London [UK], May 9 : Love tequila? You might just have got another solid reason to drink up! As reported by Science Daily, a researcher from Mexico has found that the plant used to make tequila contains substances capable of improving absorption of calcium and magnesium.
Both minerals essentials to maintaining bone health. In the study, which was conducted by the Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Mexico, mice who ingested fructans from blue agave produced nearly 50 per cent more osteocalcin - a protein that indicates the production of new bone - than mice who did not.
What's more, the diameter of their bones proved to be higher after eight weeks of ingestion. Project leader Dr Mercedes Lopez says these effects are down to an interaction between the fructans and bacteria in the intestines which allow sugar molecules to capture nutrients and help transport them to bone cells.
"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," Lopez explains.
As such, the results provide the possibility of developing an alternative treatment for osteoporosis, a disease that is said to affect 200 million people worldwide.
This isn't the first time tequila has been hailed for its health benefits either. Aside from its potential to treat osteoporosis, Elite Daily says that it can also help lower blood sugar, aid weight loss and even fight cholesterol.
Source: ANI
