Tequila has received a bad reputation as a liquid hangover because regulations allow liquors made with only 51 percent agave to be called tequila. Drinking a frozen margarita is far from the nutritional equivalent of a banana-turmeric chai smoothie, but in relation to other liquors, tequila has some unique, beneficial attributes. To capture these benefits, only purchase tequila that is made from 100 percent agave.
1. Low Calorie
Though the liquid calories in many types of liquor are detrimental to weight-loss diets, tequila is different. Tequila is made up of agavins, a certain type of indigestible sugars that move through the body unused. The more complex molecular structure of agavins prevents them from spiking blood sugar. These molecules have also been found to simulate metabolism and to help burn fat.
2. Probiotic
Put down that bottle of kombucha and break out the shot glasses. The agave that tequila is derived from contains fructans, a short-chain polymer that supplies probiotics — beneficial bacteria found in the intestines. Thus, drinking a small amount of tequila may benefit digestive health, but be careful not to overdo it; too much tequila has the opposite effect on the body.
3. Digestion
A post-meal shot of tequila may help stimulate digestion, but studies have also found that a shot of tequila before the meal acts as an apéritif, stimulating metabolism and appetite.
4. Colon
For people suffering from Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or colitis, a shot of tequila may improve the effectiveness of their medications. The fructans in tequila are natural chemical carriers that essentially ferry the drugs past the corrosive stomach acid to the colon where they are needed most.