How healthy is quinine in tonic water?

Nmami Agarwal, Celebrity Nutritionist and Dietitian helps us in understanding the health benefits of quinine, that's found in tonic water.

Is quinine healthy? Nmami Agarwal, Celebrity Nutritionist and Dietitian helps us in understanding the health benefits of quinine, that s found in tonic water.

Real use of quinine: Quinine is a bitter compound that comes from the bark of the cinchona tree. Quinine s primary benefit is for the treatment of malaria. It s not used to prevent malaria, but rather to kill the organism responsible for the disease. When used to treat malaria, quinine is given in a pill form. But yes, it is recommended not to take more or less of this drug than prescribed by your doctor.

Does it also help in dealing with leg cramps? Many people drink tonic water, which contains extremely less quantity of quinine, to treat night-time leg cramps associated with circulatory or nervous system problems. However, this treatment is not recommended by doctors.

Who should avoid quinine? Pregnant women should avoid consuming quinine unless it is necessary. Always consult the doctor before consuming this medicine. Also, one should avoid the quinine if the level of platelet and potassium is low. Patients with heart diseases and who have low sugar level must not consume the quinine.

Apart from tonic water, where else can you find quinine? Apart from the tonic water, bitter lemon or lime also contains the small quantities of quinine.

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