Tonic Water Benefits-What are the Health Benefits of Drinking Tonic Water
Although tonic water is used as non-alcoholic beverage and even in most cases used as mixer in gin and vodka, the tonic water has health benefits if taken in right circumstances. Did you know what you drink as refreshment or mixer in making cool cocktails for vodkas could be beneficial in terms of health? Get the insight on the health benefits of quinine in tonic water and tips on how to get the best out of the tonic water benefits.
Medicinal & Health Benefits of Tonic Water- Drinking Tonic Water Benefits, Advantages or Pros
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Adopting healthy eating habits like eating healthy foods and exercising is sometimes perceived a hard task. In fact majority of us tend to assume the basic health routines to live a healthy lifestyle. We always focus more on foods we take daily and have the tendency of making assumptions of the drinks we take. Drinks, including water and alcohol have a way of influencing our health one way or another. Tonic water is therefore not exceptional.
Tonic water is a special and popular mixer that is used to combine different drinks to make a superb cocktail. It is special in such a way that it has dissolved quinine which not only gives it a distinct bitter taste but also has some health benefits as well.
The quinine has medicinal significance. Dating back in the ancient period precisely in the 16th century, quinine was used to treat malaria by British troops invading Africa at the colonial period. It gained popularity for it s ability to ward off malaria back then. The tonic water still to date has some quinine extracts dissolved in it. Though it is primarily used to add the bitter taste to tonic drinks and brands, it is still considered as way of treating malaria even with the innovation of new drugs in the market. However its use has been limited by the foods and drugs administration (FDA) of the United State. In fact the daily therapeutic recommended dosage of quinine is between the ranges of 500-1000mg and 10mg /kg for every 8 hours which is considered to be effective for malaria treatment.
Did you know tonic water can be used to treat /ease leg cramps? A section of people in the world today experience leg cramps. Usually leg cramps patients suffer unbearable pain to an extent of people becoming dependent on painkillers or leg cramps medicine. Studies show that quinine in tonic water is effective in decreasing the occurrence of leg cramps. However, the amount of quinine should be limited as too much of it is known to cause potentially hypersensitivity reactions. Most commercial beverages tend to greatly vary their quinine concentration. To avoid the risk associated with quinine, it is recommended that for treatment of leg cramps, the prescription should be monitored by a qualified physician.
The regular intake of tonic water has been reported to be a cause of weight gain. Most tonic water beverages use artificial sugar as additive to counter the bitter taste of quinine. Did you know the sugar in tonic contributes to high calories build up in the body? Unlike the diet tonic that is calories –free, the tonic drinks are rich in high fructose corn syrup as sweeteners which give about 124 calories and about 32 grams of carbohydrate per single serving. Therefore, it is recommended for those who have low calories in their body and wish to add weight. This helps to increase the energy levels and boost the metabolism of the body.
Little information has been provided on the claims that tonic water is able to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis. The hearsay cannot be scientifically proven and it will be imprudent to recommend tonic water for such condition.
Other Advantages of Tonic Water
The tonic water besides being beneficial in the field of health, tonic water is known to be a perfect mixer of gins and vodka. This has been attributed to the presence of quinine which gives the bitter taste.
The fact that tonic water is water in itself, drinking tonic water can help satisfy the hydration requirements of 8 glasses of the regular water daily. In fact tonic water also acts as a healthy sport drink. Athletes can use it after intensive training to replenish lost water. However, significant amount should be taken owing to the fact that it has high calories that adds weight.
A number of people have used tonic to help them in relaxing tight or sore muscle. This is due to quinine which is the active ingredient in it.
Did you ever know that tonic water can alleviate stress? Tonic water, a carbonated drink, is high in sugar therefore has a high calorie count per serving, which has been reportedly an aid in the reduction of stress levels.
Unlike the regular water or other water such as alkaline water, tonic water contains sweetness and fizz. This helps in moderating consumption of alcohol.
Benefits of Tonic Water with Quinine
The tonic beverage wouldn’t be complete without the addition of quinine. Not only does quinine give tonic water it s unique bitter taste it also adds flavor to the tonic drinks. Other than the medicinal value quinine has on tonic water, it makes the drink a perfect mixer for vodka and gins as well.
Tips on how to get the best out of Tonic Water Benefits
Over the years many commercial companies of tonic water have attempted to adjust tonic ingredients to suit the growing demand of the market.
How well you get the benefits of tonic depends on the usage. Tonic water should not be used in place of drugs primarily for the treatment of malaria. Most of companies that make tonic drinks do not use the natural extract of quinine but instead use crystalline alkaloid version usually made from a series of chemical processes.
In maintaining a healthy weight pattern, diet tonic water should be used in place of regular tonic water. Unlike the regular tonic water which is known for high calories coming from high sugar, the diet tonic water has no calories at all.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonic_water
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10335049
http://www.drugs.com/npp/quinine.html
http://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/quinine#
http://thenakedlabel.com/blog/2015/01/12/tonic-water-bad-for-you/
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