Alcoholic drinks such as chilled beer, long drinks and cold cocktails are also very popular in summer. However, alcohol consumption has major health disadvantages, especially on hot days.
Summer is here and with it the temperatures are rising. Many people are looking for ways to cool down and relax on hot days. One popular method is to reach for a cold drink and for some this includes consuming alcoholic beverages. But alcohol is not a good choice, especially when the temperatures are high.
Alcohol and heat: Not a good match
To understand why alcohol has an even worse effect on health in hot weather, it is important to understand more precisely how alcohol works in the body:
- First of all, according to the Helios Clinics platform, alcohol promotes the excretion of fluids and minerals from the body. In high temperatures, we sweat more than usual, so we lose more fluids even without drinking alcohol. That’s why it’s so important to drink more in the summer. However, alcoholic drinks make dehydration even worse.
- Heat can also increase the effects of alcohol. The combination of heat and alcohol can lead to a faster and stronger state of intoxication. This is due, among other things, to the lack of fluids in the body. As a result, alcohol can impair judgment more quickly and more severely than usual. This can lead to risky behavior that can even become life-threatening – for example when swimming or driving vehicles.
- In extreme heat, your body is already weakened because the hot temperatures cause the blood vessels to expand and blood pressure to drop. According to the campaign Alcohol – Know your limit!, alcohol increases this effect. Blood pressure drops even further. This leads to you feeling even more tired and exhausted. In the worst case, according to the Helios clinics, you risk unconsciousness, circulatory collapse and heat stroke.
Alcohol consumption: generally associated with risks
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So a cold beer on a hot summer day is basically a bad idea. To avoid the negative effects of alcohol in hot weather, it is advisable to use alternative soft drinks. Water is always the best choice to compensate for fluid loss and hydrate the body. There are also numerous non-alcoholic drinks that are refreshing and delicious, such as spritzers, iced tea or (low-sugar) lemonades. Non-alcoholic beer or shandy can also be a good alternative.
In general, alcohol consumption is always harmful to the body – regardless of the season. Therefore, it is generally advisable to keep an eye on your drinking habits. According to the German Nutrition Society, there is no risk-free amount of alcohol. However, there are guidelines that are considered acceptable. These are 20 grams for men and ten grams for women per day. For example, ten grams of alcohol are contained in 300 milliliters of beer or 125 milliliters of wine. No alcohol should be consumed at all on at least two days a week.
Read our interview: Is my alcohol consumption problematic? Nathalie Stüben: “There are initial warning signs”
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