Drinking alcohol in the cold is dangerous. Alcohol in the cold - banned! Is it possible to drink vodka in the cold

Another extra reason to pour alcohol into yourself is for heating. However, isn't the sensation of warmth after drinking an illusion? The opinion of doctors and the expert community will allow us to answer the question of whether alcohol warms.

Myths about strong drinks

Alcoholization of a significant part of the country's population could not but lead to myth-making regarding alcoholic beverages. In part, this is a protective psychological mechanism: it is difficult for people to realize that harmful substances poured into the body are poison, so they, on the contrary, tend to attribute miraculous properties to them.

Among the most common myths relate:

• Drinking red wine prolongs life;
• Beer is the best remedy for thirst;
• Vodka with pepper cures all diseases;
• Alcohol is very high in calories;
• Alcohol helps keep you warm in the cold.

The last misconception is the most popular, since not only popular rumor and the all-powerful alcohol lobby are to blame for its spread. It is reflected even in Russian classical literature: Vasily Terkin, the hero of the poem of the same name by Alexander Tvardovsky, warms up with vodka. As a result front-line "one hundred grams" for warming become an integral part of the culture.

Use for colds

Vodka with pepper is one of the most popular folk recipes, which supposedly should be used immediately at the first sign of a cold. It should be noted that the myth has some foundation. Vodka, as a means of increasing heat transfer, acts like aspirin, so that the fever can really subside. And the substances that are present in red pepper slow down the oxidation reaction of ethanol, which is why the vasodilating effect lasts a little longer. Vodka in this pair also acts as an anesthetic and anesthetic, softening the burning effect of red pepper on the mucous membrane.

However, it should be noted that the beneficial effect of taking small doses of red pepper can be achieved without drinking alcohol, simply by adding it to the broth or decoction.

The fact is that drinking vodka for a cold able to render a weakening body a disservice:

• The body during the cold period is severely dehydrated, and drinking alcohol during this period can only aggravate the situation;
• Alcohol reduces resistance to infections, especially in large doses;
• This method is categorically not suitable for people with problems of the intestines and stomach.
• Pepper can burn a sore throat, which can only delay treatment.

In this video, bartender Kirill will tell you how to prepare a delicious warming cold cocktail:

Does alcohol keep you warm in the cold?

The influence of alcohol on the regulation of heat in the body is expressed primarily by the fact that there is an expansion of blood vessels. With an increase in blood supply, heat transfer also increases. This is achieved due to the inhibition of the vasomotor center. Thus, the sensation of warming that alcohol gives in the first minutes after drinking is deceptive; it can lead to serious frostbite due to significant heat losses in the human body.

The effect of "heat" can be really useful to the body, but only under the following conditions:

• The amount of alcohol consumed no more than 50 grams. At high doses, the body will begin to lose heat;
• If you drink alcohol, then only indoors. A person must be warm for at least three hours.

Only in this case, the blood flow can come into balance.

Doctors use alcohol in the cold only as a means of combating cold shock. That is, such a condition when there is a spasm of almost all the vessels of the body, except for the heart, brain, lungs and skeletal muscles. The use of alcohol in such an emergency suggests that the victim will then be taken immediately to a warm room.

For external use

Perhaps the only case when folk rumor and the opinion of medicine do not contradict each other is the use of alcohol externally. True, vodka is more often used at home, and doctors use the so-called medical antiseptic solution.

A vodka compress, if done correctly, will help to avoid such ailments as otitis And sore throat. The warming effect of such a compress leads to local vasodilation.

For this you need:

1. Vodka or diluted 40-degree alcohol (additional additives are not welcome);
2. Gauze;
3. Cotton wool;
4. Oilcloth;
5. A piece of cloth - a scarf or bandage is suitable - for fixing.

Warmed up to 37 degrees with vodka or an alcohol solution, moisten the gauze, squeeze it out and apply it to the sore spot. Gauze is immediately covered with oilcloth or a layer of polyethylene, then covered with cotton wool and fixed with a bandage. The duration of the procedure is about four hours.

Improper preparation of the compress can lead to burns or hypothermia and only aggravate the patient's situation.

