Red Wine Or Tequila: What Our Health Experts Are Having With Dinner

We've asked our doctors time and time again what their favorite drinks are and the results are always a mixed bag. It seems that a lot of different types of alcohol have health benefits! That said, two seem to resurface over and over again as top choices—red wine and tequila. So we reached out to our doctors for a final answer and asked them the question: If you had to pick a holiday drink tomorrow, what would you pick: red wine or tequila? Their answers might surprise you.

"When looking at the health attributes of red wine versus tequila, there's really no consideration. Red wine offers the health benefits of powerful natural antioxidants called polyphenols and there's only around 2 grams of fructose in an entire bottle." —David Perlmutter, M.D., neurologist, mbg Collective member, and author of the best-selling book Grain Brain

"Tequila over wine all day. First, it's distilled, which makes it far less inflammatory. Tequila is made from agave, so it's very low on the glycemic index. People report still being in ketosis after having a good tequila like Mezcal. Ounce for ounce tequila is the clear winner." —Kevin Libby, nutritionist and founder of PH2 nutrition

If you are going to drink, drink red wine. It has two important polyphenols—resveratrol and quercetin—which will literally keep you young, as I discuss in my upcoming book The Longevity Paradox. If you drink tequila, use the dark forms, which are aged in wooden casks, which will impart a few polyphenols. And for your health's sake, no margaritas." —Steven Gundry, M.D., cardiologist and author of The Plant Paradox

In fact, the most important point is actually less about "red wine versus tequila" and more about quantity. Remember: Moderation really is everything when it comes to things like alcohol and sugar. As Dr. Singh explained, "There are definitely a lot of things to consider when choosing your drink for the holidays, but my main piece of advice is to make sure that whatever you choose, you choose it in moderation. Once you start drinking to excess, any health benefits that might have been present are easily lost4."