Beware of winter myths

There are numerous techniques to stay warm but you might be doing it the wrong way. Many believe alcohol consumption helps to beat the chill but that's false, reports huffingtonpost.com.

Here are some myths and facts:

- Alcohol doesn't make you feel any warmer: The reason why you feel warm while drinking alcohol is that your blood vessels dilate and send warm blood away from your core and towards your skin. This effect is only temporary and in the end, it significantly decreases your body's ability to fight the cold.

- Loneliness can lower your body temperature: Researchers at the University of Toronto say that lack of social contact can lead to physical consequences. In other words, giving someone the 'cold shoulder' can actually make them feel colder.

- Hot drinks might actually cool you off: Apparently consuming too much of a cold drink can actually warm you up as it causes your blood vessels to tighten.

- You don't catch a cold because of cold weather: According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, there is "no experimental evidence that exposure to cold temperatures increases the chances that you will get a cold". Instead, the rise in sickness and colds in the winter months is typically linked to people spending more time indoors, which allows germs to transfer between people more easily.