Is Vodka or Tequila Healthier? What You Need to Know

When it comes to drinking alcohol, not a lot of people are doing it for the health benefits. That said, that doesn’t mean you can’t make health-conscious decisions, and the choice of alcohol can influence how healthy it is. What’s more, if you’re adding mixers and other elements to your drink, you may find that it may be healthier, or worse, even less healthy.

The good news is that we’re here to break this all down for you, specifically for vodka and tequila. So, if you’re wondering – is vodka or tequila healthier? Read on to find out.

What Is Vodka?

First and foremost, it’s important to know what each type of alcohol actually is, starting with vodka. At its core, vodka is one of the most flexible liquors around because it can be made with many different ingredients. Some of the most common types of vodka are made with wheat, corn, rye, and even potatoes. What makes vodka popular is its neutrality in cocktails, making it one of the simplest liquors to add to your next cocktail.

How Is Vodka Made?

How a liquor is made will tell you a lot about how healthy it can be. Vodka is made by fermenting grains, like wheat or potatoes, and then the liquor is distilled to concentrate the alcohol content.

Then, the vodka is filtered to remove impurities and diluted with water. How healthy vodka is often depends on the specific ingredients and the amount of water it’s cut with.

How Many Calories Are in Vodka?

There are not a lot of calories in vodka but there are still calories. On average, there are around 96 calories in a 1.5-ounce shot of vodka, so just under 100 calories. This comes in lower than whiskey but not lower than most tequila options.

Does Vodka Have Health Benefits?

Vodka doesn’t have a ton of health benefits. You’ll find it’s a good disinfectant and can help with digestion when consumed in moderation, but that’s about it. However, it’s also a low-calorie alcohol and some studies have shown that it can improve heart health when consumed in moderation by reducing cholesterol.

What Is Tequila?

Unlike vodka, tequila is a very specific alcohol. It comes from the Jalisco region of Mexico and can only be made in five Mexican states to be considered legitimate tequila.

For this reason, it’s almost always made the same way with the same ingredients, with the primary one being the blue agave plant.

How Is Tequila Made?

Tequila is made through a process of distillation via the blue agave plant. The plant is harvested and then the juice is what’s extracted and fermented to create alcohol. In fact, the blue agave is cooked in ovens which converts the complex sugar (inulin) into fermentable sugars.

How Many Calories Are in Tequila?

Tequila is one of the lowest-calorie alcohols around. For your average 1.5-ounce shot, there’s usually only around 95 calories. This makes it slightly less calorie-dense than your average shot of vodka.

Does Tequila Have any Health Benefits?

Unlike many other types of alcohol, you’ll find that tequila does offer some unique health benefits. This is due to the unique properties of the blue agave plant, which are shown to improve your health. What makes the blue agave plant so special, and tequila healthy, are the agavins.

These agavins regulate digestion and gut health, along with curbing appetite. So, if you’re someone who likes to eat after they drink, tequila might slow you down a bit.

Is Vodka or Tequila Healthier? Our Verdict

So, is vodka or tequila healthier? In theory, tequila is the healthier option. Not only does it have fewer calories, but the blue agave plant has probiotic properties and can improve digestion. Compared to the smaller health benefits vodka may have, this makes tequila the clear winner when it comes to healthy boozing. That said, you’ll only enjoy health benefits from tequila if it’s something you drink in moderation. In other words, this doesn’t mean you should be slamming back margaritas or tequila shots every day.

Also, to make sure you experience all the health benefits that tequila has to offer, it’s important to drink the best tequila (this tequila guide is a good place to start). Otherwise, you may not be getting the full health benefits that tequila has to offer.