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Is it true that drinking alcohol makes you warm?

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Friday, March 22, 2024

Is it true that drinking alcohol makes you warm?Don’t be fooled by the legend of a Saint Bernard toting a barrel of brandy to freezing hikers in the snowy Alps. Alcohol may make you feel warm on a cold day, but it’s an illusion.Alcohol dilates your blood vessels, sending warm blood to your skin, where it stimulates nerve endings that help you sense the warmth. “Your skin is actually getting warmer, and that feels good, as surely as it feels good to walk out on a sunny day and feel the sun on your skin,” said Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University. “But that means heat is escaping your body.”As the blood rushes to the surface, it is pulled away from your core, where it is needed to keep your organs warm. Your body is getting colder, not warmer — and you won’t be able to feel it. In severe weather, this can increase the risk of hypothermia — very low body temperature — experts said.“The beer jacket is an illusion,” said Aaron White, the senior scientific adviser to the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.There’s a second mechanism by which alcohol can affect your core body temperature, experts said. It disrupts the work of the hypothalamus, which, in part, regulates that core temperature, limiting your body’s ability to control it and making you more susceptible to ambient temperatures.A literature review by the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine found that “alcohol ingestion exacerbates the fall in body core temperature during cold exposure” by inhibiting the shiver response in which muscles contract and relax to warm the body.But not everyone may respond the same way.The effects of alcohol on body temperature can be influenced by a number of factors such as the amount of alcohol consumed, personal tolerance and overall health, said Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition.In general, the higher the level of alcohol in the bloodstream, the more likely a person is to experience side effects, including a change in core body temperature, research shows. As are those who have certain medical conditions or are taking particular medications, Zumpano said in an email.But some people may tolerate alcohol better than others and may not be as susceptible to certain reactions, she said.What else you should know:When drinking alcohol in cold environments, White said, don’t be misled by that warm sensation. Take precautions:Bundle up.Don’t walk long distances in the cold.Don’t stay out in the cold for long periods of time.Drinking alcoholic beverages on a cold day may make you feel warm, but it is probably lowering your core body temperature, making you colder.

Is it true that drinking alcohol makes you warm?

Don’t be fooled by the legend of a Saint Bernard toting a barrel of brandy to freezing hikers in the snowy Alps. Alcohol may make you feel warm on a cold day, but it’s an illusion.

Alcohol dilates your blood vessels, sending warm blood to your skin, where it stimulates nerve endings that help you sense the warmth. “Your skin is actually getting warmer, and that feels good, as surely as it feels good to walk out on a sunny day and feel the sun on your skin,” said Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University. “But that means heat is escaping your body.”

As the blood rushes to the surface, it is pulled away from your core, where it is needed to keep your organs warm. Your body is getting colder, not warmer — and you won’t be able to feel it. In severe weather, this can increase the risk of hypothermia — very low body temperature — experts said.

“The beer jacket is an illusion,” said Aaron White, the senior scientific adviser to the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

There’s a second mechanism by which alcohol can affect your core body temperature, experts said. It disrupts the work of the hypothalamus, which, in part, regulates that core temperature, limiting your body’s ability to control it and making you more susceptible to ambient temperatures.

A literature review by the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine found that “alcohol ingestion exacerbates the fall in body core temperature during cold exposure” by inhibiting the shiver response in which muscles contract and relax to warm the body.

But not everyone may respond the same way.

The effects of alcohol on body temperature can be influenced by a number of factors such as the amount of alcohol consumed, personal tolerance and overall health, said Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition.

In general, the higher the level of alcohol in the bloodstream, the more likely a person is to experience side effects, including a change in core body temperature, research shows. As are those who have certain medical conditions or are taking particular medications, Zumpano said in an email.

But some people may tolerate alcohol better than others and may not be as susceptible to certain reactions, she said.

What else you should know:

When drinking alcohol in cold environments, White said, don’t be misled by that warm sensation. Take precautions:

Bundle up.
Don’t walk long distances in the cold.
Don’t stay out in the cold for long periods of time.

Drinking alcoholic beverages on a cold day may make you feel warm, but it is probably lowering your core body temperature, making you colder.

Read the full story here.

