most effective type of alcohol for stress relief - yes, even beating out wine.

As a clear liquor, vodka has been distilled more than other drinks.

That means it contains less congeners - byproducts that leave you feeling hungover after a night out.

Studies on animals also revealed that vodka promotes good blood flow and HDL cholesterol production.

5. Cider

Cider.
Pixabay

A cider a day keeps the doctor away. And why not? It's made from apples, after all.

Well sure, cider has a bit of sugar in it, but it's also brimming with as many antioxidants as a glass of red wine.

The unique fruity ingredients in cider also make it a better source of vitamin C and calcium than other drinks.

There's always the possibility of having too much of a good thing, when you do you should look to Morning Recovery. It's scientifically engineered to get your body back what it loses after a night of drinking. That means no hangover.

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6. Champagne

Tequila
Simon Law / Wikimedia

Who needs an excuse to celebrate when a glass of the bubbly stuff is so good for your health?

Tests on (very lucky) lab rats showed that drinking champagne actually improves your memory.

Champagne is also better for your heart than other kinds of wine, because it's full of blood pressure-lowering polyphenols.

The drink also helps restore the walls of your blood vessels, warding off strokes and heart attacks.

Oh, and it's good for your skin too. But that would be a waste of good champagne!

7. Whiskey

Tequila
Dominick Guzzo / Flickr

If your favorite drink is a whiskey neat, you'll enjoy these neat health benefits.

Of course the distilled drink has no fat, no carbs, and very little sugar.

Because of the drink's high proof, it also stimulates enzymes in your stomach.

That helps break down food food causing indigestion, so enjoy a shot of whiskey after dinner.

Whiskey also contains even more antioxidants than red wine, and may help prevent colon cancer.

8. Tequila

Tequila
Jeffrey Davis / Flickr

Tequila drinkers do things a little differently, and their drink of choice is pretty unique too.

Unlike most kinds of liquor, tequila is made from the blue agave plant.

That means it's 100% gluten free. Agave also contains agacina, which lowers your levels of blood sugar and bad cholesterol.

Mexican doctors famously used to prescribe a glass of tequila to cure coughs and colds.

It does dilate blood vessels - which could clear your sinuses - so it's worth a shot. Or two.

9. Gin

Gin.
Kenneth Zirkel / Wikimedia

It's not the most popular drink on the market, but gin has a lot of great qualities that you shouldn't overlook.

A single glass (without tonic) is a slim 110 calories, which is practically nothing compared to sugary beer.

Gin is also one of the few drinks that doesn't put type 1 diabetes patients in danger of hypoglycemia.

Plus, it's made from juniper berries, which can soothe a sore throat and are full of antioxidants.

10. Wine

Wine.
Pixabay

Odds are you're already enjoying a regular glass of wine, but we have good news.

If you already have high blood pressure (and don't we all) moderate wine drinking lowers your risk of heart attack by 30%.

Like beer, regular wine drinkers also have a lower risk of developing diabetes.

But one of wine's best qualities is its brain-boosting power: a glass of wine is a like a workout for your brain, and protects it from the damage that causes dementia.

Now here's some hair of the dog that bit you:

If you want to make the most of a healthy night on the town, bring along a shot of Morning Recovery.

Morning Recovery

The peach-flavored drink is 3 ounces of electrolytes, vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients - everything your body needs after a head-splitting night out.

Just take Morning Recovery before you lay down to sleep, and your body will thank you in the morning.

It's designed by a team of scientists - including a former engineer for Tesla - but most importantly it actually works.

Try Morning Recovery for yourself and enjoy your next night out, worry free!

I write about all sorts of things for Shared, especially weird facts, celebrity news, and viral stories.