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Have you ever heard someone say drinking alcohol, like whiskey or Irish coffee, can warm up your body when it’s cold outside? Well, this isn’t entirely true. It’s actually a temporary sensation you’re feeling. Keep reading to find out what really happens when you drink alcohol in cold weather.
When you drink alcohol, it can make your skin feel warm. This happens because alcohol causes your blood vessels to expand, which is called vasodilation. Vasodilation is like widening the roads in your body to allow more traffic (blood) to flow where it’s needed, helping with things like cooling you down and getting more oxygen to your muscles. When your blood vessels expand, more blood flows to the surface of your skin. That’s why your cheeks might look red and feel warm when you drink.
Even though your skin feels warmer, alcohol actually lowers your body’s core temperature. Your core temperature is the temperature of the inside parts of your body, which is really important to keep relatively stable. When more blood flows to your skin, it takes heat away from your core. This means drinking alcohol can make you lose body heat faster. So, instead of drinking alcohol to warm your body up, try drinking warm, non-alcoholic beverages like tea, hot chocolate or warm apple cider.
Believing that alcohol keeps you warm can be risky in cold weather. If it’s really cold outside and you drink alcohol, you might not realize how cold you actually are. This can lead to dangerous situations like hypothermia, where your body temperature gets too low.
Hypothermia is serious and needs to be treated by a doctor. Remember, if you’re cold, the best thing to do is bundle up and drink something warm without alcohol in it.
Military OneSource
Support for Military Personnel & Families | Military OneSource is a DoD supported service offering 24/7 confidential support and are specialized in helping military members, families and veterans. Services are provided CONUS and OCONUS via call-in, live chat and text on their website and mobile app.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
You may also call the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free and confidential treatment referral and information service (provided in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders and is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Check out additional resources for Service members here.
