Weather & Radar
Home / Editor's Pick /

Winter warmth: Which drinks are best for the cold?

05:00 PM
December 18, 2022

Looking for winter warmth
Which drinks are best for the cold?

Hot chocolateA relaxing cup of hot chocolate is best suited to winter weather as a warming treat and a source of hydration.

A cold snap is biting, which may leave you reaching for a hot chocolate to warm up. Winter is perfect for warming drinks but are they the best option?

When the chill sets in there are a number of ways to stay warm. One of the first options being to make a hot drink. The truth is that sufficient hydration is key to maintaining good health whatever the weather. Lack of water results in headaches, tiredness, and exhaustion.

Warm drinks raise your internal body temperature, as this rises it causes you to sweat in an attempt to cool the body down which could lead you to feel even colder on a chilly winter day.

Green tea, among other varieties of the hot drink, can help you relaxA green tea can offer warmth and nutrients.

The warming impact of a hot drink on your body temperature will be short-lasting and minimal, but it offers relief for freezing hands to keep warm wrapped around the cup.

Don’t think that alcohol can warm you up on a chilly night either. Alcohol acts as a vasodilator. Put simply this means the more you drink, the more blood vessels in the skin dilate, moving blood away from our core to the surface of our skin.

The temperature of your body is not changing, it is just being redistributed and can give a false feeling of warmth.

Coffee mugSome studies suggest caffeine helps raise body temperature.

Despite this there are benefits to hot drinks in winter. Hydration. No matter the drink, staying hydrated is important for helping the body naturally regulate its temperature.

When we are cold it is easier to become dehydrated with the body instead prioritising staying warm. Therefore, having a drink of any kind to sip on through the day helps combat this before it becomes an issue.

Temperatures are expected to plummet in many spots throughout the week. Keep an eye on the mercury in your area on the TemperatureRadar.

Weather & Radar USA editorial team
11:00 PM
February 6, 2023
Rain and snow for the PNW

How much will they see?

Rain and snow for the Pacific Northwest

10:00 PM
February 6, 2023
A late-week winter storm is on the way.

Starting Thursday

Late week winter storm taking form

8:33 PM
February 6, 2023
Tuesday's highs

Cabin fever relief

Signs of early spring sprouting up

All articles
Weather & Radar
Web | App
facebookinstagramtwitterContact us
US
Great Britain
Ireland
India (English)
USA (Español)
Privacy policy | Legal info