Use of alcohol as fuel

If we consider ethanol as a source of thermal energy, then it should be noted that the fuel balance (that is, the ratio of energy for its production and that which it gives) is greater than, for example, that of gasoline. True, its energy density is somewhat inferior to gasoline - by about a quarter, but ethanol is absolutely harmless to the environment.

In general, not only pure alcohol, but also any alcoholic beverage can burn, and the greater its strength, the better. The burning of alcohol vapor is much more active if the drink is hot and if it is poured on a wide saucer. The fire is bluish in color (a green tint indicates a low quality of the liquid).

The amount of heat that is released during the combustion of vodka is about 12.22 MJ / kg. This indicator is several times inferior to gasoline, but almost the same as that of paper and wood.

So alcohol can really help keep you warm, only for this it must be set on fire.

So, the answer to the question of whether alcohol warms when taken orally can be only one - No. Rather, on the contrary: as a result of vasodilation and increased heat transfer, the body is waiting for severe hypothermia. The use of alcohol to combat hypothermia is possible only in emergency cases and subject to the removal of the victim from the frost.

Video about the warming effect of alcohol

In this video, nutritionist Georgy Kornov will talk about whether alcohol can warm a person, or is it still a common misconception:

It's no secret that when drinking alcoholic beverages in cold conditions, after some time a person feels a surge of warmth. As they say: "One hundred grams for warming." But is it really so? Does alcohol really help keep you warm in the cold? In this article I will give a scientific rationale for whether or not to use alcohol for warming and what this will lead to.

Let's start with what alcohol is in general, it is also ethyl alcohol or ethanol.

Pharmacological characteristics: a drug that depresses the central nervous system.

It can be used for anesthesia, as it was widely used in field surgery at the front. But due to the very low line (drug latitude) between the narcotic and lethal dose (0.4% narcotic dose and above 0.5% lethal) is not currently used.

Entering the human body, alcohol first enters the stomach and intestines, where it begins to be absorbed into the blood. The bulk is absorbed in the intestine - about 80%, about 20% in the stomach. The rate of absorption and the rate of increase in its concentration in the blood depends on the nature of the contents of the stomach and intestines, which ranges from one to two hours. 90% of ethanol oxidation occurs in the liver, and another 10% is excreted unchanged by the kidneys, lungs and skin.

The oxidation of ethyl alcohol is carried out with the help of special enzymes and proceeds along 3 pathways: alcohol dehydrogenase, microsomal, catalase.

CH3CH2OH → CH3CHO → CH3COOH → CO2 + H2O +7.1 kcal/g

Effect of alcohol on thermoregulation and heat transfer

Once alcohol enters the bloodstream, it enters the brain. There it depresses the vascular center, which causes the expansion of small peripheral vessels. Due to this, the body's heat transfer to the external environment increases. A normal reaction to cold is, on the contrary, compression of the peripheral vessels of the skin in order to prevent heat from leaving the body, thereby maintaining a constant temperature of the internal organs.

The subjective feeling of warmth after drinking alcoholic beverages in the cold is not accompanied by an increase in the overall body temperature, but rather leads to a gradual decrease in it, which ultimately causes hypothermia. Due to the increased heat transfer around the body, a “warm cloud” is formed, which gives a feeling of warming and therefore the cold receptors located in the skin do not react, and the brain does not receive the proper signal for spasm of peripheral vessels to preserve heat. In addition to all this, due to a false sensation of heat, the brain does not send impulses to the skeletal muscles so that they contract (tremble). Shivering increases heat generation by 200%. Here the circle closes.

In cold conditions, the blood passing through the peripheral vessels quickly cools and returns to the large vessels, which causes them to cool and reduce the overall body temperature. When the overall body temperature drops to 30 degrees Celsius, loss of consciousness occurs, below 19, most often death as a result of cardiac arrest. That is why so many people, especially on holidays, freeze on their way home.

The effect of imaginary heat sensation can be justified only in the case of moving to a warm room.

Some make similar statements:

That those who freeze in alcoholic intoxication die not from the fact that they are drunk, but from the fact that they fall asleep in the cold. After all, if a sober person fell asleep in the cold, he would also die.

