Everyone has their spirit of choice, but not everyone can say that their favorite comes with bonus health benefits. Blanco tequila - the colorless variety - is one of the purest liquors in the world, therefore, supposedly, hangover-free. Here are 7 other reasons why tequila is the best and should be celebrated everyday - not only on Cinco de Mayo.
1. It's the go-to choice of celiac sufferers and the gluten-obsessed. When tequila is made from the blue agave plant, which Pura Vida Tequila is, it avoids the wheat problem that keeps people with an aversion to gluten from indulging in other liquors.
2. It will elevate your mood. Unlike other alcohol options, tequila is said to be an upper, not a downer. This one may be a myth (since it contains ethanol, a depressant), but have you ever seen anyone upset while holding a margarita? Didn't think so.
3. Tequila lowers blood sugar and cholesterol. Another benefit of the agave plant: tequila contains agavina, a sugar that comes from the leaf and triggers insulin production in the blood stream. Agavins also lower triglycerides and, in effect, cholesterol.
4. It boasts minimal hangover powers. Again, this isn't all tequilas, but the "blanco" or "silver" varieties don't contain sugary syrups and aren't aged in wood; therefore, they don't contain congeners - the chemical impurities that are rough on your system and exacerbate hangovers.
5. Tequila numbs pain. When it enters your system, tequila dilates the blood vessels and helps transport blood to all of your body parts, lessening pain. We're willing to bet it works with emotional pain, too.
6. Less calories, more taste. Tequila is so good on its own that you don't need to waste calories or add unwanted, headache-causing sugars in the form of mixers or chasers. Squeeze in a little lime, stir in a few ice cubes and enjoy.
7. It cures the common cold. That's what doctors in 1930s Mexico said, anyway. They would prescribe tequila with some lime and salt for a cold and people today still believe that stirring some into your tea with honey and lemon can relieve a sore throat. This one might be a myth but it's worth a shot.
