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Alcohol And Diabetes - What Happens When You Drink Alcohol

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Written by Adrian Fletcher

Sunday, 06 April 2008

by AdrianFletcher

Finding out that you have diabetes is initially difficult to come to terms with. As there is no cure for diabetes you must come to terms with the fact that you will have the disease for the rest of your life and your lifestyle will change accordingly.

Treating the disease involves watching your blood sugar levels each day. You may also have to inject insulin or take pills to make your body more responsive to naturally occurring insulin. You should get regular exercise. You must take more notice over what you eat and drink.

Watching what you eat and drink is probably one of the hardest things to get used to when you have diabetes because for most people eating is a very enjoyable experience. However once you have adapted to having diabetes, you will find that meal planning is actually quite easy.

A question that often crops up is the relationship between alcohol and diabetes. Can a diabetic consume alcohol like somebody without the disease and what affect does alcohol have on the body. This article will cover some of these issues and discuss diabetes and alcohol consumption.

There is no restriction on consuming alcohol for a diabetic provided it is in moderation. Many alcohol beverages will have lots of calories and sugar in them. This has two effects. It will increase the blood sugar immediately and promote weight gain over the long term. Being overweight or putting on weight increases the chances of having other complications as a result of diabetes. Most doctors will advise diabetics to lose weight or keep their weight within a specific range of this.

After drinking alcohol, the liver will control the processing of it. One ounce of alcohol will take approximately two hours to completely metabolize. This depends on the size of the person and their physical fitness. During this time the liver stops making glucose.

Whilst this happens, there is a chance that the blood sugar level can become low. A person with low blood sugar may be hypoglycemic. Hypoglycemic people often feel tired or light headed. They may even pass out if the blood sugar is very low. This is why you should never drink on an empty stomach.

So for anyone about to drink alcohol, a small snack should be taken beforehand. This is particular relevant to diabetics and they should try to keep their blood sugar levels as stable as possible. A snack will cause the liver to create glucose and put it into the bloodstream before alcohol enters the body. If you take any diabetes pills then you shouldn't drink for a few hours after or as the prescription advises.

Avoid drinking excessively. Apart from the negative affects that alcohol can have on your body, it will make it harder for you to keep a constant blood sugar level. Keeping your blood sugar level constant is important over time because it decreases the chances of diabetic complications, like poor circulation, nerve damage and cardiovascular problems occurring.

Drinking a glass of wine with your evening meal is fine. Having a few drinks to celebrate a special occasion is also ok. As you get more experience with the disease you will know how your body reacts and can plan accordingly.

About the Author:

Learn more about health problems caused by type 2 diabetes and how the diabetes glycemic food index can help you create diabetic meal plans.