In the mid-eighteenth century the effects of gin-drinking on English society makes the use of drugs today seem almost benign. Gin started out as a medicine – it was thought it could be a cure for gout and indigestion, but most attractive of all, it was cheap.
Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Netherlands, to provide aqua vita from distillates of grapes and grains. It then became an object of commerce in the spirits industry.
First came the tonic (as treatment), then came the gin (for flavour!) Did You Know? Malaria kills around 400 thousand individuals annually.
In fact, as early as the Middle Ages, gin was used as a form of herbal medicine. Gin is made from juniper berries, little dark purple nuggets with superfood powers. These berries can help fight infection and prevent heart disease, improve blood circulation and even help fight kidney and liver disease.
Gin & tonic to fight malaria
In the 1700s a Scottish doctor, George Cleghorn, discovered that quinine could be used to treat malaria. Gin remained popular with the Brits, notable for its use by soldiers and colonials living in lands prone to malaria infections.
The juniper berries in gin contain elements which can help to fight infection and prevent heart disease, as well as improve the blood's circulation around the body; these powerful little seeds are a superfood, and also help to fight liver and kidney disease.
However, bad news for all Gin &Tonic lovers, drinking tonic water will not protect you from contracting malaria. According to the Travel Doctor, to get the required amount of quinine from Gin & Tonic to prevent contracting malaria, one would need to consume 67 liters of tonic water.
Juniper Berries which are the main ingredient in Gin are said to help fight coughs and lung congestion since ages and are known for its medicinal qualities. So this drink can actually be very beneficial to cure cold.
If you have cuts or wounds, it is best not to use alcohol to clean the area as it can harm the tissue and delay the healing process. Although alcohol can hamper bacterial activity at the site of injury, it can burn the healthy skin cells.
GIN HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN USED FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES
This is primarily due to the presence of juniper, the main and necessary botanical in all gins. Juniper is good for you — it's a natural antibacterial, antiviral, diuretic and antiseptic.
Webb has bad news for those who believe gin or garlic has the power to keep mosquitoes away. "There doesn't seem to be any evidence whatsoever that anything that you eat or drink will be able to completely stop mosquitoes biting you.
It was called bathtub gin because it was made in a tall bottle — so tall, in fact, that it could not be topped off with water in the sink. Many people filled it up in the bathtub for this reason, and that's how it got its name! monumental, classic drink was a mask for low-quality, poor-tasting gin.
This is also thought to be where the term 'Dutch courage' comes from, referencing Dutch soldiers reportedly enjoying a stiff drink of gin before a battle to bolster their morale.
Gin has less sugar and fewer calories than some other liquors. If you already consume alcohol, gin may be a slightly healthier option. Be careful with mixers, however. They can make the sugar content of your drink skyrocket.
Gin had become the poor man's drink as it was cheap, and some workers were given gin as part of their wages. Duty paid on gin was 2 pence a gallon, as opposed to 4 shillings and nine pence on strong beer.
Historically, it was believed that gin would be able to fight off diseases like malaria and scurvy. In 1867, to fight the lack of vitamin C, Parliament mandated "lime or lemon juice and other anti-scorbutics to be provided and kept on board certain ships".
Gin being rich in antioxidants can help more than just your skin. Some studies show that the anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties in juniper berries can improve health and potentially lead to a longer life by improving blood flow and toxin removal from the blood.
Alcohol detection tests can measure alcohol in the blood for up to 6 hours, on the breath for 12 to 24 hours, urine for 12 to 24 hours (72 or more hours with more advanced detection methods), saliva for 12 to 24 hours, and hair for up to 90 days. The half-life of alcohol is between 4-5 hours.
Alcohol, along with hydrogen peroxide to clean wounds, has been used for decades by mothers wanting to disinfect their child's cuts and scrapes. These products, while good at disinfecting, are too harsh to be used on wounds and can cause damage to skin tissue.
There's also something to say about sticking to gin and vodka. When Supercall spoke with food scientists, gin and vodka proved to be the best alcohol to avoid the 17 stages of a hangover because they lack other dehydration-causing additives.
Best Drinks for GERD Patients
According to the pH level, gin, tequila, and non-grain vodkas are the lowest acidity options; choosing drinks made with these alcohols will be best on your stomach.
Gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey
If you do drink these with alcohol, your blood sugar may spike and then dip to dangerously low levels. When consumed on their own, hard liquors provide 0 grams of carbs but may lead to very low blood sugar levels. Avoid drinking them on an empty stomach or mixing them with sugary drinks.
Tonic water thus became an essential part of Britain's colonialism, though its taste in those days was bitter and harsh. Brits soon found that the addition of gin, sugar, ice, and citrus was the perfect way to temper the bitterness and make the cure palatable. And as a bonus, the inclusion of limes prevented scurvy.
Winston Churchill once declared, “The gin and tonic drink has saved more Englishmen's lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire”, but how has this venerable drink achieved such lofty acclaim?
The drinks originated here in 1825 when British Army officers stationed in India began blending quinine with sugar, water and gin to create a multi-tasking, malaria-fighting, accidentally delicious sundowner.