Five Reasons Tequila Is Good For You Andrew Bender - Forbes Lifestyle
go to original August 25, 2013

Wooden barrels, such as these at the National Museum of Tequila in Jalisco, impart color and oaky, brandy-style flavors to aged tequilas. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 – Tequila Doesn’t Give You A Hangover. “Yeah, right!” you say?

“Yeah, right,” say mixologists and tequila makers on both sides of the border.

“Tequila treats you the same way you treat it,” says Steve Calabro, bartender at Rick Bayless’s Red O in Los Angeles. “If you aggressively slam it back, it will get mad and return the favor.”

Start with a quality tequila. Your first clue is to look for “100% Agave” on the label. Under Mexican law, tequila must be made from only the blue Weber agave plant from the Tequila region in the state of Jalisco.

US regulations, on the other hand, allow it to be called tequila even if contains as much as 49 percent other liquids, commonly sugar-based alcohols. That means if you drink it, you’re mixing alcohols. Many experts say that’s what gives tequila its bad reputation.

Sue Torres, chef of Sueños in New York City, also credits “chemicals and additives such as coloring or a worm” for tequila headaches. The worm makes for a colorful story (merchants legendarily put worms in bottles of mescal, tequila’s first cousin, to show that the contents were alcohol, not water), but, Torres cautions, “Don’t buy mescal that has a worm in it.”

2 – Tequila has health benefits. Experts say that a shot before lunch can stimulate the appetite, and one after a big dinner can aid digestion. Pairing that shot with a glass of water is a good way to go.

“Being someone with blood sugar sensitivities,” Torres says, she believes that tequila is better for the body than other alcohols. “The sugars are simple sugars, so they break down easily in your body.”

“I have read that tequila has a component that can, in moderation, aid in lowering cholesterol,” says Roger Bailey, head bartender at Filini in Chicago. Studies have shown that tequila can break down dietary fat, which can indeed help lower LDL levels, the bad cholesterol. In addition, he says, “tequila will alleviate mild strain, tension, and headaches,” though he adds “I don’t suggest slamming tequila to get rid of a migraine.”

You’ve gathered by now that moderation is key. All our experts caution that overdoing any alcoholic beverage is harmful.

Read three more reasons Tequila is good for you.