Alcohol and Body Temperature: Does drinking alcohol cause heat in the body? Find out from the doctor how much truth is there in this.

Does Alcohol Keep The Body Warm? It's a common belief that drinking alcohol warms the body during winter, especially rum, as a way to ward off the cold. However, medical experts and scientific research disprove this claim. The reality is that alcohol doesn't warm the body; in many cases, it even lowers the body's internal temperature. Let's find out what experts and doctors have to say about this.

What do experts say?

Dietitian Bhavesh Gupta recently debunked this myth in a video that went viral on social media. He explained that the feeling of warmth after drinking alcohol is only temporary. In fact, drinking alcohol causes the blood vessels near the skin to dilate, a process medically known as vasodilation. This increases blood flow to the skin, making one feel warmer.

However, this very process proves detrimental to the body. The increased blood flow to the skin causes the body's internal heat to escape rapidly, causing core body temperature to drop. According to doctors, this is why people who drink alcohol in cold weather are at increased risk of hypothermia. In many cases, this has led to people being hospitalized.

What has the research revealed regarding this?

Scientific research has also shown that alcohol weakens the body's natural immune system. It delays the onset of shivering and shortens its duration, even though shivering is an important way to keep the body warm in the cold. Furthermore, alcohol impairs a person's decision-making, leading people to neglect important cold-prevention measures.

According to the WHO, alcohol is a toxic and carcinogenic substance that can cause many serious illnesses. Experts say that warm clothing, soup, tea, and a balanced diet are better and safer options for keeping warm in winter, rather than alcohol.

What do doctors say about this?

Dr. Anant Joshi explained this in a social media post. According to him, alcohol doesn't keep you warm in winter; instead, it makes your body colder. While alcohol makes you feel warm by bringing blood to the surface of your skin, that heat is rapidly expelled from your body. This causes your core temperature to drop and your body's natural immune systems, such as shivering, stop working.

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