Why is the Indian Meteorological Department advising North Indians to not drink? Well, there is some actual science to it
It is the season of festive cheer! As we bid adieu to one of the worst years in recent memory, we should ideally do so with a peg of rum. But the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is advising North Indians in particular to not drink at all in the cold weather as the plains experience the coldest winter in almost a decade. This is not some crazy precursor to prohibitionism, but based on actual scientific fact. While the story of Swiss ski rescuers with St Bernard dogs with a small case of brandy or cognac on their collars is true, the fact is that alcohol dilates the capillaries in the body. While that does help in getting some warmth into your fingers and toes, it is actually counter-productive as it takes away heat from the core of your body. If you remember your secondary school biology, you will know that the core of the body is what has to retain temperature so that your organs can function normally; lose too much core temperature and, no matter how warm your fingers, hypothermia will set in and your body will slowly shut down. So, yes, the advice to steer clear of too much alcohol, or alcohol altogether, is based on facts. And, of course, since drinking is in essence a social activity, drinking less also means that you socialise less, which is not a bad thing especially in these unsafe times of Corona outbreak.
Sure, that does not mean that you can’t enjoy a glass of warm rum toddy but if you do drink make sure that you keep yourself warm and do not indulge in drunken bravado where you take your jacket or sweater off. It is predicted to be very cold in the coming weeks, and several places in North India are already reeling under minimum temperatures below the 5°C-mark. In such harsh conditions, keeping the body warm is essential. Wear warm clothes, drink warm tea and coffee or, better still, hot chocolate besides ensuring that you take your vitamins through the plentiful winter fruits and juices. Remembering your basic biology is important; yes, this has been a bad year thanks to the Coronavirus but you should not let the year end with you being cold and miserable. Stay safe, stay warm and stay healthy into 2021.
Tuesday, 29 December 2020 | Pioneer
