Drinking alcohol should be avoided by persons with diabetes because it can exacerbate some of the problems associated with the disease. To begin with, alcohol interferes with the liver’s ability to regulate blood sugar. Alcohol can also interfere with the effectiveness of certain diabetes drugs.
Irrespective of whether you drink alcohol on occasion, tell your doctor about it so he or she can determine which drugs are better for you.
What Is The Best Alcohol For Diabetes?
Beer
Whether it is for only cracking open an ice-cold bottle during game night, beer is a common beverage. However, if you are drinking beer with Type 1 diabetes, one thing to keep in mind is the carb material. Light beer has 3-6 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Beer that is not light has around 10-15 grams of carbs in it.
Then consider that most individuals do not just consume one beer bottle. With an alcohol content of 4-7 percent, you can end up with lots of carbohydrates on your hands that you will have to pay for if you have diabetes. This is not to say that consuming beer is not an option because alcohol reduces BGLs; these carbs can be beneficial.
Wine
Wine, as beer’s more refined sister, is another common alcoholic beverage. Wine has an alcohol concentration of 12-15 percent, so the serving size is a reduced 5 oz. When drinking wine, as with beer, it is essential to consider the carb content, which varies greatly depending on the type of wine.
The carbohydrate content of most red wines is less than 5 grams per serving. A single 3.5 oz serving of dessert wine, on the other hand, contains a carbohydrate concentration of 14 grams.
Cocktails
Cocktails are complicated to keep track of, which is particularly vital for people with diabetes. Unless you know what you are doing, the number of carbs and alcohol in various alcohols and mixers will vary drastically. A standard serving of diet coke and rum, for instance, contains a carbs concentration of 2g, whereas regular coke and rum have 26 g.
Therefore, ensure you understand what is in the drink you are drinking to change it appropriately. Nevertheless, some of the best cocktails for persons with diabetes include:
- Bloody Mary
- Dry Martini
- Club Soda and Vodka
Hard Alcohol
Ultimately, there is hard liquor. Drinking straight alcohol has the advantage of having a meager carb count. The disadvantage is the high amount of alcohol. Since liquors contain too much alcohol, you are more likely to drink excessively and experience the adverse side effects of drinking while diabetic.
Often, if you are drinking alcohol, ensure you are drinking water as well as other liquids. You do not want to get dehydrated, as this can cause problems with your blood sugar levels.
Alcohol consumption is not without risk for diabetics. They should understand that it can result in liver damage, as well as life-threatening hypoglycemia (blood glucose drops). This is mainly if one drinks excessively, without eating, or their diabetes is poorly regulated.
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