Regarding alcohol and diabetes, blood-sugar-reducing medications, such as insulin, increase the risk of low blood sugar, and alcohol increases the risk. Symptoms of low blood sugar include shakiness and confusion and must be treated immediately. When people with type 2 diabetes drink alcohol, it comes with risks. However, it does not mean people with type 2 diabetes cannot drink alcohol. The risks depend on how much alcohol a person consumes, as well as the type. Medical experts have determined that even moderate drinking increases health risks for everyone, but for people with diabetes it holds unique short- and long-term dangers.

Because even moderate alcohol consumption can adversely many aspects of health, the negatives seem to outweigh the positives. The same is true of cocktails made with regular soda or mixers, simple syrup, and other types of added sugar, or fruit juice. Dessert wines contain considerably more sugar than other types of wine. If your glucose drops to less than 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), you’ll need to down 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates. This could be three or four glucose tablets, 4 ounces of juice (a small juice box), or five pieces of hard candy (and not chocolate).

The effect alcohol will have on your diabetes depends on how much you drink, what you drink, when you drink, and what your medication regimen is. Speak with your healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns about how alcohol impacts diabetes. Alcohol is a depressant that impacts how your brain communicates with your body. If you have a history of depression or depressive symptoms, drinking alcohol can worsen your condition.

Are there benefits to drinking alcohol with diabetes?

It is a good idea to check with your doctor to see if drinking alcohol is safe for you. Drinking alcohol can be an especially dangerous activity for people with diabetes — here’s why. According to the American Heart Association, red wine contains antioxidants, which are compounds in certain foods that help prevent cell damage. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) unawareness occurs when someone with diabetes has a drop in blood sugar but doesn’t recognize the symptoms. As you mull these ideas, keep in mind that much remains to be learned about how alcohol affects people with diabetes. Alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream from the stomach or the small intestine, carried through the body, and delivered to the liver.

Alcohol takes longer to be absorbed into your bloodstream if you have food in your stomach. Before heading out to a bar or restaurant where you plan to have a drink, put on your medical ID bracelet. This way, if an emergency arises, medical personnel (who are trained to look for IDs) will know you have diabetes. Glucagon kits, widely used to treat hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes, do not work as well if someone has alcohol in their system. Reviews often describe this beer as refreshing, easy to drink, and not too filling due to its lower carb count. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one standard drink in the United States is equal to 14 grams (g) (0.6 ounces [oz]) of pure alcohol.

Alcohol impairs your liver’s ability to produce glucose, so be sure to know your blood glucose number before you drink an alcoholic beverage. Here’s what you need to know about drinking and how to do it safely. Alcohol consumption can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels. This is because the liver has to work to remove the alcohol from the blood instead of managing blood sugar levels. Alcohol consumption can also lead to situational unawareness of low blood sugar levels.

The ADA does not forbid a person with diabetes from consuming alcohol, but they do not advise it either. If someone with diabetes chooses to drink alcohol, the ADA recommends limiting consumption to a moderate intake. This translates to one drink per day for females and up to two per day for males. Keep reading to learn more about how alcohol affects people with diabetes, including types of alcohol and how alcohol may cause hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels. After you drink alcohol, your blood sugar levels can drop up to 24 hours later. Check your tom arnold fat blood sugar before and while you’re drinking and then again before you go to bed.

The increase in blood sugar levels gives way to symptoms of being roofied hyperglycemia, or too-high blood sugar. This can cause a host of symptoms, from thirst and frequent urination to slow-healing wounds and disorientation. Avoid drinking traditional cocktails, dessert wines, and cream liqueurs, because they’re generally high in sugar.

The Long-Term Effect of Moderate Drinking With Diabetes

Doctors advise some people with diabetes to abstain from alcohol for reasons unrelated to their blood sugar. The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) warns that individuals with diabetes may have other conditions that alcohol could affect. In addition, certain non-diabetic medications do not mix well with alcohol.

Choose Wisely

Nevertheless, it would be wise for GLP-1 users to remain careful with alcohol. Drugs in the GLP-1 family, including semaglutide and tirzepatide, are known to provoke vomiting — just like excessive drinking. Drinking less—as any healthcare professional will tell you—is better.

Alcohol intoxication mimics signs of low blood sugar, such as dizziness, blurred vision, and fatigue. So you may not know if your blood sugar is low or what you’re feeling is just the effects of the alcohol. This article discusses how alcohol can impact diabetes and related conditions and offers tips for safe drinking. The bottom line is that any person with diabetes who wishes to consume alcohol should first discuss it with a doctor.

This is because the liver is where excess glucose is stored in a form called glycogen. People with blood sugar issues should avoid consuming mixed drinks and cocktails. These drinks are often full of sugar and empty calories and may increase blood sugar levels. Excess amounts of alcohol can alter the way your medicines work. Drinking alcohol when you take glucose-lowering medications (insulin) or certain oral medications can increase the risk of low blood sugar.

1. Food, on the other hand, is digested gradually, so it provides better protection against lows.
2. However, the liver can’t do this and metabolize alcohol at the same time.
3. But if you do have diabetes, drinking safely involves more planning.
4. Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy.
5. Any alcohol that the liver does not break down is removed by the lungs, kidneys, and skin through urine and sweat.
6. With all of this in mind, the risks of drinking alcohol when you have type 2 diabetes may outweigh any benefits.

This means drinking can make it even harder for people with type 2 diabetes—which is defined by elevated glucose levels—to manage their blood sugar. The main function of your liver is to store glycogen, which is the stored form of glucose, so that you will have a source of glucose when you haven’t eaten. When you drink alcohol, your liver has to work to remove it from your blood instead of working to regulate blood sugar, or blood glucose. For this reason, you should never drink alcohol when your blood glucose is already low.

Now, does that mean that someone with diabetes can’t drink alcohol? But if you have diabetes and want to enjoy happy hour, it’s best to take an approach that offers you some protection. Liquid sugars are quickly absorbed by the body, so those carbs won’t be much help in preventing or treating a low that may occur hours after you drink. Food, on the other hand, is digested gradually, group activities for recovering addicts so it provides better protection against lows. Too much drinking, on the other hand (more than three drinks daily), can lead to higher blood glucose and A1C.

Healthy Living e-Newsletter

There are many different types of drugs that can work in different ways to lower your blood glucose (blood sugar). Drinking is individualized and there’s no universal rule for how to do it safely when you live with diabetes. Talk to your doctor about your drinking habits and they can provide you with tips and tricks for how drink in a way that works for you. That can make it especially difficult to get a grip on how many carbs and calories you’re consuming.