So yes, you can still drink, but you need to be aware of how it can affect your body and how to manage this. For example, drinking can make you more likely to have a hypo, because alcohol interferes with your blood sugar levels. It can affect your weight too, as there can be a lot of calories in alcoholic drinks.
The best types of alcohol for people with diabetes are those with a low sugar or carb content. That includes light beers, red and white wines, distilled spirits, and low carb cocktails, as long as you avoid sugary juices or syrups.
People with diabetes need to be extra careful with alcohol. Alcohol intake significantly increases the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels). If your diabetes is already well under control, a moderate amount of alcohol may be fine either before, during or soon after a meal.
Heavy drinking, particularly in diabetics, also can cause the accumulation of certain acids in the blood that may result in severe health consequences. Finally, alcohol consumption can worsen diabetes-related medical complications, such as disturbances in fat metabolism, nerve damage, and eye disease.
If you're looking to go low sugar, then there are some basic approaches you can take. Your best bet is to stick with hard spirits like gin, vodka, whiskey and rum, but watch your mixer. Wine is a good option, but it's best to go for a red or a dry white. Beer might be good for low sugar, but it can be high in calories.
Let's start with the basics: Distilled alcohol (meaning vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey) contain 0 grams of carbohydrates and 0 grams of sugar, which means they'll have a negligible impact on blood sugar.
However, if you are going to drink, having red wine in moderation is a healthier choice than other alcoholic drinks. This is due to its high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols, which have been linked to better heart and gut health.
The biggest concern is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). When drinking alcohol is combined with the medications most often used to treat diabetes—particularly insulin and sulfonylureas, low blood sugar can result. While a glass of wine with dinner probably isn't a big deal, a mojito on an empty stomach at happy hour is.
Only moderate amounts of alcohol had a positive impact on the development of type 2 diabetes – up to one glass of wine daily for women and up to two glasses daily for men. The American Heart Association recommends that adults who do not drink alcohol should not start.
Stopping alcohol can make a big difference in your health. It can help stabilize your blood sugar levels and reduce spikes in your blood sugar. By quitting alcohol use you will also reduce your risk of obesity which will also improve your blood sugar levels.
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. Men should have no more than two.
If you take metformin, you may have noticed this warning on the label: “Do not drink alcoholic beverages while taking this medication.” This is good advice. Drinking alcohol can cause blood sugar to fall too fast in people with diabetes.
This is most noticeable is in heavy drinkers, as over time drinking too much alcohol decreases the effectiveness of insulin, which leads to high blood sugar levels. Alcohol also affects blood sugar levels each time it's consumed, which means occasional drinkers can also be negatively impacted.
Some studies suggest that drinking coffee — whether caffeinated and decaffeinated — may actually reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, however, the impact of caffeine on insulin action may be associated with higher or lower blood sugar levels.
In short, yes, it's safe to drink coffee if you have diabetes. Although the research on coffee's benefits is mixed, as long as you keep an eye on your blood sugar and stick to coffee with less sugar, drinking coffee shouldn't be dangerous. But make sure you limit your caffeine consumption to a reasonable amount.
There's a myth about chocolate and diabetes. But you can eat chocolate, just in moderation and not too often. Try not to eat a lot in one go as it affects your blood sugar levels. If you snack on chocolate regularly it may start to increase your cholesterol levels and make it more difficult to manage your weight.
Moderate alcohol consumption (no more than one to two drinks per day) is perfectly safe for most people with diabetes. To avoid hypoglycemia, don't drink on an empty stomach and check your blood sugar often while drinking and up to 24 hours after you stop drinking.
Gin has less sugar and fewer calories than some other liquors. If you already consume alcohol, gin may be a slightly healthier option. Be careful with mixers, however. They can make the sugar content of your drink skyrocket.
A person with diabetes can drink whiskey regularly as long as they are careful of the quantity. Higher levels of alcohol might lead to hypoglycemia or problems with the liver. Not more than 1-2 alcoholic beverages in a day should be consumed by people with diabetes.
There is no cure for type 2 diabetes. But it may be possible to reverse the condition to a point where you do not need medication to manage it and your body does not suffer ill effects from having blood sugar levels that are too high.
Barley or jau water is high in insoluble fibre, which makes it good for diabetics. It is recommended for diabetics as it helps stabilise blood glucose levels. Make sure you drink unsweetened barley water to get effective results. The antioxidant properties of barley water also helps keep many diseases at bay.