Would you drink brandy every night if you could choose just one type of alcohol to consume? Brandy is delicious, has some health benefits, and is smooth to drink. Most important of all, brandy is versatile — it can be consumed on the rocks, mixed with fruit juice, or even heated up just above room temperature. It is the perfect drink for every season.
According to Lybrate, a website that publishes articles written and reviewed by medical professionals, brandy is made by introducing heat to wine. This action “concentrates the alcohol naturally present in the wine.” The liquid is then aged in oak barrels, until it becomes the glorious drink we know and love as brandy. Though there might be benefits of drinking a small amount of brandy nightly, it might also affect your health negatively, especially if you have too much or suffer from pre-existing conditions. Here is a look at what happens to your body if you drink brandy every night.
Could you relieve respiratory issues if you drink brandy every night?
Those who suffer from respiratory conditions like asthma know how they might be triggered when you least expect it and how much these conditions can affect day-to-day life. If you found yourself nodding your head in agreement while reading that, we have some good news for you. The British Journal of Diseases of the Chest published survey results in 1983 that reveal a possible link between brandy and respiratory disease.
The survey, which was completed by 168 patients with asthma, found that 32.1 percent of patients stated that consuming one or more drinks of wine, beer, or whisky aggravated their asthma. Interestingly, 23.2 percent of respondents reported that alcohol, “usually brandy and whisky,” improved their asthma, especially when their symptoms were “severe.”
While this does not prove that you can relieve the symptoms of asthma and other respiratory conditions if you drink brandy every night, it certainly makes a case for further research.
If you drink brandy every night, could you help prevent cancer?
A risk of cancer is scary enough to turn most of us off anything we love to eat or drink, but what if a choosing to drink brandy every night could help reduce the likelihood of suffering from cancer? According to Science Daily, tests done by Japanese researchers and results published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry indicate this might be possible.
Science Daily revealed that beer and some types of alcohol, including brandy, have shown a “potent inhibitory effect” against mutagens found in some types of heterocyclic amines (HAs). What is the significance of HAs, you ask? Well, they are thought to “contribute to cancer” in humans. The report has stated that “there is a possibility that the plant components originating from hops might be responsible” for the inhibition of the mutagens.
While studies have not yet solidified the link between types of alcohol like brandy and the prevention of cancer, this seems like a great start. Lets raise an occasional glass to that!