​Drinking Tequila Is Good For Your Bones – Sort Of

Finally, we have the excuse we've been waiting for. No longer do those ill-advised late-night shots of tequila - the ones you have when you should probably be on your way home to bed - just result in a terrible hangover.

They still do result in terrible hangovers, but according to Science Daily, substances in the blue Agave tequilano plant, which is used to make tequila, improve the body's absorption of calcium and magnesium.

Credit: Creative Commons

In layman's terms, that means - kind of - that tequila can help you grow stronger bones. Research conducted at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav) in Mexico was led by Dr. Mercedes López, who stated that "the consumption of fructans contained in the agave, in collaboration with adequate intestinal micriobiota, promotes the formation of new bone, even with the presence of osteoporosis."

The study found that mice that ingested agave fructans produced 50 percent more osteocalcin, which is a protein that signifies new bone production, than mice that did not.

Credit: Creative Commons

Don't get too excited, though, shots of tequila aren't the same as eating fructans directly from the plant. So, binge-drinking on a bottle of José Cuervo isn't going to help you too much.

In addition, a report from Harvard last year warned that both the negative health impacts of the alcohol in tequila and the sugar in tequila are two downsides.

The real good news when it comes to this story is that the results are an actual step forward towards the possibility of being able to find an alternative treatment for those suffering from osteoporosis.

The condition - which results in fragile bones with an increased susceptibility to fractures - currently affects about 200 million people around the world. That's due to the fact bone density starts to decrease after 35 years of age. Bone loss also occurs more rapidly in women after menopause.

So, while this is definitely a positive discovery, we have to also stress that it's best to not self-medicate with tequila, and that if you really are keen on making your bones stronger and healthier, drinking milk is probably still the better option.

Words: Mischa Pearlman

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Food, World News, Alcohol, Health

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie