Tonic water what is quinine

Quinine, the compound that gives tonic its bitter flavor, contains phosphors that emit UV light that makes it glow blue. And interestingly, quinine is good for more than just creating a neon drink.

It has been historically crucial for treating malaria, saving countless lives, and was available as an over-the-counter treatment for leg cramps. It has since been banned due to side effects, which even called into question the safety of quinine-containing products like tonic water. So if your go-to drink is a gin and tonic, you love sipping on tonic water with lime during the summer months, or you love bitters, here's everything you need to know about this medicinal-compound-turned-beverage.

The history of quinine, and how it ended up as the bitter half of one of the most well-known cocktails, is an interesting one.

Quinine is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, native to South America. In the 17th century, it was discovered that cinchona bark could stem malaria symptoms and cure afflicted individuals. It was the first known remedy for the deadly disease. Powdered cinchona bark, and later the extracted compound quinine, quickly spread to Europe and became the prevailing treatment therapy for malaria, marking the first use of a chemical compound to fight an infectious disease. Quinine has a distinct bitter flavor that many found almost unpalatable, making it hard to enforce patient treatment compliance.

To dilute the flavor, water and sugar were added, and tonic water was born. The British Army stationed in India regularly rationed this antimalarial concoction throughout the 19th century in an attempt to treat and prevent malaria. Legend has it that British generals, eager to further improve the taste of the bitter beverage, began mixing their daily tonic water with gin, inventing the classic cocktail: gin and tonic.

Photo: Pixel Stories. Malaria is still a major public health concern today. The CDC reports that there were million cases of malaria in , with over , deaths. In the United States malaria is rare, affecting around 1, people per year, and is typically contracted during travel outside of the country. The disease, which is spread by mosquitoes, is particularly prevalent in tropical and subtropical climates, and children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk for contracting it.

Malaria is caused by a parasite that infects the red blood cells, invoking fevers, chills, and flu-like symptoms and, if left untreated, can be deadly. Although it was still not entirely understood how quinine combats malaria, it continued to be the primary medication for malaria until the midth century—despite the fact that it's not percent effective, it was found to cause a combination of unpleasant side effects, coined cinchonism , which include nausea, vomiting, vertigo, headaches, and in more serious cases, deafness.

Fortunately, scientific discoveries in the 20th century led to the development of safer and more effective drugs for malaria. If you are truly deficient in a nutrient however, getting up to a healthy level may help support your immune system.

Your doctor can run a simple blood test to find out your nutrient deficiencies. But you immediately call out racism…call it Racist? Meriam Webster definition: having, reflecting, or fostering the belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities AND that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

Pointing out a homonymic reference to a language is not racist either. But most importantly…none of this meets the guidelines of racism by definition since it does NOT produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

Prejudiced, as a verb: is to injure or damage by some judgment or action. We are all different with similarities clumped in area of our ancestral origins but not as definite identifier.

Wrongfully throwing out racist accusations shows ignorance and this is the type of thing that people feed on to fuel hate speech.

Languages are beautiful. Colors are beautiful. How was any of that injuring or damaging by judgement…or antagonistic.. Your statement was the only antagonist.

You just cannot be malicious in choices, nor should you assume that one has an inherit privilege over another. No race has a right to privilege, the right to discriminate, or reason to be made to feel insignificant or otherwise diminished. Racism is malicious. You can identify as orange.. I hope people can read this and walk away with a new attitude to end this nonsensical behavior. In so many instances people get side-tracked and read into a non-existent point that totally districts from the original intent, which is unfortunate.

Mixology Magazin. Mixology Bar Awards. See what our experts have to say about the Theragun and how it can help you recover from your next workout. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R. Benefits and uses Side effects and risks When to avoid Versatile beverage Takeaway Overview Quinine is a bitter compound that comes from the bark of the cinchona tree.

Benefits and uses of quinine. Side effects and risks. Who should avoid quinine? Where else can you find quinine? Read this next. Is Carbonated Water Bad for You? Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. Medically reviewed by Owen Kramer, MD. Medically reviewed by Elaine K.