They’re a staple at brunch and perfect on a lazy Sunday afternoon while watching movies. There is much more to the humble Bloody Mary, though.
Even though they contain vodka – have you ever thought about how amazingly nutritious Bloody Marys are? The main ingredients: tomatoes, Tabasco hot sauce, celery and horseradish are filled with antioxidants and other traditional “add ins” like green olives, pickled jalapenos and capers all bring their own nutritious side-effects with them too. And if you want to be brave and dunk a scallion in there too, that’s pretty healthy as well.
Tomato juice gets a bad rap because of its high sodium content, but low sodium tomato juice is doctored enough with the other flavors in this drink, so that (honestly) you can’t tell the difference. And tomatoes are filled with lycopene, which is a vital anti-oxidant that helps fight against cancerous cell formation as well as other kinds of health complications and diseases.
Horseradish doesn’t get nearly the amount of nutritional praise as it should. It’s filled with glucosinolates which can increase the liver’s ability to detoxify carcinogens and can suppress the growth of existing tumors. Oh, and it has 10 times more glucosinolates than broccoli, which is the next best source. Doctors actually recommend ¼ teaspoon of horseradish a day.
Tabasco (and hot peppers in general) have a large concentration of capsaicin which raises the body’s temperature, thus helping a person burn more calories after a meal. Also, because chilies are loaded with vitamin C (one chili pepper can contain four times the amount of vitamin C as an orange), making your bloody mary extra spicy makes it extra healthy.
That celery stick is also more than just a garnish because celery is loaded with phytochemicals, which can reduce the risk of several types of cancer, cardiac disease and diabetes. It can also lower elevated blood pressure. It’s stems are used as a treatment for urinal retention, hypertension and even some sexual conditions.
Add-ins:
- Utilize that lemon wedge because it has tons of vitamin C, is an antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic.
- Green olives stuffed with pimentos have a lot of nutritional benefits due to their high concentration of monounsaturated fats, vitamin E and flavonoids.
- Pickled jalapenos are fantastic in a bloody mary, and they are a cinch to make from scratch. Also, they have a large amount of capsaicin, which – among its other health benefits – helps arthritis symptoms and pain.
- Scallions make a nifty garnish and they also have a ton of allicin (just like garlic), so they can help a person fight a cold – and cancer.
- Capers are fun in a bloody mary and they are also loaded with rutin and quarcetin, which are anti-oxidants and more.
So, the next time you have a craving for a bloody mary, your body might be telling you to indulge in a little tipple – with benefits.
My Favorite Bloody Mary Recipe
- Vodka
- Low-sodium tomato juice
- 1 tablespoon of prepared horseradish
- Celery salt
- Tabasco
- Pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
Serve with celery stalk, lemon wedge and green olives.
(Photos by Launie K.)
