All the benefits of having a G&T over a glass of wine

Gin and tonic o’clock? If you’re going to partake, the classic cocktail may be the healthier option. Photo / Getty Images

We all know alcohol isn’t good for us. But a gin and tonic could be the tipple to go to – here’s why.

If you’re going to indulge in a drink or two, whether on holiday or in a pub garden, a gin and tonic could be the best option for your health.

As a registered nutritionist, Sophie Trotman is bound to repeat the words that we are all so used to hearing: “I would always recommend that you don’t drink at all, or at least lower the amount that you drink,” she says.

“Wines can be quite sugary and contain a lot of sulphates,” Trotman says, which can wreak havoc on your digestive system, while beers “are high in carbohydrates” and can cause your blood sugar to spike.

The heroic G&T, meanwhile, is a drink that “I often recommend to my clients if they don’t want to cut out alcohol entirely,” says Trotman. “The calories and sugar in a single gin with a light tonic are as low as you’re going to get.”

This will be welcome news to many. So what are the benefits of swapping your regular pint or glass of wine for a G&T?

The health benefits of a G&T

1. Fewer calories than beer and wine

One shot of gin will provide you with around 50 calories, compared with about 130 calories in a medium glass of red or white wine or the 200-300 calories in a pint of beer.

A 200ml serving of light tonic to mix your drink will come in at around 30 calories, keeping a health-conscious G&T under 100 calories to a glass.

The average British man drinks 17.6 units of alcohol every week, according to NHS data, the equivalent of eight to nine pints of lager (with beer still being the drink consumed most frequently by men in the UK).

Drinking the same number of single-measure G&Ts each week – though it is not recommended that any adult consumes more than 14 units of alcohol in this timeframe – would mean cutting around 900 “empty” calories from your diet and losing a stone within a year.

Meanwhile, women who switch from the average nine units or four medium glasses of wine per week to single G&Ts would drink 120 fewer calories.

This might not sound like much, but tweaks like this can make all the difference in limiting your party-season weight gain. At this time of year when the units we consume will likely outpace our average for the year, “a gin and tonic is definitely a better option to manage your weight,” Trotman says.

2. Less sugar and carbs than other contenders

A single shot of gin contains zero grams of sugar, as well as no carbohydrates. This is one of the reasons that gin is often the drink of those on a ketogenic diet, as it is less likely to knock your body out of its fat-burning state (though all alcohol will make it harder for your liver to process food).

Aside from leading to weight gain, drinking any beverage that has a high carbohydrate content – like lager, with 10-15g of carbs to a pint, or cider which has as much as 40g a glass – can cause uncomfortable bloating and an upset stomach.

A no-carb drink such as gin “will have less of an impact on your blood sugar levels too,” Trotman says, another factor that makes it a better option for keeping your waistline static (and making sure that you’ve still got some energy the morning after).

And while vodkas and rums typically come mixed in fizzy, sugary drinks, the sugar in a slimline tonic typically comes in at around 7.6g per 200ml glass, compared with the 21.2g in 200ml of full-fat Coca Cola.

Light rather than diet tonic is ideal with your gin as “diet tonic will be full of artificial sweeteners that can worsen your health in the long term,” Trotman says. “So if you’re having a few, always opt for a light version and a single shot.”

3. A boost from juniper berries and garnishes

Gin is made by brewing a neutral-tasting grain with juniper berries and other botanicals such as lemon peel, coriander seeds, cardamom or thyme.

Juniper berries contain flavonoids as well as large amounts of vitamin C, which can improve circulation and help ward off colds, and antioxidants which promote skin regeneration. These berries can also speed up your digestive system and soothe inflammation.

While the amount of these goodies left over in a single serving of gin is likely “negligible”, Trotman says, gin can also be infused with ingredients that up its health benefits: some kinds on the market have been paired with large volumes of fruit juice for added vitamin C, while some have been specifically blended to provide micronutrients as well as collagen. Others are brewed with extra juniper berries.

G&Ts are also easy to make and serve creatively. A quick health tip is just to “eat the slice of orange that comes with your drink, because every little does help,” Trotman says, or at home “you could mix in some cranberry juice for antioxidants or add some blueberries for helpful polyphenols”.

4. Easier to drink in moderation

The versatility of a gin and tonic is a major reason why Sophie Trotman recommends it to her clients.

With a light tonic, “you can add a lot of ice to make it a long drink that you’re able to keep sipping over a longer period,” reducing the total amount of alcohol you drink in the course of an evening.

The reduced sugar and artificial sweeteners involved meanwhile will make it easier to stop at just a few, turning down the dial on your cravings and helping you to call it a night earlier. Unlike wine, the leftover bottle of which can call from the fridge on a Monday evening, a G&T takes more effort to make and so it becomes “easier to have days off,” Trotman says.

“It’s also very easy to alternate your G&Ts with glasses of water, which you’ll thank yourself for the next day,” Trotman says.

For those looking to cut down there are other benefits too. “It shouldn’t be a concern, but if you start on G&Ts and switch to a non-alcoholic version later in the night, there will be no la