Moderation is the Word When it Concerns Alcohol for Diabetics
Nowadays, moderation is advocated when it comes to drinking alcohol as it lessens the possibility of getting cardiovascular disease. However, nothing much is mentioned about diabetes and alcohol, although moderation in the consumption of alcohol also does lessen diabetic complications and risk. It is necessary to be aware that moderation in everything together with a healthy diet and lifestyle is best.
And if you do not think that has any truth, just look at some of the studies given below.
- More than 37,000 diabetics participated in a study in which they were requested to report on their consumption of alcohol together with Hgb A1c levels. (Hgb A1c levels gives information concerning the control of blood glucose for a certain period.) According to the study, the best control of blood glucose was achieved by those diabetics who were moderate alcohol drinkers. So, the researchers came to the conclusion that moderation in the consumption of alcohol can raise the body’s response to insulin, and so, lower blood glucose levels’ average.
- Researchers contrasted and combined the results of 20 studies to discover that the possibility of getting type II diabetes is the least when male participants of the studies consume 22 to 60 g/day alcohol and women participants consume24 to 50 g/day alcohol.
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So, what is the problem? Obviously, no pregnant lady would want to drink alcohol during her pregnancy. Neither would you hope to be an alcoholic, have liver problems or get into some kind of trouble for drunken behavior. Certainly, you would not want alcohol to dim your recognition of the symptoms of hypoglycemia, especially if are often hypoglycemic. If you have a weight problem, losing some of that weight can be almost impossible if you drink alcohol, as each gram of alcohol gives you 7 calories. And if it is not possible to practice moderation in drinking alcohol, you had better abstain from it because having at least three drinks each day can lead to diabetic complications like eye disease occurring through a long period of badly managed glucose control. Too much alcohol can cause high triglycerides levels, raise blood pressure and multiply the chances of stroke.
Diabetics who drink from time to time and in moderation ought to think of the following points which are beneficial to them.
- After each drink, check your blood glucose more often than usual, with once after an hour of the drink, another two hours later, and before bedtime. The effect of alcohol on blood glucose stays for as long as 12 hours after your drink.
- It is wise to drink only while eating as alcohol in an empty stomach can bring about hypoglycemia. If you always drink moderately, have 10 grams of fat for every one drink. However, when you wish to make changes to your meal plan with fat added, for example, you should talk to your medical practitioner about it first.
- If you want to drink, it is advisable to play safe by having ready at hand some glucose. Even though a drink may not seem to affect you, eating less carbohydrates or being involved in a little bit more activities can increase your hypoglycemia risk.
But, what exactly is a drink? It is calculated according to the alcohol content and is the same as the amounts given for the following alcoholic drinks.
- Beer: 12 ounces
- Wine: 5 ounces
- Vodka, whisky, and liquors: 1-1/2 ounces
Even though alcohol does cause your blood sugar level to decrease, it is still not advisable to take alcoholic drinks with sugar added to them. When alcohol is blended with sugar it can quickly raise blood glucose level initially but have it lowered later. The best choice of alcoholic drinks for diabetics is red wine, or low-carbohydrate beers. There is beer for diabetics with the amount of its contents controlled to prevent too much drinking. You have to be careful when pouring wine as filling your glass to the top would definitely be too much. You have to pour out only 5 ounces which you will discover you will only fill 1/3 – 1/2 of your wine-glass if you use rounder or taller drinkware. As for hard liquors such as vodka, liquors, and whisky, 45 mls, or what is considered a drink, is so little that it is not difficult to pour out more than what is to be taken.