The climate in which you live could affect the amount of alcohol you drink, according to a new study

• A new study found that people are more likely to drink more alcohol in countries with cold climate and less intense sunlight than in warmer, sunnier climates.

• This study was the first of its kind and analyzed data from around the world.

• Researchers are now calling for tighter restrictions on advertisements for alcohol during the winter.

• However, other academics are skeptical about the findings of the study, saying that new research has revealed the opposite situation in Europe.

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On exotic holidays, it is not uncommon to meet more often with a refreshing cocktail or a cold beer than at home.

Keeping this in mind, one would have thought that the warmer weather would lead people to drink more alcohol – but according to a new study, this is not the case.

In fact, living in a cold climate with little daylight could make you drink more.

According to the study done by the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Pittsburgh, there is a link between the average temperature, the duration of sunshine and the consumption of alcohol.

The results suggest that colder climates "may play a causal role" on alcohol consumption.

Lead author Ramon Bataller, associate director of the Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, said, "This is the first study that consistently demonstrates that in the world and in the United States, in the colder regions and less sunny, there is more alcohol and alcoholic cirrhosis.

Researchers analyzed data from 193 countries and found that alcohol consumption increased as temperatures and sunshine decreased.

They used data from the World Health Organization, the World Meteorological Organization and other large public data sets. They found a negative correlation between temperature and hours of sunlight and alcohol consumption (measured as total alcohol consumption per capita, proportion of the population that drinks). alcohol and levels of excessive alcohol consumption.)

The study also highlighted a link between climate and the incidence of alcoholic liver diseases.

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Here's how to cut alcohol can affect your skin

Alcohol is a vasodilator, which means that it stimulates the circulation of warm blood on the skin, thus increasing the sensations of warmth.

The increase in alcohol consumption is also related to depression, which tends to be more common in winter, when there are fewer hours of daylight.

Lead author Meritxell Ventura-Cots, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher at the Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, added that it was important to highlight "the many confounding factors".

"We tried to control as much as possible. For example, we tried to control religion and its influence on drinking habits. "

Other academics are skeptical about the results of the study, claiming that further research has shown that in Europe, these are countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and the United States. Ireland and Poland have the highest rates of alcohol consumption, rather than colder and darker countries like Norway. Sweden and Finland.

"Basically, we found in Europe that this correlation that was found in another world study plays no role," Professor Jurgen Rehm of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health told the BBC.

However, Dr. Peter McCann, a medical advisor at Castle Craig Hospital (a Scottish Borders Drug and Alcohol Detox Clinic) who contributed to the report, is now calling for tougher restrictions on alcohol advertising during the coldest months.

"We now have new evidence that the weather, and in particular the temperature and amount of sunlight we are exposed to, has a strong influence on the amount of alcohol we consume," he said. declared.

"In addition, this weather-related drinking is directly related to our chances of developing the most dangerous form of liver disease – cirrhosis – which can lead to liver failure and death.

"Tougher laws on alcohol pricing are surely warranted when we consider the devastating combined effect of low sun exposure and less expensive alcohol on consumption.

"Advertising laws should be subject to restrictions during the winter months, a strong consideration.

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