World Whisky Day only started in 2012, and celebrated on May 20. On this day, there are events hosted in different bars, restaurants and pubs to attract customers. As this year, Whisky Day has fallen on a weekend, there's more reason for you to enjoy those extra pegs, but before you down those pegs you can learn its benefits.
The word whisky comes from the English corruption of the ancient name for spirits "water of life" - mostly used in Scottish and Irish Gaelic as "uisge beatha" or "usquebaugh." The word sounded to the English ear as "uishgi" leading the coining of the word "whisky."
The word is usually spelt two ways - whiskey and whisky - with people in Ireland and United States going with the former spelling and the rest of the world using the latter.
While alcohol could be bad, potentially damage your liver and also harm your lifestyle, whisky - a distilled alcoholic beverage - if consumed in a certain level could also be beneficial. The extremely low saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium could add as the positives for the drink.
Here are some health benefits:
1. Weight loss: Drinking whisky could help in weight loss as the liquor does not contain any fat and has very little sodium. The calories and carbohydrates are in the form of alcohol while the little amount of sugars that can be easily broke down to develop body energy. So, instead of gulping down pints of beers, a few neat whisky pegs could help maintain weight.
2. Dementia: According to several studies conducted over time, it has been found that whisky can help boost cognitive performance and reduce the chances of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
3. Heart attacks: A recent study revealed that people who consume a moderate amount of whisky have almost 50 percent lower chance of experiencing a stroke or heart attack. People with cardiovascular issues could also benefit from the drink.
4. Diabetes: Whisky reduces the chances of high sugar level by as much as 30 percent to 40 percent.
5. Cancer prevention: Whisky has a high concentration of ellagic acid, which is an antioxidant that has the potential to neutralize cancer-causing free radicals in the body, helping prevent cancer. Single malt whiskey is the best to consume in order to prevent cancer.
