Drinking in the Cold Will Not Warm You Up

(Newswire.net — December 6, 2017) Cheyenne, Wyoming — For many, a stiff drink is in order for keeping warm in the winter, even the most conservative person is inclined to consume a drink or two during colder seasons. But does it actually make you warmer?

“When you drink, it dilates the peripheral blood vessels near your skin, which means more blood – and heat – flows to these vessels,” says Professor Colin Drummond, Head of Alcohol Research at King’s College London. “That takes blood and heat away from the core of your body. So while it feels like you’re warm because your skin is warm, your vital organs aren’t as warm as you might think they are.”

In cold countries such as Belarus, Lithuania, Finland, Austria and Russia, it has been found that their alcohol consumption rates are among the highest in the world. Traditionally, sailors, explorers and Vikings have held alcohol close to their chests, for the purpose of staying warm during long, cold and exhausting journeys. Alcohol does provide the sensation of warmth in the cold but it does so by compromising overall health.

According to Dr. William Haynes, Director of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Iowa, “consumption of alcohol undoes many of the human body’s healthy reflexes”, one of which is the diminished ability and propensity to shiver. As the body’s core temperature lowers, shivering is an instinctive response to creating and retaining warmth, however, drinking alcohol in cold temperatures undermines bodily functions, as concluded in a study conducted by the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine.

Feeling cold is an important sensation which minimizes the flow of blood to the skin, thereby signaling that warmer environs should be sought. So while drinking alcohol to keep warm is a commonly acceptable practice, it actually has the opposite effect. Moving indoors by a lit fireplace is a better option for staying warm instead of trying to trick the body with alcohol.

Safety is of the utmost importance, drinking in and of itself is not an issue but doing so under the wrong conditions can be life threatening. After having a pint of beer or glass of Merlot, it’s best to stay indoors where temperatures are appropriately warm then wait until the body is alcohol-free before venturing outdoors. For nursing mothers, there is the option to test a sample of breast milk with an analysis kit such as the PureMilk™ Breast Milk Alcohol Test by HealthyWiser™ which accurately tells when alcohol has been metabolized and when it’s safe to resume nursing.