Make mine a double! Why a G&T is a healthy choice (…sometimes)

Winston Churchill famously declared that ‘gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives and minds than all the doctors in the Empire’—and over a century later, the boozy tipple is still running through the cultural veins of Britain. 

The drink’s origins lie in nineteenth century India where tonic water, rich in quinine extracted from the bark of cinchona trees, was widely distributed by the Royal Navy. 

Quinine has long been believed to have anti-malarial properties, but because the original tonic water was so bitter, it proved a struggle to get the seamen to drink it. 

In typical British fashion, admirals suggested making it more palatable by mixing it with sugar, lime, water and gin—and the drink we know and love today was born. 

Although Churchill may have been overplaying the combined benefits and achievements of quinine-rich tonic water and the botanical based spirit, experts do agree that it should be party goers’ drink of choice for its ‘hidden’ health benefits.

Nutritionists say that a low calorie drink is the best option if someone has already decided they are going to drink.

‘There is no doubt that each drink you have has a negative long term impact on your health,’ says Ruchi Bhuwania Lohia, a registered longevity nutritionist.

‘When I see clients in the clinic though I see the reality. For many, completely cutting out alcohol is not realistic, with people feeling that they will miss out on social occasions, so a few small realistic changes to your drinking habits can help.’

The nutritionist explains that swapping from drinks that are high in calories and sugar to clear spirits like gin can be kinder to your gut, and your waistline. 

‘It is about making sensible choices. If you are swapping five pints of beer for G&T’s then that is a good decision, because it has fewer calories and will not cause bloating,’ says Ms Lohia.

‘But drinking any alcoholic beverage over a non-alcoholic is not a good choice.’

One shot of gin will provide you with around 50 calories, compared with about 130 calories in a medium glass of red or white wine or the 200 to 300 calories in a pint of beer.

‘Clear spirits are also easier to metabolise, putting less stress on the body,’ says registered nutritionist GQ Jordan, who has over a million followers on Instagram.

‘The other benefit of a G&T is that the botanicals give the drink a bitter flavour which can slow the pace of drinking.’

A 200ml serving of light tonic mixed into your drink comes in at around 30 calories, keeping a single G&T under the 100 calorie mark per glass.

‘The mixer you choose is really important as well,’ says Ms Lohia.

‘If you opted for Coke then you are consuming a lot of sugar which would be the same as consuming something like port.’

GQ Jordan adds: ‘Full sugar mixers also impact blood sugar balance which in turn can lead to cravings, like that end of night kebab, so there will be added calories from that as well.’

The average British man drinks 17.6 units of alcohol every week, according to NHS data, the equivalent of eight to nine pints of lager.

Drinking the same number of single-measure G&Ts each week—though it is not recommended that any adult consumes more than 14 units of alcohol in this timeframe—would mean cutting around 900 empty calories from your diet and losing a stone within a year.

However, experts warn that there are no health benefits from the ingredients of a G&T, despite Churchill’s famous claims.

As well as protecting against malaria, quinine has been suggested as a remedy to help soothe restless legs.

However, modern tonics are thought to contain significantly less quinine than they did a century ago.

In the UK, Fever Tree tonic has the highest levels of quinine at 0.39 mg/mL, with the average 0.34mg/mL.

The therapeutic dose of quinine is 14g/kg every eight hours for effective malaria prevention.

So theoretically, to protect against malaria, someone would need to drink 14 standard gin and tonics every eight hours, which is the equivalent of a week’s consumption of alcohol according to the NHS.

There are also risks to consuming huge amounts of quinine, including heart rhythm disturbances, low blood sugar and allergic reactions.

Another old wives tale about G&Ts is that gin is packed with antioxidants thanks to the juniper berries used in its production.

The spirit, which originated in the UK in the seventeenth century, is made by brewing a neutral-tasting grain with juniper berries and other botanicals such as lemon peel, coriander seeds, cardamom or thyme.

Juniper berries contain flavonoids as well as large amounts of vitamin C, which can improve circulation and help ward off colds, and antioxidants which promote skin regeneration. 

The berries can also speed up your digestive system and soothe inflammation

However experts say that there is not enough juniper in a modern bottle—or shot—of gin to give any health benefits.

‘There is certainly no benefit from the antioxidants from juniper berries in gin or the genuine in the tonic,’ says GQ Jordan.

‘Because the reality is there is no safe level of drinking, so it is about making informed choices.

‘I advise my clients if they are drinking to choose two drinks they really enjoy to begin with before thinking about switching to a non alcoholic alternative and ensuring they drink water between each drink.’