IS A DRAM OF WHISKY GOOD FOR YOU?
With more and more people looking at enjoying a gluten-free or vegan lifestyle, which whiskies are OK? Whisky is made with malted barley, the finished product is gluten free. Anyone with coeliac disease or those cutting out gluten for other reasons will be glad to hear that whisky can be taken safely, it’s all down to the distillation.
The Coeliac UK charity write: “when a cereal containing gluten is used as an ingredient, spirits are distilled and the process removes any trace of gluten. Meaning malt whisky – made from barley is safe for people with coeliac disease. Gluten is produced when making whisky (in mashing of the barley), it will be carried through to fermentation process, gluten – a heavy compound, will be lost and it is not present in whisky, also the casks whisky is matured in – sherry, bourbon and ex-wine casks – are all gluten free.
To be called Scotch whisky, it must be minimum 40% ABV, meaning that forty percent of the drink is pure alcohol. If the ABV is higher, the percentage of alcohol is higher too. A single measure of whisky, 25ml, can contain around 61 calories. The calories will increase depending on what mixer you add to your whisky, if you add any, excluding water. A dram has less calories than a banana!
Whisky is vegan, whisky is not refined using animal derivatives, all ingredients are plant-based, and fermentation doesn’t use animal derivatives, whisky is vegan. The Vegan Society has confirmed that spirits (including whisky) use animal-free processing, meaning most of them are vegan, the exceptions are certain whiskies, including liqueurs, that contain honey meaning they are excluded from a plant-based diet.
IS IT OK TO ENJOY A DRAM NIGHTLY?
Whisky has several health benefits, including: Helps in weight loss. Helps to control diabetes. Prevents the onset of heart disorders. Prevents internal blood clotting. Contributes to small amounts towards the prevention of cancer. Benefits the heart and blood vessels. If you drink whisky every night you’ll consume less calories and carbs. It seems drinking whisky can do a person’s brain some good in the long-term. A study coming out of Boston concluded that drinking one to six drams each week might actually lower the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s among older adults. This combined with a healthy lifestyle, of course. A team at the University of California researched what makes certain people live to and beyond age 90. Their study found that the people who enjoyed two glasses of alcohol every evening had a slimmer chance of dying sooner.
While you enjoy your nightly glass of whisky, you may also be decreasing your risk of developing a stroke. Researchers have shown that a person’s risk may drop somewhere between 25 to 40 percent if they drink alcohol. Harvard University assessed over 100 scientific studies to come to this conclusion.
HOWEVER One of the largest body organs that can easily be ruined by whisky is the liver, by drinking three or four drams a day, a person has a much higher chance of developing chronic liver disease, so drink aware!
Remember drink aware, the UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines – no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days, wee note, there are maybe 26 – 28 drams (25ml) in a UK bottle, meaning 14 units = a half bottle. Take it easy and enjoy your whisky.
I AM NOT ENCOURAGING ANYONE TO DRINK WHISKY OR DRINK HEAVILY, THIS IS JUST A FEW FACTS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW. PLEASE DRINK AWARE.
“Drinkaware” is an independent charity which aims to reduce alcohol-related harm by helping people make better choices about their drinking. https://www.drinkaware.co.uk
PAUL MCLEAN
WWW.WHISKYTOURS.SCOT