The answer is this. They do not fall asleep, but lose consciousness, as their general body temperature has dropped below 30 degrees as a result of intense cooling or due to increased intoxication from alcohol, which occurs in cold conditions and “knocks down drunk” from their feet. This happens especially faster if people unbutton their clothes when subjectively feeling warm, which accelerates the loss of heat. There is no doubt that some of them really simply fall asleep without feeling the cold. But these are, as a rule, people of the lower social strata who have long been accustomed to sleeping drunk on the street (homeless people, associative alcoholics, etc.).

When the body is supercooled, all processes of heat generation are involved. Including intensive oxidation of ethanol in the liver.

Does ethanol provide heat energy and how is it used by the body?

In cold conditions, alcohol in the body begins to oxidize faster. In this regard, this leads to an even more toxic effect on the central nervous system, which makes a person "fall off your feet" . Something like this happens acute asthenic condition , including causing confusion and weakness in the muscles. Alcohol during cooling disappears from the body much faster than without the action of cold, but by the time the concentration of alcohol becomes negligible, the body already falls into a state of deep hypothermia. People die in the cold under the influence of alcohol, not realizing and not taking rescue measures, even despite a quick sobering up.

With alcohol intoxication in cold conditions, metabolic processes slow down and the muscle trembling reflex is blocked, which leads to a decrease in heat generation, by slowing down the oxidation of fat and carbohydrate reserves. Heat transfer is faster (even despite the active oxidation of ethanol as heat energy) than heat generation, which leads to negative balance of general body temperature and its rapid decline.

In experiments on mice, it was found that under the influence of alcohol intoxication in cold conditions, namely, they were placed in a box with melted snow, they die 5 times faster than sober ones. It was also found that the greater the dose of alcohol administered, the faster death occurred.

Yes, alcohol is utilized by the body to produce energy in the form of heat (that is, it is used to warm the body), but when consumed in the cold, intoxication and heat transfer also increase. Those. If a person in the cold drinks to keep warm, then in the end he will die anyway. They mistakenly believe that while a person drinks in the cold, nothing threatens him.

The fact that alcohol is used by the body in cold conditions is evidenced by the fact that in the study of those who died from hypothermia under conditions of alcohol intoxication, the alcohol content in the body does not correspond to what was drunk a few hours before. This is the result of the fact that alcohol in cold conditions begins to oxidize more intensively in the body, apparently to extract energy for warming, but still, this did not save those people who died.

Many proponents of the use of alcohol for warmth like to mention the story of Charles Joughin, a Titanic baker who allegedly survived because he was too drunk.

« Charles Joughin was the chief baker on the Titanic, and when an iceberg hit the side of the ship and everyone panicked, the baker thought it was the perfect excuse to drink. He ended up drinking so heavily that the alcohol in his blood helped him stay warm and alive.«

Refutation

About two hours he was in the water and at the same time was actively moving. He was saved by the fact that active heat production occurred during motor activity, and despite the increased heat transfer, which was created by the effect of alcohol, the balance of heat production / heat transfer remained positive. In addition, under the conditions of severe stress that he experienced from the crash, additional reserves of the body were activated and helped him to stay on the move for so long, thereby surviving until he was found by rescuers. It was not alcohol that saved him, but a strong body. The only benefit that a drunk glass could bring was an antidepressant effect, which did not allow him to succumb to panic.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Cold death Shigeev V.B. Shigeev S.V. Koludarova E.M. – Moscow 2004. 184 p.
2. Desyatov V.P. Death from hypothermia. -Tomsk, 1977.
3. Yugov K.M. Forensic medical assessment of the degree of alcohol intoxication in death from hypothermia. Abstract of the dissertation for the degree of candidate of medical sciences. -Barnaul, 2003.
4. Permyakov A.V., Viter V.I. Pathomorphology and thanatogenesis of alcohol intoxication. -Izhevsk; Expertise 2002. -91 p.

There is a widespread misconception that in winter alcohol helps to keep warm, to freeze more slowly and to endure frost more easily. In reality, alcohol should not be taken in the cold - it is dangerous and can be fatal. Alcohol in the cold creates only the illusion of warming, while the body endures severe hypothermia and is in danger.

Why you can't drink to keep warm

Trying to drink in the cold to keep warm will have the opposite effect. Alcohol quickly expands the superficial vessels on the skin throughout the body, due to which the body begins to lose heat faster and in large quantities. The feeling of warmth may be present, but in reality the body will freeze.

