Tonic water

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Under ultraviolet light, the quinine in tonic water fluoresces, as seen with this bottle of Canada Dry tonic water. Tonic water uv.jpg
Under ultraviolet light, the quinine in tonic water fluoresces, as seen with this bottle of Canada Dry tonic water.

Tonic water (or Indian tonic water) is a carbonated soft drink in which quinine is dissolved. Originally used as a prophylactic against malaria, nowadays tonic water usually has a significantly lower quinine content and is often sweetened. It is consumed for its distinctive bitter flavor and is frequently used in mixed drinks, particularly in gin and tonic.

Contents

History

As early as the 17th century the Spanish used quinine from the bark of Cinchona trees to treat malaria after being shown the remedy from the Indigenous peoples of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. [1]

In early 19th century India and other tropical posts of the British Empire, medicinal quinine was recommended to British officials and soldiers to prevent malaria, [2] where it was mixed with soda and sugar to mask its bitter taste, creating tonic water.

The first commercial tonic water was produced in 1858 when it was patented by the owner of Pitt & Co., Erasmus Bond. [3] [4] The mixed drink gin and tonic also originated in British colonial India, when the British mixed their medicinal quinine tonic with gin and other ingredients to make the bitter medicine more palatable. [5] Soldiers in India were already given a gin ration, so the sweet concoction was easy to make. [6] In 1868, the first known record of a gin and tonic was in the Oriental Sporting Magazine and was described as a refreshing cocktail for spectators of horse racing, not as a medicine. [7]

Quinine content

Medicinal tonic water originally contained only carbonated water and a large amount of quinine. Most modern tonic waters contain comparatively less quinine, and are often enhanced by citrus flavors. As a result of the lower quinine content, tonic water is less bitter. It is also usually sweetened, often with the addition of high-fructose corn syrup or sugar. Some manufacturers also produce diet (or "slimline") tonic water, which may contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. Traditional-style tonic water with high amounts of quinine and carbonated water is less common, but may be preferred by those who desire the bitter flavor.

In the United States, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the quinine content in tonic water to 83  ppm [8] (83 mg per liter), while the daily therapeutic dose of quinine is in the range of 500–1000 mg, [9] and 10 mg/kg every eight hours for effective malaria prevention (2,100 mg daily for a 70-kilogram (150 lb) adult). [10] Until about 2010, [11] quinine was often recommended as a relief for leg cramps, although medical research suggested some care was needed in monitoring doses. [12] Because of quinine's risks, the FDA cautions consumers against using "off-label" quinine drugs to treat leg cramps. [13]

Use

Gin and Tonic with Hendrick's Gin and Fentimans Tonic Water Gin Tonic 4.jpg
Gin and Tonic with Hendrick's Gin and Fentimans Tonic Water
Tequila and tonic cocktail Tequila & Tonic.jpg
Tequila and tonic cocktail
Espresso and tonic Espresso and tonic 20150418 2.jpg
Espresso and tonic

Tonic water is often used as a drink mixer for cocktails, especially gin and tonic. Vodka tonic is also popular. Tonic water with lemon or lime juice added is often known as bitter lemon or bitter lime. It is popular for its signature bitter but sweet taste. Another use of tonic water is in coffee. The espresso and tonic was created in Helsingborg, Sweden, at Koppi Roasters after a staff party where they mixed tonic water, syrup, and an espresso. Since 2007, the drink has grown in popularity in Scandinavia, Europe, and the United States. [14]

Negative effects

Tonic water is known to cause fixed eruptions, which is a type of skin reaction to drugs, [15] due to the quinine content. Various scientific journals have reported the repeated intake of tonic water can cause fixed eruptions with varying severity, with one reporting the onset of Stevens–Johnson syndrome. [16] The cases of fixed eruptions were seen after the patients drank tonic water, by itself or mixed with gin. Some symptoms of the fixed eruptions include pigmented macules, high fever, erythematous plaques, and bullae. [17] [18]

Fluorescence

The quinine in tonic water will fluoresce under ultraviolet light. In fact, quinine will visibly fluoresce in direct sunlight against a dark background. [19] The quinine molecules release energy as light instead of heat, which is more common. The state is not stable and the molecules will eventually return to a ground state and no longer glow. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gin</span> Distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper

Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gin and tonic</span> Highball cocktail made with gin and tonic water

A gin and tonic is a highball cocktail made with gin and tonic water poured over a large amount of ice. The ratio of gin to tonic varies according to taste, strength of the gin, other drink mixers being added, etc., with most recipes calling for a ratio between 1:1 and 1:3. It is usually garnished with a slice or wedge of lime. To preserve effervescence, the tonic can be poured down a bar spoon. The ice cools the gin, dulling the effect of the alcohol in the mouth and making the drink more pleasant and refreshing to taste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinine</span> Medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis

Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg cramps, quinine is not recommended for this purpose due to the risk of serious side effects. It can be taken by mouth or intravenously. Malaria resistance to quinine occurs in certain areas of the world. Quinine is also used as an ingredient in tonic water to impart a bitter taste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soft drink</span> Sweetened non-alcoholic drink, often carbonated

A soft drink is any water-based flavored drink, usually but not necessarily carbonated, and typically including added sweetener. Flavors used can be natural or artificial. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar substitute, or some combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives and other ingredients.

