Drink to Your Health

Cures what ails ya.
(Shutterstock photo)

As the cold & flu season approaches, you might want to stock up on bourbon and honey:

Good news for those prone to nightcaps and chronic congestion: hot toddies might actually be good for you after all! Like any miracle cure, there’s still a catch… you can’t drink too much. A recent article on VinePair praised bourbon’s ability to naturally decongest all the crummy snot in your body, saying “the alcohol dilates the blood vessels, making it easier for your mucus membranes to deal with the infection.”

However, you should limit your intake to only one ounce of bourbon, as too much delicious whiskey can both dehydrate you and inflame the mucus membrane. Honey, the other vital ingredient in a hot toddy, also acts as a natural chest decongestant, according to a 2007 study which says some “parents rated honey most favorably for symptomatic relief of their child’s nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty due to upper respiratory tract infection.”

I do believe I’ll feel a sniffle coming on tonight around bedtime.

(With a tip of the hat to Sarah Hoyt, my new favorite enabler.)