TEQUILA: the healthiest alcohol

Chances are great that if you’re reading this, you’ve learned from the day after a wild night out that not all alcohol is created equal. Some drinks and liquors will give you worse hangovers than others, and some are innately less healthy for you too. As a nutritionist, I’ve done my personal and professional research on the best and worst alcohol.  At the top of my “to drink” list is…Tequila! 

What is it about this Mexican liquor?  Research shows that agavins, the main compounds found in tequila, reduce blood sugar levels and can aid in weight loss and reduced appetite at meals. As if that wasn’t good enough news, the agavins also improve the good bacteria in your digestive tract. I’ll drink to that… it’s science!

Ok so now you know that tequila is the queen.  But when I say tequila is healthier than other liquors for you, all of it’s benefits are immediately reversed if you’re throwing back seven shots of it in a night. Try to match every drink you have with a glass of water or seltzer. I’d recommend you cap it at 2-3 drinks but I know that is not always realistic (nutritionists can party, too). It also matters what you’re mixing it with. Sugary mixers and frozen margaritas, unless home made and using minimal sweetener, negate the benefits too.

Carolyn Brown, MS RD is a nutritionist at FoodTrainers, private practice in NYC where she specializes in weight loss, food intolerances and sports nutrition. Her philosophy is that you can live a healthy life without losing your social life. Get in touch @carolynbrownnutrition on Instagram.

So which tequila should you be drinking? I asked my friend and alcohol expert (yeah that’s a real job!) Matan Steinfeld of Proximo Spirits and he explained that brand really matters. The darker in color a liquor is, the more likely it is to give you a hangover because of these impurities called congeners that alcohol soaks up from wood barrels. So you want to go for clearer tequila (and clearer alcohol in general) if you’re having multiple drinks. Also important: you want to make sure it’s 100% agave (so Mr. Jose Cuervo gold doesn’t fit the bill).

Matan’s pick for BEST tequila on the market is Maestro Dobel Diamante tequila. It's single estate tequila (all from one farm) and grown sustainably, and is filtered to get rid of those gnarly congener-hangover impurities.

My personal fave tequila is Tanteo– it’s infused with jalapenos and adds a spicy and metabolism boosting kick, plus makes you slow down as you drink.

SALUD!