Scientists Take The Fun Out of Tequila
October 12th, 2007
So you’ve got your bottle of tequila and you’re thinking it’s going to do you the world of good. Soon you’ll be pleasantly numb, singing pirate songs and dancing on the tables. Well, I’ve got bad news. Seems scientists have taken some of the joy out of tequila. They are now saying, in a twisted way, that it can be healthy. Nooooooooo!!!!
Researchers in Mexico believe they have found a more purposeful use for the blue agave plant that produced tequila than just an alcoholic beverage. They believe that the drink’s key ingredient will provide a health-care breakthrough.
The researchers have found that agave plant contains a high level of a carbohydrate called insulin that is credited with aiding in digestion, reducing cholesterol and retaining calcium in the body. Currently many medications used to treat colon cancer, colitis or irritable bowel syndrome can lead to diarrhea and stomach ailments because they are released too early in the digestive tract.
“Insulin is very good to the digestive system because it helps you to grow good bacteria.” says Guillermo Toriz, a researcher at the University of Guadalajara. “So the bad bacteria helps absorb lipids and controls cholesterol.” Toriz told CBC News that since insulin doesn’t break down in the stomach he is working on turning the carbohydrate into a hard shell to protect and carry the drugs past the stomach’s digestive enzymes and directly into the colon.
Toriz says that the only bad news is that when the plant is fermented and turned into alcohol it loses all its medicinal benefits. So shots of tequila won’t help your colon or your cholesterol level but they are probably way more fun than even thinking about your digestive system.
[Source: TheNewsRoom]