On a note: You can really drink for quick warming, but not in the cold, but already in a warm room. Vasodilation and increased blood flow will not lead to unnecessary heat loss at room temperature.

In some cases, alcohol is used to bring the patient out of shock in case of severe or prolonged hypothermia. But even in this situation, it is assumed that the person will immediately go to a warm room. After drinking alcohol, it is advisable not to appear in the cold for at least 3-4 hours. Otherwise, the effect will not have time to pass yet, and the person will freeze many times faster.

Alcohol is also used to combat spasms and other symptoms of shock due to hypothermia. In this case, alcohol is necessary primarily in order to normalize blood vessels and get rid of spasms, but alcohol still cannot help in the fight against hypothermia.

Is it good to drink outdoors?

In nature and in the fresh air, the effects of alcohol are more easily tolerated. Increases the speed and efficiency of metabolic processes in the body. Possible negative consequences are associated exclusively with behavioral factors: you can fall, get injured, get lost, and so on.

Taking into account the fact that drinking alcohol in public places in the city is prohibited, alcohol in nature is usually consumed outside the city limits. Either in the country or in a country house, or during trips / trips to the forest and barbecue. Under these conditions, the small benefit of improved metabolism does not outweigh the risks of injury. Especially when you consider the amount of alcohol traditionally drunk during such a holiday. For safe consumption, the amount of alcohol must be observed and limited.

How to safely drink alcohol in the cold:

1. The maximum safe dose of strong alcohol is about 40-60 grams for men and 30-50 for women. And since only strong alcohol gives a tangible effect of warming, it is very easy to overdo it.
2. Low-alcohol drinks such as beer, alcoholic cocktails and even champagne wines are even more harmful in the cold than strong alcohol. At low temperatures, drinks cool very quickly, beer and cocktails can start to turn into ice faster than a bottle is drunk. Given the fact that weak alcohol is drunk in large quantities, ice drinks very quickly provoke a cold and open the way for viral diseases.
3. When drinking any alcohol in winter, it is advisable to do it in a warm room. In a state of intoxication, one should not appear on the street for longer than necessary. Walking drunk in the cold is dangerous and fraught with hypothermia and colds.
4. If you still need to go outside, you should dress as warmly as possible. Even if it seems that it is very hot and in light clothes it will not be cold. It is better to endure excess heat than to lie down for several weeks with an illness.

Important: In winter, it is extremely dangerous to be on the street in a strong alcoholic intoxication. In this state, it is elementary to sit on a bench to rest a little and quietly fall asleep.
Poisoned by a large amount of alcohol, the body may not wake up, and hypothermia in severe frost quickly leads to death. If you need to return home in a drunken state, it is better to go by car, or ask a sober person to take you home.

Frost and alcohol are incompatible! Drinking alcohol to keep warm in the cold is life-threatening! Here is a typical situation. He drank for heating, went out into the cold, fell asleep in a snowdrift. Woke up, frostbitten legs, or something else. It's good that he survived, but he could freeze to death. There are many such cases! What is the matter here?

Why does frostbite come on so quickly? Why alcohol does not warm a person, but on the contrary, contributes to faster cooling. Scientists have found that drinking alcohol to keep warm in the cold is based on an erroneous perception of people. The drunk is not able to correctly and adequately assess the temperature of his own body.

Why you can't drink in the cold

In humans, under the influence of alcohol, the skin vessels expand rapidly, and more blood flows to the surface of the body. It seems to a person that he has warmed up, but a pleasant feeling of general warmth is a deception. After all, only the skin heats up, but it quickly gives off the heat it receives. Numerous measurements have shown that the very same body temperature goes down.

Under the influence of alcohol, the body loses its normal sensitivity to cold, as a result, the skin ceases to appropriately respond to the action of cold by constricting blood vessels. The stronger the frost, the more dangerous the intake of alcohol becomes. Drunk people are easily exposed to colds.

After all, despite the rapid cooling of the body, a person does not feel it, so frostbite and even freezing can so easily occur. You should not go on a long journey in the cold and cold, because the understanding of the danger is lost and the danger of cooling increases.

People who live in the North know this well. Experienced Siberians will never allow themselves to drink before a long journey. In Rus', if people had to go home after a party, they were always accompanied by a completely sober person. Summary: drank in the cold - stay at home!