Can You Drink Alcohol with Diabetes?

However, substantial information on the association of alcohol and cardiovascular disease exists from population studies that included an unknown percentage of diabetics. Those findings suggest that alcohol consumption, particularly moderate consumption, may have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease. To drink alcohol or distilled spirits affects your blood glucose level when you have diabetes.

• If you have diabetes, it is important to know whether it’s safe for you to drink alcohol, what type of alcohol is best, and how much alcohol is safe to consume.
• Always drink alcohol on a full stomach or eat while you are drinking.
• Despite what you may have heard, alcohol is not packed with carbohydrates.
• When people with this condition drink alcohol, it comes with risks.
• Alcohol has a direct effect on blood sugar levels and can make it more difficult to control diabetes.

If blood sugar is too high, it is best to not drink alcohol. If blood sugar is too low, to drink safely it is best to have a snack. People with diabetes should talk with their doctor to make sure alcohol is safe for them.

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And if you have type 2 diabetes, drinking alcohol may have some benefits—such as lowering glucose levels in the blood—and some real risks, like driving glucose levels down too low. In fact, some evidence shows that many people with type 2 diabetes can safely enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages. And believe it or not, moderate drinking may even bring about some benefits. Normally, the liver releases glucose to maintain blood sugar levels. But when you drink alcohol, the liver is busy breaking the alcohol down, so it does a poor job of releasing glucose into the bloodstream. This can lead to a drop in blood sugar levels if you are drinking alcohol on an empty stomach.

• Alcohol stimulates your appetite, which can cause you to overeat and may affect your blood sugar control. When mixing alcohol and diabetes, a little extra attention to preventative measures can make all the difference between a safe experience and one that requires medical attention. Given the risks, some providers do recommend abstinence from alcohol with a patient has diabetes. As you mull these ideas, keep in mind that much remains to be learned about how alcohol affects people with diabetes. As you may well know, living with type 2 diabetes often means cutting out or cutting back on foods and beverages that can affect sugar levels in the blood. This is important because the symptoms of too much alcohol and low blood sugar are similar. This table lists popular alcoholic beverages and gives the average serving size, carbohydrate content, and number of calories.

The Risks

Stay hydrated to help prevent your blood sugar levels from dropping too low. It is important to check blood sugar and diabetes and alcohol watch drinking habits. Properly assess blood glucose levels and to make sure they are not too low or too high.

When a person consumes alcohol, the liver begins to break it down. When it is busy doing this, it does not release stored carbohydrates to maintain blood sugar, meaning that blood sugar levels can drop to dangerous levels. The ADA does not forbid a person with diabetes from consuming alcohol, but they do not advise it either. If someone with diabetes chooses to drink alcohol, the ADA recommends limiting consumption to a moderate intake. This translates to one drink per day for females and up to two per day for males.

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If you drink too much alcohol, it can raise your blood sugar levels. It’s important to consider the impact that drinking might have on blood sugar levels and whether it will cause hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Drinking water or other non-caloric beverages between alcoholic drinks may help prevent blood sugar levels from dropping during or after drinking sessions. Your blood sugar should be at a safe level ( mg/dl) before you drink alcohol.

Alcohol may also affect your judgment or willpower, causing you to make poor food choices. Wrenn KD, Slovis CM, Minion GE, Rutkowski R. The syndrome of alcoholic ketoacidosis. Taskinen MR, Valimaki M, Nikkila EA, Kuusi T, Ehnholm C, Ylikahri R. High density lipoprotein subfractions and prostheparin plasma lipases in alcoholic men before and after ethanol withdrawal.

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The hormone insulin, which is produced in the pancreas, is an important regulator of blood sugar levels. In people with diabetes, the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin or the body does not respond appropriately to the insulin . Alcohol consumption by diabetics can worsen blood sugar control in those patients. For example, long-term alcohol use in well-nourished diabetics can result in excessive blood sugar levels. Conversely, long-term alcohol ingestion in diabetics who are not adequately nourished can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels.