Does Alcohol Raise Blood Sugar?

0 comments

Does alcohol raise blood sugar?

Alcoholic drinks including beers, wines, whisky, cocktails, and much more are commonly consumed by millions of people today.

Alcohol consumption is done casually these days with teenagers, youth, adults, and older people indulging in alcohol use daily.

However, it is known to be the cause of several health problems when individuals consume alcohol more than the body can process at a time.

The question arises, can alcohol consumption affect blood sugar levels? Let’s take a detailed look at some facts and find out whether blood sugar is affected by alcohol consumption.

What are the contents of an alcoholic beverage?

Alcohol is usually obtained from grains of different kinds, for instance, red wine is created by fermenting grapes.

The question is, do these alcoholic drinks contain carbs or are they high in calories? Most alcoholic beers and other hard drinks only contain a high concentration of alcohol and may not contain calories at all.

However, if you opt for drinks like sweetened wines, cocktails, and other similar products with loads of sugar dumped in them, you may be right on the calories.

Thus, alcohol may contain several components and may be beneficial for health when these are consumed in amounts that are considered to be healthy.

With that being said, let’s dig a little bit deeper and understand its effects on diabetics and blood sugar levels.

Does it affect the blood sugar levels?

An occasional glass of wine or cocktail may still be beneficial for all individuals. Again this is when individuals drink in moderation. Now how much is moderate?

For women, one drink daily is beneficial for maintaining their health.
On the other hand, men are recommended to keep it limited to a glass or two of alcohol.

Now what exactly is a moderate amount? Moderate consumption of alcohol means five ounces of wine, 12-ounce beer, and so on.

These small amounts of alcohol have been said to limit the occurrence of health conditions like heart disease, improved blood sugar balance, and much more.

However, individuals rarely indulge in moderate drinking practices. Most individuals who drink occasionally, end up binge drinking which is known to be even more harmful for individuals.

Too much alcohol consumption can lead to high levels of blood sugar and cause an array of other health problems.

Here is how alcohol affects those who suffer from high levels of blood sugar:

According to research, overuse of alcohol can cause blood sugar levels to rise. On the contrary, it can cause blood sugar levels to drop to dangerously low levels.
Drinks like beer and wine that may contain sugar, can raise blood sugar levels. Also remember that the contents of a liquid are immediately absorbed by the body and thus, individuals may experience spikes in blood sugar after drinking alcoholic drinks that contain sugars.
Another drawback for individuals with high blood sugar is that alcohol may increase their appetite causing an increase in food intake and eventually raising the levels of blood sugar if healthy food isn’t consumed.
Consumption of alcohol may cause interference with the medications that individuals take glucose support pills for controlling blood sugar levels. This in turn may cause a rise in blood sugar.
Alcohol consumption may increase triglyceride levels as well.
In addition to that, individuals may also experience a rise in blood pressure and side effects like nausea, increased heart rate, and much more.

These are some of how the consumption of alcohol affects individuals and their blood sugar levels. Individuals with high blood sugar may also experience other symptoms like an increase in blood pressure and much more.

Hence, make sure to use alcohol in moderation and keep your blood sugar levels effectively.

Conditions to look out for before alcohol consumption:

It is a well-known fact that individuals with high blood sugar are at risk of vision loss, nerve damage, and so many other health conditions.

Thus, it is important to keep track of certain things if individuals with high blood sugar want to have a drink or two.

Here’s a list of things that you must look out for before consuming alcohol:

Remember to drink in moderation every day. That is one drink per day for women and two to three drinks per day for men. That means five ounces of wine, 12-ounce beer, and recommended amounts of other types of drinks.
Make sure to opt for drinks that do not contain added sugar.
If you opt for alcoholic drinks that need to be added to water or other kinds of mixers, make sure to use plain water, sodas that do not contain sugars, and diet sodas or other drinks that either contain artificial sweeteners or no sugar at all.
Make sure that you stay hydrated at all times as it helps to eliminate the effects of alcohol faster.
Make sure to have a proper amount of food along with your drink and eat foods that lower blood sugar levels naturally and are low in carbs and calories.
Avoid eating sweet foods altogether.
Monitor your blood sugar levels after you are done with your drinking session.

These are some of the things that you must keep a watch on and make sure to follow them to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

These factors play an important role, especially since diabetics must take care of themselves and make sure not to go overboard.

What are the risks of alcohol consumption in diabetics?

It has been found that heavy drinking, especially by individuals who suffer from blood sugar problems can cause various health issues.

Here are some of the risks associated with alcohol consumption in diabetics:

The risks of health issues related to diabetes include nerve damage, disturbance in fat metabolism, and eye diseases increase.
Diabetics can experience an increase in blood pressure levels when alcohol is overused.
It causes dehydration and maintaining water consumption is important for individuals suffering from blood sugar issues.
It also increases the risk of heart disease.
Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach can cause issues like the absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream.

There may be other health conditions associated with alcohol use that may worsen your health over the years.

Final thoughts

Consumption of alcohol in moderation is great. This cannot affect levels of blood sugar in your body and also reduces the risk of worsening your condition furthermore.

Additionally, while moderate consumption may be beneficial for individuals, it is advised to consult a doctor or health care provider if you suffer from blood sugar problems.

Finally, look up the amounts of alcohol recommended for men and women. You may find several charts on the amount recommended for different alcoholic drinks.

Make sure to monitor your blood sugar levels after consumption of alcohol and stay healthy at all times by keeping your healthcare provider in the loop.

Low Blood Sugar: What To Eat?

Supplements To Lower Blood Sugar Naturally

Vitamins To Lower Blood Sugar

Your Cart

Does Alcohol Raise Blood Sugar?