<i>Cinchona</i> Genus of plants, source of quinine

Cinchona is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae containing at least 23 species of trees and shrubs. All are native to the tropical Andean forests of western South America. A few species are reportedly naturalized in Central America, Jamaica, French Polynesia, Sulawesi, Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, and São Tomé and Príncipe off the coast of tropical Africa, and others have been cultivated in India and Java, where they have formed hybrids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mefloquine</span> Pharmaceutical drug

Mefloquine, sold under the brand name Lariam among others, is a medication used to prevent or treat malaria. When used for prevention it is typically started before potential exposure and continued for several weeks after potential exposure. It can be used to treat mild or moderate malaria but is not recommended for severe malaria. It is taken by mouth.

Antimalarial medications or simply antimalarials are a type of antiparasitic chemical agent, often naturally derived, that can be used to treat or to prevent malaria, in the latter case, most often aiming at two susceptible target groups, young children and pregnant women. As of 2018, modern treatments, including for severe malaria, continued to depend on therapies deriving historically from quinine and artesunate, both parenteral (injectable) drugs, expanding from there into the many classes of available modern drugs. Incidence and distribution of the disease is expected to remain high, globally, for many years to come; moreover, known antimalarial drugs have repeatedly been observed to elicit resistance in the malaria parasite—including for combination therapies featuring artemisinin, a drug of last resort, where resistance has now been observed in Southeast Asia. As such, the needs for new antimalarial agents and new strategies of treatment remain important priorities in tropical medicine. As well, despite very positive outcomes from many modern treatments, serious side effects can impact some individuals taking standard doses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbonated water</span> Water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas

Carbonated water is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, either artificially injected under pressure or occurring due to natural geological processes. Carbonation causes small bubbles to form, giving the water an effervescent quality. Common forms include sparkling natural mineral water, club soda, and commercially produced sparkling water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitters</span> Alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter

A bitters is traditionally an alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for a bitter or bittersweet flavor. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed as patent medicines, but now are sold as digestifs, sometimes with herbal properties, and as cocktail flavorings.

Cinchonism is a pathological condition caused by an overdose of quinine or its natural source, cinchona bark. Quinine and its derivatives are used medically to treat malaria and lupus erythematosus. In much smaller amounts, quinine is an ingredient of tonic drinks, acting as a bittering agent. Cinchonism can occur from therapeutic doses of quinine, either from one or several large doses. Quinidine can also cause cinchonism symptoms to develop with as little as a single dose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artemether</span> Chemical compound

Artemether is a medication used for the treatment of malaria. The injectable form is specifically used for severe malaria rather than quinine. In adults, it may not be as effective as artesunate. It is given by injection in a muscle. It is also available by mouth in combination with lumefantrine, known as artemether/lumefantrine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artesunate</span> Chemical compound

Artesunate (AS) is a medication used to treat malaria. The intravenous form is preferred to quinine for severe malaria. Often it is used as part of combination therapy, such as artesunate plus mefloquine. It is not used for the prevention of malaria. Artesunate can be given by injection into a vein, injection into a muscle, by mouth, and by rectum.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dubonnet</span> French wine-based aperitif

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Drink mixers are the non-alcoholic ingredients in mixed drinks and cocktails. Mixers dilute the drink, lowering the alcohol by volume in the drink. They change, enhance, or add new flavors to a drink. They may make the drink sweeter, more sour, or more savory. Some mixers change the texture or consistency of the drink, making it thicker or more watery. Drink mixers may also be used strictly for decorative purposes by changing the color or appearance of the drink. They also simply increase the volume of a drink, to make it last longer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halofantrine</span> Chemical compound

Halofantrine is a drug used to treat malaria. Halofantrine's structure contains a substituted phenanthrene, and is related to the antimalarial drugs quinine and lumefantrine. Marketed as Halfan, halofantrine is never used to prevent malaria and its mode of action is unknown, although a crystallographic study showed that it binds to hematin in vitro, suggesting a possible mechanism of action. Halofantrine has also been shown to bind to plasmepsin, a haemoglobin degrading enzyme unique to the malarial parasites.

Artesunate/amodiaquine, sold under the trade name Camoquin among others, is a medication used for the treatment of malaria. It is a fixed-dose combination of artesunate and amodiaquine. Specifically it recommended for acute uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. It is taken by mouth.

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References

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  13. "FDA Advances Effort Against Marketed Unapproved Drugs: FDA Orders Unapproved Quinine Drugs from the Market and Cautions Consumers About Off-Label Quinine to Treat Leg Cramps". United States Food and Drug Administration. 11 December 2006. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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