Should we drink a lot of alcohol to warm the body?

Many people say "drinking wine keeps you warm", but from a scientific perspective, this is a completely wrong concept, posing many potential health risks.

When exposed to a cold environment, the human body will increase its metabolism to produce heat to maintain body temperature. In normal people, when exposed to cold weather, the blood vessels under the skin contract, and the blood vessels that supply the internal organs will expand to regulate the excess blood (due to constriction of blood vessels under the skin). After drinking alcohol, the whole body will feel hot. This is because alcohol causes the body to release heat energy already in the body. Thus, in fact, people who drink alcohol are losing heat faster.

After drinking all the alcohol, most of the heat is released, causing the whole body to become cold and covered in goosebumps, resulting in a cold.

In addition, for people with high blood pressure, alcohol abuse will lead to many dangerous complications, especially in cold weather. When drinking alcohol, the blood vessels will dilate and if exposed to cold weather, the blood vessels will constrict, causing high blood pressure, easily leading to stroke. Therefore, people with high blood pressure should abstain from drinking alcohol.

To ensure good health, you need to know how to control the amount of alcohol you consume in moderation. Each person should only drink a maximum of two units of alcohol per day, equivalent to 350 ml of beer or 150 ml of wine or 45 ml of spirits.

During Tet drinking parties, if you have to drink a lot of alcohol, you can drink a glass of lemonade or fruit juice. This measure helps reduce fatigue after drinking and increases resistance.

Doctor Doan Du Manh
Member of Vietnam Vascular Association

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