Photos courtesy of

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If You Want to Stay Healthy and Care About Humanity, Here’s What to Eat

This story was originally published by Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Adoption of a plant-rich “planetary health diet” could prevent 40,000 early deaths a day across the world, according to a landmark report. The diet—which allows moderate meat consumption—and related measures would also slash the food-related emissions driving global heating by half by 2050. Today, a third of greenhouse gas emissions come from the global food system and taming the climate crisis is impossible without changing how the world eats, the researchers said. Food production is also the biggest cause of the destruction of wildlife and forests and the pollution of water. The planetary health diet (PHD) sets out how the world can simultaneously improve the health of people and the planet, and provide enough food for an expected global population of 9.6 billion people by 2050. “This is not a deprivation diet…” It “could be delicious, aspirational and healthy.” The diet is flexible, allowing it to be adapted to local tastes, and can include some animal products or be vegetarian or vegan. However, all versions advise eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and whole grains than most people in the world currently eat. In many places, today’s diets are unhealthy and unsustainable due to too much meat, milk and cheese, animal fats and sugar. People in the US and Canada eat more than seven times the PHD’s recommended amount of red meat, while it is five times more in Europe and Latin America, and four times more in China. However, in some regions where people’s diets are heavily reliant on starchy foods, such as sub-Saharan Africa, a small increase in chicken, dairy and eggs would be beneficial to health, the report found. North American adult diets in 2020 versus planetary health recommendation, daily per capita intake in grammesGuardian Severe inequalities in the food system must also be ended to achieve healthy and sustainable diets, the researchers said. The wealthiest 30 percent of the world’s population generates more than 70 percent of food-related environmental damage, it found. Furthermore, 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet and 1 billion are undernourished, despite enough food being produced globally. The food system is also failing the 1 billion people living with obesity, the report said. The report recommends shifting taxes to make unhealthy food more costly and healthy food cheaper, regulating the advertising of unhealthy food and using warning labels, and the shifting of today’s massive agricultural subsidies to healthier and more sustainable foods. “What we put on our plates can save millions of lives, cut billions of tonnes of emissions, halt the loss of biodiversity, and create a fairer food system,” said Prof Johan Rockström, who co-chaired the EAT-Lancet Commission that produced the report. “The evidence is undeniable: transforming food systems is not only possible, it’s essential to securing a safe, just, and sustainable future for all.” “This is not a deprivation diet,” said Prof Walter Willett of the Harvard TH Chan school of public health, and another commission co-chair. “This is something that could be delicious, aspirational and healthy. It also allows for cultural diversity and individual preferences, providing flexibility.” “Our recommendations are grounded in scientific evidence and real-world experience.” The report, published in the Lancet, was produced by 70 leading experts from 35 countries and six continents. It builds on the 2019 report that introduced the PHD, but includes new evidence of the health benefits of the diet. “We have been able to look at this diet in relation to health outcomes such as total mortality, diabetes, respiratory diseases, heart disease, stroke, etc and we found very strong inverse relationships” said Willett. The diet was also linked to reduced cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Overall, the researchers estimated global adoption of the PHD could prevent 15m early deaths a year in adults. The estimate did not include the impact of the diet reducing obesity, meaning it is probably an underestimate. The PHD recommends plant-rich, flexible diets, including: Fruits and vegetables—at least five portions a day Whole grains—three to four portions a day Nuts—one portion per day Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)—one portion per day Dairy—one serving of milk, yoghurt or cheese portions a day Eggs —three to four a week Chicken—two portions a week Fish—two portions a week Red meat—one portion a week Marco Springmann from UCL in the UK and an author of the report said the differences between the PHD and current diets vary: “What needs to be reduced differs a lot. In low income countries, it’s the starchy foods and grains, whereas in high income countries it is animal-sourced foods, sugar, saturated fats, and dairy. It’s insane how much dairy is consumed in Europe and North America.” The data underlying the report is available online and can be used to tailor different planetary health diets for the tastes of people in specific countries and of different ages. The website also shows how much the diets reduce deaths, improve nutrition, and cut environmental impacts. “Hopefully this will lead to more science-based policymaking,” said Springmann. The PHD is better than current average diets for many nutrients, including fatty acids, fibre, folate, magnesium and zinc. Adequate iron and vitamin B12 could be provided by green leafy vegetables, fermented soy foods and algae, the researchers said. Moving diets towards the PHD could be achieved by helping consumers make better everyday choices, said Line Gordon, director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, for example by shifting taxes to make healthy foods cheaper, and putting warning labels on unhealthy foods. “But it is not just about getting prices lower, it’s also about bringing purchasing power up so that people can afford a healthier diet” she said. “Our recommendations are grounded in scientific evidence and real-world experience,” Gordon said. “Changes are already under way, from school meal programmes to regenerative agriculture and food waste reduction initiatives.” England banned price promotions on unhealthy foods on Wednesday and will ban advertising such foods online. The report estimates that food-related ill health and environmental damage costs society about $15 trillion a year. It said investments to transform the food system would cost $200 billion to $500 billion a year, but save $5 trillion. Alongside a shift in diets, the report calls for other changes to the food system, including cutting the loss and waste of food, greener farming practices, and decent working conditions, as a third of food workers earn below living wages. The launch of the PHD in 2019 led to attacks from meat industry interests. Rockström said: “The [new report] is a landmark achievement. It is a state-of-the-art scientific assessment that quantifies healthy diets for all human beings in the world and the environmental boundaries all food systems need to meet to stay safe. So we have a really rigorous foundation for our [results]. We are ready to meet that assault.”

