Is Sake Good or Bad for Your Health? Let’s Find Out!
When drinking sake at home, it may happen that you end up drinking too much. If you drink too heavily, it can cause various diseases and you will be warned by the doctor. If this were the case, alcohol would be bad for you.
However, as the old saying goes, “Alcohol is the best of all medicines,” . If you take good care of yourself with alcohol, you can fully expect health benefits.
Research around the world has shown that people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol have a lower risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and liver cirrhosis than those who do not drink at all or drink excessively. Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits
Sake, in particular, is an alcoholic beverage that is rich in nutritional value despite its simple ingredients of rice and water. In this article, I would like to consider how to get along well with sake, how to drink it, and its health benefits.
The Rich Nutrients Contained in Sake
Sake contains a variety of nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and organic acids. In particular, it contains a good balance of nine essential amino acids, which cannot be synthesized in the body and can only be obtained from food.
Distilled liquors such as shochu, whiskey, and brandy contain very few of these amino acids.
These “amino acids” are important nutrients that are essential for our daily life, so we should take them actively on a regular basis.
Much of these nutrients come from components present on the outside of the rice. To select sake with high nutritional value, I recommend you to choose “Junmai” or “Tokubetsu Junmai” brewed with less polished rice.
So what are the benefits of the amino acids in sake?
Effects of Amino Acids
Amino acids are the components of proteins such as muscles, and they are also a source of energy and help recover from fatigue.
In addition, the umami components of amino acids, such as glycillin and alanine, secrete gastric juice and pancreatic juice (digestive juice from the pancreas) via the vagus nerve and promote appetite.
Among the amino acids contained in sake, there are peptides, which are two or more amino acids joined together.
There are many types of peptides, each with different properties.
One of the peptides found in sake is effective in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
This peptide is actively used to prevent high blood pressure and diabetes.
Sake also contains another peptide called proline specific enzyme.
This peptide has been found to improve memory and learning ability, and is said to be useful in preventing aging and dementia.
Effects of Adenosine + Other Ingredients
In addition to amino acids, sake also contains an ingredient called adenosine. Adenosine dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow.
By improving blood flow, it can be expected to raise the body temperature by about 2 degrees Celsius and regulate the autonomic nervous system.
Sake also contains koji acids that inhibit the production of melamine, which is the source of blemishes.
Sake also contains nutrients that are effective for beauty, such as koji acid, which suppresses the production of melamine, the source of blemishes, and ferulic acid, which reduces the increase of active oxygen in the body.
Sake is a drink that can be expected to have various effects not only on the body but also on beauty.
It is indeed said to be the ” best of all medicines.
Five Healthy and Proper Ways to Drink Sake
The only way to benefit from the effects of this ” Best of all medicines
It’s not difficult. All you have to do is follow these tips!
1. Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach.
Eat something fatty, such as cheese, before you drink.
2. Drink Water Frequently.
Alternate drinking alcohol and water as much as possible, and drink the same amount of alcohol and water.
3. Drink Sake Slowly with Meals
You can Enjoy Both Sake and Food.
4. Drink in moderation.
For Japanese people, 1 to 1.5 cups of alcohol beverage per day is considered to be an appropriate amount.
5. Drink plenty of water after drinking alcohol.
Apples, grapefruits, tomatoes, etc. are also effective in breaking down alcohol and activating metabolism.
As you can see, sake contains a variety of nutrients and has a variety of benefits, and if you learn to enjoy sake well, you can expect health and beauty benefits. I hope you will be able to take advantage of the “best of a hundred medicines” by keeping these points in mind.
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Join Our Sake Tour in Kyoto!
With Kyoto Insider Sake Experience’s brewery tours, you can get closer to the secrets of Fushimi Kyoto and its sake brewing history, whilst enjoying learning about and tasting all the different sake varieties that can be found here.
When visiting Kyoto, you can’t miss a sake tour of Fushimi – so why not join us on a hunt for the area’s best sake, and best combination with food pairing session and find your favourite along the way?
Have a nice sake life 🙂
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