Popular Botanicals Used in Alcohol-Free Spirits
One of the best things about a lot of modern alcohol-free drinks is that, not only are they delicious, but they are good for you too. And that is because many of them are made from botanicals that are jam-packed with essential nutrients and flavour!
Some botanicals are used regularly in a whole range of alcohol-free spirits and drinks. And that is because these provide both important flavours and a lot of health benefits. Below are some of the most commonly used botanicals in the alcohol-free industry.
1.Ginger
Ginger is a very commonly used ingredient in non-alcoholic drinks. This is because ginger provides a bit of a kick and burn to the non-alcoholic drinking experience. You can find ginger in alcohol-free spirits such as GIMBER, MYTH Spiced Dark Cane Alcohol, Nona Ginger and Crossip’s Fresh Citrus spirit to name just a few.
Ginger has many proven health benefits. Many of these come from Gingerol, the main bioactive compound in ginger, and also the compound that gives it such a strong flavour.
Ginger contains very strong antioxidants and helps reduce oxidative stress on the body by neutralising free radicals. It is also strongly anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, making it perfect to fight bacterial and fungal infections.
Ginger helps:
Aid digestion
Reduce nausea
Help aid weight loss
Help with osteoarthritis-related pain and swelling
Lower blood sugar
Lower risk of heart disease
Treat chronic indigestion
Reduce menstrual pain
Lower cholesterol levels
Reduce cancer risk
So this little root is not only delicious but is beneficial to almost every area of your body. No wonder it is a popular botanical in various non-alcoholic drinks!
2.Hibiscus
The hibiscus is a beautiful flowering plant and provides a delicious, sweet, tart and almost earthy cranberry-like flavour. Adding hibiscus to any drink will help give more tropical and sweeter vibes. You can find hibiscus in a range of alcohol-free drinks such as Crossip Pure Hibiscus and Feragaia.
There are several proven health benefits to consuming hibiscus. It is packed with antioxidants so can really help protect your body from free radicals, which damage your cells. This means it can help prevent damage and disease usually caused by free radicals.
Hibiscus can lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, it can improve blood fat levels and boost liver health. Hibiscus is also filled with polyphenols which are known to have strong anti-cancer properties. It has also been suggested that hibiscus could help decrease bacterial growth.
So all in all, it not only is a delicious botanical to use in non-alcoholic drinks, but you can also enjoy your alcohol-free drinks safe in the knowledge that the hibiscus is very good for your body!
3.Liquorice root
Liquorice root has a very strong flavour. You either love it or hate it. But it also has powerful medicinal properties and is even considered one of the world’s oldest herbal remedies. You can find liquorice in a whole range of different alcohol-free spirits including FLUÈRE Spiced Cane Dark Roast and Sentia Gaba.
Liquorice contains over 300 active compounds, many of which are anti-bacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. It has been shown to:
Reduce acid reflux, heartburn and indigestion
Treat peptic ulcers
Prevent cancerous cell growth
Reduce upper respiratory conditions
Aid diabetes and menopause symptoms
Treat hepatitis C
That said, drinking too much liquorice can be dangerous. It can also interact with medications. But luckily, you are unlikely to reach these amounts of liquorice by drinking alcohol-free drinks. That would come as a result of eating chronic and large doses of liquorice.
So you can be safely assured that enjoying alcohol-free spirits containing liquorice will provide a whole range of health benefits, as well as add a strong and interesting layer of flavour to the drink.
4.Grapefruit
Grapefruit is one of the healthiest citrus fruits you can consume. Known for its strong sweet but tart flavour, this adds a delicious depth to alcohol-free spirits and brings with it a wealth of health benefits. Grapefruit is used in a surprising number of non-alcoholic spirits, including Crossip’s Fresh Citrus, Pentire Seaward and High Point Ruby Aperitif.
Grapefruit is rammed full of antioxidants and contains more than 15 different beneficial minerals and vitamins, including vitamins A & C, magnesium and folate. It is beneficial to your immune system, containing vitamins C and A and smaller amounts of B vitamins, zinc, copper, and iron - all of which promote immunity.
Consuming grapefruit regularly can help stop people from developing insulin resistance, which is the precursor to diabetes. It can also help the health of your heart by reducing cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Grapefruit contains many different types of antioxidants, all of which lower the risk of different chronic conditions, heart disease and cancer. It even helps reduce the risk of kidney stones!
Grapefruit helps keep you hydrated, so you can stay hydrated by drinking refreshing and delicious alcohol-free spirits containing grapefruit all summer long.
5.Vanilla
Vanilla is a very common flavouring used not only in food and drinks but in soap, perfumes and other toiletries. It provides a warm, rich and calming taste. Many alcohol-free drinks contain vanilla in some way or another, including, Marie Laveau alcohol-free rum, High Point Amber Digestif and Everleaf Forest.
The health benefits of vanilla have surprisingly not been researched too much. However, there are some things we do know about vanilla. It is rich in vanillin, which is rich in antioxidants, and has anti-cancerous, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.
That means that it is useful to:
Reduce chronic inflammation, reducing your risk of chronic illness
Support brain health
Support your nervous system
Helps you reduce your sugar intake because it mimics the flavour of sugar in drinks.
Vanilla feels like a calming, warm and cosy flavour, and it is often used to provide a depth of flavour and warm layers in alcohol-free spirits.
6.Wormwood
Wormwood is most commonly known as an important ingredient in Absinthe. It has a very bitter flavour and plays a crucial role in the taste of Absinthe. However, it is not hallucinogenic, despite being in absinthe. It is in fact, in a whole range of different drinks, including alcohol-free spirits such as Botivo, Atopia Spiced Citrus, High Point Ruby Aperitif, and Crossip’s Rich Berry.
Whilst it does bring a strong depth of flavour, the health benefits of wormwood are again, not overly researched. That said, it has been found to have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties. It has also been used to fight parasitic infections for thousands of years.
Wormwood contains chamazulene which is thought to have strong antioxidative properties, meaning that wormwood can help keep your body healthy and protect from long-term cell damage caused by free radicals.
Wormwood provides the bitterness that can help non-alcoholic spirits get a more layered, sophisticated flavour, and make it taste more like alcohol.
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