Limit Alcohol Consumption

For all of you who enjoy a glass of wine over dinner, here is some good news – alcohol is not off limits when you have diabetes, especially if you have your sugar levels under control. The American Diabetes Association recommends no more than one alcoholic drink per day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men (1 drink = 12 ounces of beer = 5 ounces of wine = 1.5 ounces of liquor).

The reason to limit alcohol intake is that alcohol can increase the risks of diabetes complications.

What are these risks?

Hypoglycemia – is when your blood glucose levels fall too low. Drinking alcohol can increase the chances of this happening, especially if you’re on insulin or certain types of medication. Why does this happen? Usually, when your blood glucose levels drop, your liver will convert the carbohydrates that it stored, into glucose – keeping your sugar levels stable and preventing hypoglycemia.

When you have alcohol in your system, your liver’s priority is to remove the alcohol from your body. The presence of alcohol inhibits liver’s capacity of producing glucose, leading to hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia causes dizziness and disorientation, so it can make you seem like you are drunk. It is best always to carry an ID that says you are diabetic, to get the right treatment if such time comes.

If you’re diabetic, and you drank alcohol, check your blood glucose level before you sleep. If it’s in the range of 100 to 140 mg/dL, you’re fine. If it’s lower than that, eat something. If you do drink alcohol, make sure to eat foods with carbohydrates to prevent hypoglycemia.

High Blood Pressure is a complication of diabetes that should be a cause for concern. Regularly consuming significant amounts of alcohol can raise your blood pressure, causing other conditions such as cardiovascular disease.

Neuropathy is another complication of diabetes which can be exacerbated by alcohol. It is linked to high blood pressure and is a condition where your nerves are damaged.

Weight Gain is possible due to the high-calorie content of alcoholic drinks. Since diabetics are being advised to lose weight, drinking alcohol doesn’t help.