These aren’t necessarily “bad” choices for a person with diabetes unless they are mixed with other high-calorie ingredients into a cocktail. For example, a Black Russian, made with Kahlua, contains about 279 calories and 21 grams of carbs. This article will review the best and worst alcoholic beverages for blood sugar management, as well as overall health. The potential for late-onset hypoglycemia in PWDs who take insulin happens a number of hours after consuming alcohol. Therefore, regular blood sugar checks are important, including overnight if necessary.
- It’s important to keep your personal health top-of-mind, right along with the advice of your healthcare provider.
- If someone with diabetes chooses to drink alcohol, the ADA recommends limiting consumption to a moderate intake.
- Many people with alcoholic liver disease also have either glucose intolerance or diabetes.
- If you’re lucky, it may also help prevent a hangover in the morning.
Other problems related to alcohol and diabetes
This makes it a good choice for people with diabetes — provided you drink it in moderation (25). Our writers include physicians, pharmacists, and registered nurses with firsthand clinical experience. All condition, treatment and wellness content is medically reviewed by at least one medical professional ensuring the most accurate information possible. Diabetes and alcohol abuse (such as binge drinking) can have long-lasting effects in some cases.
Alcohol and Risk of Low Blood Sugar
- Below is the alcohol content in some common alcoholic drinks, according to the CDC.
- Dr. Pinsker is board certified in Clinical Informatics, Pediatric Endocrinology, and General Pediatrics.
- Hypoglycemia treatments such as juice or regular soda might be available where you are consuming alcohol, but it’s best to have treatments on hand.
- Therefore, try to avoid them unless you’re making them yourself.
While moderate alcohol consumption lowers blood sugar, heavy consumption is harmful to diabetes and other aspects of health. Your healthcare provider will tell you how much alcohol is safe for you to drink. Depending on your health condition, that may mean no alcohol at all. In some cases, women with diabetes may have no more than one alcoholic beverage a day. If you have diabetes, you might be wondering if you can safely enjoy an alcoholic beverage, and if so, what the “best” types of alcoholic beverages are to choose from. Your blood sugar should be at a safe level ( mg/dl) before you drink alcohol.
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Check with your doctor to make sure alcohol doesn’t interfere with your medications or complicate any of your medical conditions. Alcohol can also affect other medical conditions you may have, like diabetic nerve damage, diabetic eye disease, and high blood triglycerides. People with diabetes can carry glucose tabs in case of an emergency, and they should check their blood sugar levels regularly.
USDA National Nutrient Database UCSF Medical Center 7/05
When glucose levels drop dangerously low, the body will shut down other functions to redirect the remaining stores of blood sugar to the brain. This can lead to comas, seizures, or, in very severe cases, death. Insulin’s effect is always at least somewhat unpredictable, can diabetics get drunk and you also have the delayed blood sugar-lowering effect of alcohol to worry about. The use of rapid insulin could make the morning-after hypoglycemia even more extreme. It may be safer to avoid sugary booze — and safer still to avoid any alcohol in the first place.
What does drinking in moderation mean?
- And remember that choosing not to drink is also a perfectly valid option.
- But the size of the glass and type of alcohol affects the number of units, so it’s best to check the guidelines at Alcohol Change UK.
- Regarding alcohol and diabetes, blood-sugar-reducing medications, such as insulin, increase the risk of low blood sugar, and alcohol increases the risk.
- If you do drink these with alcohol, your blood sugar may spike and then dip to dangerously low levels.
- If your blood sugar is less than 70 mg/dl and you take a glucose-lowering medication that can cause hypoglycemia, treat your low before you drink.
Things to Keep in Mind If You Choose to Drink
