Effects of alcohol on diabetes

If you have diabetes, drinking alcohol can raise or lower your blood sugar. Therefore, you should only drink alcohol occasionally and only when your diabetes and blood sugar are well controlled.

Here are some of the effects that alcohol can have on people with diabetes :
Beer and sweet wine contain carbohydrates so, if consumed, will increase blood sugar. Alcohol stimulates appetite leading to overeating in diabetics and affects blood sugar control. Alcoholic beverages are often high in calories, making it harder to lose weight. Alcohol can also affect one's judgment or mental clarity, leading people to make incorrect diabetic healthy food choices. increase the effect of these drugs, which lowers blood sugar too much Alcohol increases triglycerides Alcohol raises blood pressure Alcohol causes flushing, nausea, increased heart rate, and slurred speech Alcohol can cause confusion or cover up Signs of low blood sugar.

Although studies show that moderate alcohol consumption can reduce the risk of diabetes, heavy alcohol use can increase the risk of diabetes. Moderate alcohol use is defined as one drink per day for women of all ages and men over the age of 65, and up to two drinks per day for men 65 years of age and younger.
This is because drinking too much alcohol can cause chronic pancreatitis, which causes the pancreas to decrease its ability to secrete insulin to control blood sugar and eventually lead to type II diabetes.

People with diabetes should not drink alcohol, or if they do, they should follow these guidelines:
Do not drink more than two drinks a day if you are a man, or one if you are a woman. (Example: one alcoholic drink = 142ml glass of wine or 43ml of liqueur or 340ml of beer). Only drink alcohol with food. Try to drink with meals or before drinking to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia, so when eating you need to choose foods that contain carbohydrates Drink slowly Avoid beverages that are mixed with many drinks. because these drinks have sugar, sweetened wines or juices Mix liqueur with water, soda or diet soft drinks Always wear a medical bracelet to let others know that you have diabetes to limit inviting you drink alcohol. In the event of an emergency, the medical staff will immediately know that you have diabetes to provide timely and accurate treatment. Check blood sugar: Alcohol can cause your blood sugar to drop, even after 24 hours of drinking. Check your blood sugar at bedtime and make sure it's in the safe range of 100-140mg/dL. If your blood sugar is low, following your doctor's instructions or eating/drinking extra calories before bed, although not a proper diet, will help you avoid low blood sugar while sleeping.

At Vinmec International General Hospital, we always deploy a screening package for diabetes and dyslipidemia to help detect pre-diabetes early, accurately classify diabetes type, develop a nutritional regimen, monitoring to minimize the risk and complications caused by diabetes.
To register for examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide, or register online HERE
Reference sources: webmd.com, mayoclinic .org
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