Diabetes and Alcohol

Finding out that you have diabetes is initially difficult to come to terms with. In order to treat diabetes you will have to check your blood sugar level each and every day. You will either have to inject insulin or take some form of medication to make the body more responsive to insulin. Above all, you should try to get more exercise and control what you eat and drink.

If you do drink alcohol, drinking small amounts is generally considered to be of benefit to your health. However, it is easy to drink too much alcohol. If you drink excess alcohol it may have a negative impact on your health. Excessive alcohol intake can impair the management of your diabetes and may worsen any diabetes related complications.

How Alcohol affect Diabetes?

Alcohol can make blood glucose too high or too low. Moderate amount of alcohol can cause blood sugar to rise but excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar level (sometimes to dangerous levels). When you drink, the alcohol goes from your stomach straight into your blood. Within 30 to 90 minutes after drinking, the alcohol in your bloodstream hit its highest point.

When there is no alcohol in your blood, liver keeps blood sugar level from going too low by changing stored carbohydrate into glucose, the glucose is then release into your blood. However, when alcohol enters your system, the liver treats alcohol as a toxin and works to rid the body of alcohol as quickly as possible. Until the alcohol has been processed and cleared, the liver will not produce glucose again. It takes your liver about 2 hours to break down one drink. If you drink alcohol faster than your liver can breaks it down, the liver will be busy breaking down alcohol and therefore will not be able to release glucose into your blood. This causes your blood glucose level to continue to drop and you may end up with very low blood sugar.

How much alcohol is safe to drink when I have diabetes?

Research indicates that in general, the level of alcohol consumption associated with the least risk for people with diabetes is the same as that for the general population. It is recommended to limit alcohol intake to one drink for women and two drinks men.

One drink is defined as:

• 300 ml of regular beer (150 calories),
• 150 ml of wine (100 calories),
• 45 ml "shot" of distilled liquor (100 calories).

People with severe diabetes or people who take certain diabetes medications/insulin, and/or have diabetes related complications are recommended to consult their doctor for more personalized advice.

When Alcohol is Harmful

Drinking alcohol is a poor choice if diabetics have the following conditions: nerve damage from diabetes in the arms or legs, eye disease, high levels of triglycerides and high blood pressure.

Even light drinking of alcohol can damage nerve cells. It can increase the pain, numbness, burning or tingling sensation associated with diabetic nerve damage. For diabetics with eye disease symptoms, heavy drinking (three or more drinks during one day) can make the condition worse. Alcohol can also increase the amount of triglycerides in the blood. Even very light drinking can increase triglyceride levels. Diabetics who have high triglycerides should not drink alcohol at all.

Any precaution I should take?

Here are some tips that will help you manage your diabetes :

• Avoid mixing alcohol with any kind of medication as alcohol can interfere with the effects of oral diabetes medicines or insulin.
• Drink not more than 2 drinks per day.
• Do not drink when your stomach is empty in order to prevent very low blood sugar level.
• Drink some water or a diet soft drink before drinking any alcohol, so that you are not thirsty when you start.
• Drink slowly to make sure that you liver has enough time to break down the alcohol.
• Select drinks that are lower in alcohol and sugar - dry wine, light beer, or unsweetened liquor (whiskey, brandy, rum, vodka or gin) mixed with plenty of low calorie mixer, club soda or water are better than other alcoholics drinks.
• Drink a non-alcoholic drink between each alcoholic drink (for example, water or a diet soft drink).
• Stick with sugar-free mixers such as diet soft drink, diet tonic, club soda or seltzer for mixed drinks.
• Avoid drinking immediately after exercise.
• Always check your blood glucose after you drink to see how alcohol affects you.

If you are experiencing any complications with your diabetes, or your blood sugar has not been well-managed, drinking any alcohol is discouraged and could add to already existing problems. A diabetic is very receptive to changes in their bodies, and for the most part, know when to stop; if you feel like you shouldn't take a drink, you probably shouldn't. Your friends and family can be a great support system too, so take advantage of it at the times you feel weak. With diabetes, a strong foundation is a great start to a steady future.