Much of Europe is trapped in a heatwave. A recent report by the medical journal The Lancet reports that the number of deaths caused by heat in Europe has increased significantly. There are also increasingly frequent warnings of dangerous heat on the Old Continent.
Even the heat alone puts serious strain on the human body. Many decide that it's a good idea to drink a cold beer in such situations. However, science says that this is not the case. The French capital Paris, where temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius, even banned drinking alcohol in public during a music festival last weekend.
Alcohol will make you even thirstier
The hotter it is, the more fluids in a person's body are used up. Sweating requires drinking a lot of fluids to maintain their levels in the body. However, beer, wine and cocktails will not actually quench your thirst, even if it seems like they do.
”Alcohol increases the need to urinate, which leads to even greater fluid loss”, warns Helmut Seitz, professor of internal medicine and gastroenterology at Heidelberg University. Along with the fluid, potassium, sodium and magnesium are lost. "This means that more is going out than coming in," Seitz explained.
Alcohol dehydrates the body to the point where sweating decreases - this can lead to overheating and heatstroke, reports the German Federal Institute for Public Health. In addition, cold beer dilates blood vessels, which leads to a drop in blood pressure. This in turn causes dizziness and headaches. The loss of minerals also has a negative effect on the heart, Seitz explained. This can lead to atrial fibrillation, extrasystoles and cardiac arrhythmias. "It can even lead to a heart attack", he warns.
Risk for both the elderly and the young
Some medications - such as those for regulating blood pressure or those that affect the central nervous system - further increase the health risks of drinking alcohol in the heat, the expert explains. Sleeping pills and sedatives are also a problem, whose effect on the nervous system is enhanced by alcohol.
Drinking alcohol on hot days is not only a problem for the elderly or those with cardiovascular problems. Young and active people, those who often exercise and sweat, should also be careful. Having a cold beer after a hard workout is tempting, but according to expert Seitz, it is not a good idea. "You really can't do any worse than that”.
Author: Yulia Vergin