Is it true that … drinking alcohol warms you up?

A hot toddy might make you feel toasty, but drinking in cold conditions can be risky

Hot toddies, red wine, a dram of whisky: alcohol has long been a go-to remedy for keeping warm. But while a drink might make you feel warmer, does it actually help? “There’s a perception of warmth, but in reality, it doesn’t occur,” says Winston Morgan, professor of toxicology, equity and inclusive practice at the University of East London.

Alcohol affects the body’s temperature-regulating system. Our core body temperature is controlled by the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that helps regulate how we respond to changes in temperature. When we get too hot, blood vessels near the surface of the skin widen, a process known as vasodilation. This allows more warm blood to flow close to the skin, where heat can escape into the surrounding air. When we get too cold, the opposite happens. The blood vessels narrow, or constrict, reducing blood flow to the skin and helping to conserve heat.

Alcohol interferes with this process. It causes blood vessels near the skin to widen, even when our core body temperature has not risen. More warm blood reaches the skin’s surface, which can make us feel hot, and even leave us reaching to take off clothing.

“You’re sending more blood to your skin, which gives you the sensation of feeling warmer,” says Morgan. “But actually you’re not. Your body’s just moving around the blood.”

In fact, by increasing blood flow to the skin, alcohol encourages heat to escape from the body, potentially lowering core temperature. That can increase the risk of hypothermia in sufficiently cold conditions, particularly if you start removing clothing.

“After some time, what actually happens is your core becomes cooler,” says Morgan. “So, in a cold environment, you don’t really want to be drinking a lot of alcohol.”