There’s this idea that, somehow, tequila and mezcal are healthier to drink because sugar from agave has a lower glycemic index than other sugars. Our medical correspondent Dr. Ryan Aycock, the Cocktail MD, punctures a hole in that idea — and also cautions that, if that idea had been drinking shochu before he made that hole, the idea will bleed more profusely. All that and more in this episode of Agave Road Trip!

This episode of Agave Road Trip is sponsored by Mezcal Ultramundo. Ultramundo is a mezcal brand owned by a family without any real historic connections to mezcal heritage. Instead, their connection is to nature. They own a 24,000-acre ranch that is resplendent with agaves -- specifically maguey lamparillo, a variety that takes something like 15 to 18 years to reach maturity. The botanist they consulted said that if they allowed at least 20% of the mature agave annually to go to seed, the plants would be able to self-regenerate, creating a never-ending supply of lamparillo. So that’s what they’re doing. And the agave they’re harvesting, they’re turning into a delicious mezcal in Nombre de Dios, Durango. Mezcal Ultramundo is available at wholesale in California, and throughout the USA at retail via mail-order. If you want to taste what mezcal could be, if we avoid growth through mono-cropping, check out Ultramundo.

Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. It’s hosted by Lou Bank and Chava Periban. 

Notes

"Acute effects of traditional Japanese alcohol beverages on blood glucose and polysomnography levels in healthy subjects," Kido M, Asakawa A, Koyama KK, Takaoka T, Tajima A, Takaoka S, Yoshizaki Y, Okutsu K, Takamine KT, Sameshima Y, Inui A. PeerJ. 2016 Apr 4;4:e1853. doi: 10.7717/peerj.1853. PMID: 27069795; PMCID: PMC4824916.

Six people were told to drink shochu, sake, or beer on different days at the same time they ate a  hospital cafeteria meal. Blood sugar and blood insulin levels were lower over the subsequent 12 hours in the shochu group when compared to sake or beer. The paper never mentions the sugar content in each beverage, but did note that the beer had the highest calories.

"Effect of tequila on homocysteine, insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic profile in healthy men," González-Ortiz M, Pascoe-González S, Kam-Ramos AM, Martínez-Abundis E. J Diabetes Complications. 2005 May-Jun;19(3):155-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2004.09.001. PMID: 15866061.

A couple studies have looked at insulin levels following several weeks of daily everclear consumption. The results have shown that in postmenopausal women, fasting insulin and cholesterol levels improve. The same cannot be said for men who drink tequila. And the study was limited to eight people. And those people were warlocks.

"Urokinase-like plasminogen activator increased in plasma after alcohol drinking," H. Sump, H. Hamada, H. Tsushima and H. Mihara, Alcohol & Alcoholism, Vol. 23. No. 1. pp. 33-43.1988.

Seventy-eight volunteers were given shochu, sake, or beer and then had blood samples taken at one, two, and four hours after administration. Plasma levels for fibrinolytic chemicals increased in all three groups, more so in the shochu group. TEG times remained the same, however.

"Influence of alcohol consumption on blood coagulation in rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM): an in-vivo study," Eismann H, Sieg L, Ahmed H, Teske J, Behrendt P, Friedrich L, Schumacher C, Johanning K. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2020 Aug;73(4):334-341. doi: 10.4097/kja.20071. Epub 2020 Apr 16. PMID: 32299155; PMCID: PMC7403120.

Twenty volunteers were given either red wine, whiskey, or vodka and then had RoTEM measurements taken. Researchers discovered that there was impaired early fibrin polymerization, possibly meaning that drunk trauma patients are at increased risk of bleeding.