Drinking Alcohol May Not Warm You Up, But At Least It Makes You Drunk

Does alcohol keep you warm? “When we drink alcohol, our blood vessels widen, causing increased blood flow, and bringing more heat to the skin. ‘If you’re sitting at home in a sweater and having dinner, the heat in the skin is kept in the skin, which is fine,’ [says Dr. Sam Zakhari of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism]. But if you’re outside in the cold and you drink, the heat on your skin dissipates into the atmosphere. ‘You’ll lose heat, and feel a lot colder,’ says Zakhari. Unless, he adds, you’re dressed very warmly, or doing something physical, like skiing.” Dress appropriately, kids!