How Alcohol Affects Your Body when you have Diabetes
Alcohol goes straight to your blood stream, unlike food which is digested in your GI tract. The liver sees alcohol as a toxin and is responsible for breaking it down and getting rid of it, which takes about 2 hours per drink. When you drink alcohol faster than the liver can break it down, you feel the effects of intoxication (you get a “buzz”).
As you may know, the liver also pumps glucose into your blood to keep your blood sugar from dropping too low. When alcohol is introduced into your system, your liver may not notice your sugar is dropping. If you take sulfonylurea pills (such as glimepiride or glipizide) or insulin, your blood sugar could drop too low. This is especially true if you have type 1 diabetes.
Alcohol can lower glucose for hours after drinking so it is vital to check your blood sugar more often than usual.
Oddly, alcohol does not lower glucose levels in everyone. For some with diabetes, it may actually raise glucose levels. Regular monitoring of your sugar will let you know how it effects you.
Alcohol itself does not have carbohydrate. Some alcoholic drinks, like sweet wine and beer, have additives that contain carbohydrates. Sugar free mixers are recommended.
Once a lady came to my diabetes class and announced that I told her to drink bourbon and diet Coke. What?!! I knew those words had never come out of my mouth so I asked her about it. She explained that she had come to a diabetes support group when she was first diagnosed and we were talking about carbohydrate content of beverages. She wanted to drink alcohol but didn’t know if she should now that she had diabetes. When she learned that bourbon and Diet Coke had 0 carbohydrate, she translated that to me telling her to drink it.
I am often amazed at how people can hear something and provide their own unique interpretation. Oh, just in case, I am NOT telling you to drink bourbon and diet coke!
Things to consider before drinking alcohol when you have diabetes:
1. Is your glucose well-controlled? Alcohol affects diabetes and it’s best not to add that monkey wrench to your diet unless your diabetes is already in a safe range.
2. If you have nerve damage (neuropathy), high blood pressure or elevated triglycerides, alcohol can make it worse.
3. Are you taking medications that warn you should not use with alcohol? Stop!
If you decide to drink, you should do so in moderation. The American Diabetes Association recommends:
- No more than 2 drinks a day for a man
- No more than 1 drink a day for a woman
- A drink is defined as:
12 oz beer
5 oz wine
1.5 oz hard liquor
If you want to occasionally enjoy an adult beverage, remember, make sure you educate yourself about alcohol and diabetes. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments below, or on my facebook page.
For more on healthy eating download my free guide, “How to Eat when you have Diabetes & Still Enjoy your Favorite Foods!”
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