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Seasonal Allergies Might Increase Suicide Rate, Study Says

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Oct. 6, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Seasonal allergies are considered an annoyance to most, and maddening...

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Oct. 6, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Seasonal allergies are considered an annoyance to most, and maddening to some.Few think of seasonal sniffles and sneezes as potentially fatal — but we might be overlooking the danger they pose, a new study warns.High pollen counts are linked to a significant increase in suicide risk, according to findings published in the December issue of the Journal of Health Economics as the U.S. enters fall allergy season.Further, suicide risk increases as airborne levels of pollen rise, researchers found.The physical misery caused by seasonal allergies likely contributes to this increase, by wrecking people’s sleep and increasing mental distress, researchers speculated."During our study period, there were nearly 500,000 suicides in the U.S.," said lead researcher Joelle Abramowitz, an associate research scientist at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research."Based on our incremental data, we estimate that pollen may have been a contributing factor in up to 12,000 of those deaths over the period, or roughly 900 to 1,200 deaths per year,” she said in a news release.For the study, researchers compared suicides reported between 2006 and 2018 with daily pollen counts from 186 counties in 34 metropolitan areas across the United States.Results showed an association between suicide and pollen counts that increases in strength, after the research team divided pollen levels into four tiers.Suicide risk jumped 7.4% at the worst pollen counts; 5.5% higher at the third-highest level; and 4.5% at the second level, all compared to the lowest level of airborne pollen.People with known mental health problems were more vulnerable, experiencing a nearly 9% increase in their risk of suicide on days with the highest pollen counts, results showed.“A small shock could have a big effect if you're already in a vulnerable state," Abramowitz said.The results indicate that seasonal allergies should be taken more seriously, and not seen as a mere nuisance, researchers said.More accurate pollen forecasting and better public communication on the mental health impact of seasonal allergies could save lives, by providing people the opportunity to protect themselves, researchers said.This will become even more important as climate change progresses, extending and intensifying pollen seasons, researchers said."We should be more conscious of our responsiveness to small environmental changes, such as pollen, and our mental health in general," Abramowitz said."Given our findings, I believe medical providers should be aware of a patient's allergy history, as other research has also established a connection between allergies and a higher risk for suicide,” she added. “I hope this research can lead to more tailored care and, ultimately, save lives."SOURCE: University of Michigan, news release, Sept. 29, 2025Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Chemists create red fluorescent dyes that may enable clearer biomedical imaging

The new dyes are based on boron-containing molecules that were previously too unstable for practical use.

