Drinking a G&T can speed up your metabolism, according to research

Research suggests that drinking a G&T can speed up your metabolism and there's a wonderful piece of news.

According to a new study from the University of Sigulda in Latvia, it seems gin might actually speed up your metabolism and help your body burn calories more efficiently. Cheers to that. To conduct their research, the Latvian scientists gave two groups of mice the equivalent of one shot of gin or water and then measured their calorie-burning potential. And get this; the mice who were given gin saw a massive 17 percent increase in their metabolic rate while those who received water saw no change. At the time, study author professor Thisa Lye explained:

"Consumption of gin resulted in a marked increase in metabolic rate, which indicates the spirit may have a slimming effect on the body".

The study suggests that the reason for the metabolic speed-up is because the gin seems to cause an "afterburn" effect that revs your metabolism for up to an hour after consumption while your liver processes the alcohol. The authors are keen to point out that more peer-reviewed research on humans is needed to substantiate the claim. We'd be more than happy to volunteer...