Sip tonic water moderately to avoid quinine side effects
Whether you love to drink tonic water for its wonderful taste or for its supposedly medicinal properties, you should ensure that you sip tonic water moderately to avoid quinine side effects. Several people from around the world are claiming that they have found relief from leg cramps as well as certain other painful afflictions after drinking tonic water containing quinine.
Quinine is supposed to possess anti-inflammatory as well as analgesic properties and has been used since over three centuries to treat deadly diseases such as malaria, lupus, and even arthritis. This drug is obtained from the bark of the cinchona tree although synthetic versions have also been developed.
Even though quinine was used freely in the past, the side effects of using quinine for medical treatment surfaced when modern science tested the drug for adverse effects on the human body. Scientists soon discovered that quinine side effects included causing an irregular heart rhythm, constipation, diarrhea, and even erectile dysfunction. Patients that were administered quinine had to be monitored to ensure that their cardiac, blood glucose, and electrolyte levels remained within safe limits.
Anyway, after facing several complaints of possible side effects of quinine during oral and intravenous administration, the FDA of America banned medical use of quinine except in specific cases. However, quinine had entered global markets in the form of an excellent addition to tonic water as a way to provide a refreshing new taste to tonic water.
The quinine used in tonic water is extremely less in quantity and is only used to provide a bitter-sweet taste to tonic water. Drinkers around the world soon enjoyed sipping on tonic water and quinine even as a few voices raised concerns about dangers of tonic water with quinine. This issue was raised when several people around the globe claimed that tonic water that contained quinine lowered their leg cramps to a noticeable level.
Soon, others that were suffering from painful leg cramps started drinking quinine-infused tonic water to get relief from leg cramps and even migraine. However, desperate drinkers should remember that anything in excess could be harmful to their bodies and similar to other foods and drinks, tonic water too should be consumed at respectable levels.
Thus, tonic water lovers should only consume a couple of glasses of tonic water per day to enjoy the wonderful taste of quinine while trying to establish if they too get relief from leg cramps. However, drinkers that have a heart condition, diabetes, or a weak digestive system should seek expert medical opinion before they start downing tonic water by the liter. It is always better to be safe than sorry, especially when the matter involves ones health.
Quinine seems to have started out as a lifesaver but has attracted a fair bit of criticism after news of adverse side-effects was published. On the other hand, the non-medical use of quinine in tonic water too has attracted adverse publicity as people try to get rid of leg cramps by drinking tonic water with quinine. If you want to remain healthy then you should certainly sip tonic water moderately to avoid quinine side effects.