MIT chemists have designed a new type of fluorescent molecule that they hope could be used for applications such as generating clearer images of tumors.The new dye is based on a borenium ion — a positively charged form of boron that can emit light in the red to near-infrared range. Until recently, these ions have been too unstable to be used for imaging or other biomedical applications.In a study appearing today in Nature Chemistry, the researchers showed that they could stabilize borenium ions by attaching them to a ligand. This approach allowed them to create borenium-containing films, powders, and crystals, all of which emit and absorb light in the red and near-infrared range.That is important because near-IR light is easier to see when imaging structures deep within tissues, which could allow for clearer images of tumors and other structures in the body.“One of the reasons why we focus on red to near-IR is because those types of dyes penetrate the body and tissue much better than light in the UV and visible range. Stability and brightness of those red dyes are the challenges that we tried to overcome in this study,” says Robert Gilliard, the Novartis Professor of Chemistry at MIT and the senior author of the study.MIT research scientist Chun-Lin Deng is the lead author of the paper. Other authors include Bi Youan (Eric) Tra PhD ’25, former visiting graduate student Xibao Zhang, and graduate student Chonghe Zhang.Stabilized boreniumMost fluorescent imaging relies on dyes that emit blue or green light. Those imaging agents work well in cells, but they are not as useful in tissue because low levels of blue and green fluorescence produced by the body interfere with the signal. Blue and green light also scatters in tissue, limiting how deeply it can penetrate.Imaging agents that emit red fluorescence can produce clearer images, but most red dyes are inherently unstable and don’t produce a bright signal, because of their low quantum yields (the ratio of fluorescent photons emitted per photon of light is absorbed). For many red dyes, the quantum yield is only about 1 percent.Among the molecules that can emit near-infrared light are borenium cations —positively charged ions containing an atom of boron attached to three other atoms.When these molecules were first discovered in the mid-1980s, they were considered “laboratory curiosities,” Gilliard says. These molecules were so unstable that they had to be handled in a sealed container called a glovebox to protect them from exposure to air, which can lead them to break down.Later, chemists realized they could make these ions more stable by attaching them to molecules called ligands. Working with these more stable ions, Gillliard’s lab discovered in 2019 that they had some unusual properties: Namely, they could respond to changes in temperature by emitting different colors of light.However, at that point, “there was a substantial problem in that they were still too reactive to be handled in open air,” Gilliard says.His lab began working on new ways to further stabilize them using ligands known as carbodicarbenes (CDCs), which they reported in a 2022 study. Due to this stabilization, the compounds can now be studied and handled without using a glovebox. They are also resistant to being broken down by light, unlike many previous borenium-based compounds.In the new study, Gilliard began experimenting with the anions (negatively charged ions) that are a part of the CDC-borenium compounds. Interactions between these anions and the borenium cation generate a phenomenon known as exciton coupling, the researchers discovered. This coupling, they found, shifted the molecules’ emission and absorption properties toward the infrared end of the color spectrum. These molecules also generated a high quantum yield, allowing them to shine more brightly.“Not only are we in the correct region, but the efficiency of the molecules is also very suitable,” Gilliard says. “We’re up to percentages in the thirties for the quantum yields in the red region, which is considered to be high for that region of the electromagnetic spectrum.”Potential applicationsThe researchers also showed that they could convert their borenium-containing compounds into several different states, including solid crystals, films, powders, and colloidal suspensions.For biomedical imaging, Gilliard envisions that these borenium-containing materials could be encapsulated in polymers, allowing them to be injected into the body to use as an imaging dye. As a first step, his lab plans to work with researchers in the chemistry department at MIT and at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to explore the potential of imaging these materials within cells.Because of their temperature responsiveness, these materials could also be deployed as temperature sensors, for example, to monitor whether drugs or vaccines have been exposed to temperatures that are too high or low during shipping.“For any type of application where temperature tracking is important, these types of ‘molecular thermometers’ can be very useful,” Gilliard says.If incorporated into thin films, these molecules could also be useful as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), particularly in new types of materials such as flexible screens, Gilliard says.“The very high quantum yields achieved in the near-IR, combined with the excellent environmental stability, make this class of compounds extremely interesting for biological applications,” says Frieder Jaekle, a professor of chemistry at Rutgers University, who was not involved in the study. “Besides the obvious utility in bioimaging, the strong and tunable near-IR emission also makes these new fluorophores very appealing as smart materials for anticounterfeiting, sensors, switches, and advanced optoelectronic devices.”In addition to exploring possible applications for these dyes, the researchers are now working on extending their color emission further into the near-infrared region, which they hope to achieve by incorporating additional boron atoms. Those extra boron atoms could make the molecules less stable, so the researchers are also working on new types of carbodicarbenes to help stabilize them.The research was funded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

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Study finds wildfire smoke reduces sperm quality

Wildfire season may be over, but new research indicates a hidden toll still lingers.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A new study indicates the potential health impacts of wildfires don't end when wildfire season does. Researchers at the University of Washington found that wildfire smoke exposure could reduce key aspects of sperm quality in men. Trump fires back at Kotek: Portland is ‘run like a third-world country’ The team found consistent declines in sperm concentration, total sperm count, and other key fertility aspects during wildfire smoke exposure among the 84 men tested. The semen samples came from men who provided sperm for intrauterine insemination procedures between 2018 and 2022. Researchers said their findings aligned with smaller studies from Oregon Health & Science University that linked air pollution and wildfire smoke to impaired reproductive health. “These results reinforce growing evidence that environmental exposures — specifically wildfire smoke — can affect reproductive health,” said senior author Dr. Tristan Nicholson, a reproductive urologist at the UW Medicine’s Men’s Health Center in Seattle. More information about the study can be found on the UW website. ‘Oregon has no choice’: New SNAP requirements will impact over 313K residents Exposure to wildfire smoke has previously been linked to respiratory problems, heart attacks, strokes, cancer and cognitive impairment.

