Brandy has a long history of being drunk as a medicine, but is it really healthy and does the glass you drink it from have any health benefits?
Health claims
There are many health claims about brandy, and a lot of anecdotal evidence from people claiming that brandy has improved their health, but there is little to no scientific evidence to support all these claims. The health benefit claims of brandy may have some truth to them, but like all types of alcohol, drinking too much brandy is definitely not good for your health.
Brandy is said to boost the immune system due to the antioxidants in this spirit. The anti-inflammatory properties of antioxidants is thought to be good for the cardiovascular system. A single measure of brandy contains 90mg of vitamin C and could ward off colds.
If you are suffering from a sore throat, the alcohol in brandy fights bacteria and can help relieve the throat.
If you drink brandy instead of beer and wine, this can help control weight as there are fewer calories in it.
Combating stress
Brandy has traditionally been given as a mild sedative to combat stress. At the end of a busy stressful day, many people find relief by relaxing with a glass of brandy, and this is where the type of glass helps. Drinking brandy is a multisensory experience. Before the first taste, there is the aroma. A brandy glass helps concentrate the aroma from the liquid. Many people, before they taste the brandy, put their nose close to the glass to experiences the full effect of the aromas.
Brandy drinkers love wrapping their hands around the shape of the glass. This feels sensuous but also has a practical purpose – the heat of the hands helps warm the brandy, which should be drunk at around room temperature rather than with ice like gin or whiskey.
Gratitude
Then there’s the engraving, which at first may seem to have no added health benefits to the drinking of brandy. However, when you present someone close to you with a glass engraved with a heartfelt message, it means a lot to them. A message that says thank you or marks a special occasion is appreciated by the person who receives the glass. An employer may give an engraved glass to celebrate a major achievement at work.
Whenever brandy is drunk from the engraved glass, the drinker is reminded of why they were given it. This invokes feelings of gratitude towards the person or organisation that presented the glass. Gratitude improves psychological health and one study in 2012 found that grateful people have fewer aches and pains. Other studies found that grateful people sleep better, and are less aggressive.
You can give an engraved brandy glass to someone simply because you care about them. Drinking brandy from this engraved brandy glass may have no proven health benefits, but the experience is very enjoyable, and pleasure is a vital ingredient of a psychologically healthy life.