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The Pregnancy Pill Millions Trust Faces Alarming New Questions About Child Brain Health

Scientists are warning that one of the most trusted painkillers used in pregnancy may not be as safe as once believed. A sweeping review of studies finds links between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and higher risks of autism and ADHD in children. The medication crosses the placenta and may interfere with brain development, raising urgent questions [...]

New research raises red flags about acetaminophen use in pregnancy, linking it to autism and ADHD risks in children. ShutterstockScientists are warning that one of the most trusted painkillers used in pregnancy may not be as safe as once believed. A sweeping review of studies finds links between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and higher risks of autism and ADHD in children. The medication crosses the placenta and may interfere with brain development, raising urgent questions about clinical guidelines. Acetaminophen in Pregnancy Linked to Neurodevelopmental Risks Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report that children exposed to acetaminophen before birth may face a greater chance of developing neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Their findings, published in BMC Environmental Health, mark the first time that the Navigation Guide methodology has been applied to thoroughly assess the quality and reliability of the research on this subject. Acetaminophen (commonly sold as Tylenol® in the United States and Canada, and known as paracetamol elsewhere) is the most widely used non-prescription treatment for pain and fever during pregnancy, taken by more than half of expectant mothers worldwide. For decades, it has been viewed as the safest option for relief from headaches, fever, and general pain. However, the Mount Sinai team’s review of 46 studies, which together involved over 100,000 participants from multiple countries, challenges this long-standing belief and highlights the importance of caution and additional investigation. Gold-Standard Review Methodology Applied The research team relied on the Navigation Guide Systematic Review, a leading framework used in environmental health. This method enables scientists to systematically evaluate each study, rating potential sources of bias such as incomplete data or selective reporting, while also weighing the overall strength and consistency of the evidence. “Our findings show that higher-quality studies are more likely to show a link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and increased risks of autism and ADHD,” said Diddier Prada, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Population Health Science and Policy, and Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Given the widespread use of this medication, even a small increase in risk could have major public health implications.” Possible Biological Mechanisms Behind the Link The paper also explores biological mechanisms that could explain the association between acetaminophen use and these disorders. Acetaminophen is known to cross the placental barrier and may trigger oxidative stress, disrupt hormones, and cause epigenetic changes that interfere with fetal brain development. While the study does not show that acetaminophen directly causes neurodevelopmental disorders, the research team’s findings strengthen the evidence for a connection and raise concerns about current clinical practices. Call for Updated Guidelines and Safer Alternatives The researchers call for cautious, time-limited use of acetaminophen during pregnancy under medical supervision; updated clinical guidelines to better balance the benefits and risks; and further research to confirm these findings and identify safer alternatives for managing pain and fever in expectant mothers. “Pregnant women should not stop taking medication without consulting their doctors,” Dr. Prada emphasized. “Untreated pain or fever can also harm the baby. Our study highlights the importance of discussing the safest approach with health care providers and considering non-drug options whenever possible.” Rising Autism and ADHD Rates Add Urgency With diagnoses of autism and ADHD increasing worldwide, these findings have significant implications for public health policy, clinical guidelines, and patient education. The study also highlights the urgent need for pharmaceutical innovation to provide safer alternatives for pregnant women. Reference: “Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology” by Diddier Prada, Beate Ritz, Ann Z. Bauer and Andrea A. Baccarelli, 14 August 2025, Environmental Health.DOI: 10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0 The study was conducted in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles; University of Massachusetts Lowell; and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Funding for this study was provided by the National Cancer Institute (U54CA267776), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R35ES031688), and the National Institute on Aging (U01AG088684). Important: These findings indicate a correlation, not definitive proof of causation. The medical community remains divided, and further research is needed. Always seek guidance from your healthcare professional before altering or discontinuing any treatment. Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.Follow us on Google, Discover, and News.

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