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Alcohol and diabetes: How different types of alcohol can affect diabetes
Mixing alcohol and diabetes is absolutely possible — and a common occurrence — but it does require a bit more consideration to do so safely. Each type of drink can have its own impact on managing diabetes, so it's helpful to take that into account when choosing your beverage.
You might already know that alcohol has an impact on blood sugar. When you consume an alcoholic beverage, the liver turns its attention away from releasing glucose to help keep blood sugar balanced and instead focuses on processing and eliminating the alcohol from your body.
Taking a closer look at what you choose to drink (and how that type of alcohol may affect your diabetes) can help you make a safe drinking plan. Here's what to know about the different types of alcohol and the effects they can have on diabetes.
Wine
The alcohol content of wine tends to be around 12% to 15%. While the serving size is 5 ounces, many wine glasses tend to be on the larger side. As a result, it's easy to unknowingly take in more than one serving at a time, especially if you continue to refill your glass over an evening.
It's also important to pay attention to the nutritional content of different wines when living with diabetes. A dry wine may average about 5 carbs per serving, while a sweeter variation could clock in at around 15 carbs. Fortunately, most red and white wines have only 1.5 grams of sugar per serving, so it's generally a good option for people with diabetes, as long as they keep track of their servings.
Beer
A standard 12-ounce serving of beer is roughly 5% alcohol. Carbohydrates in beer can vary, with light beers and pilsners at the low end of around 6 grams of carbs, porters and IPAs in the middle at 12 to 15 grams, and stouts and wheat beers at the higher end around 20 grams. Currently, there's an abundance of low-carb beers on the market, which can be a good option for those living with diabetes.
Just as beers range in carbohydrates, they can also range in calories. If you're unsure how your body may react to alcohol, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can help track your glucose levels and alert you to any trends that may lead to a low or high event.
Hard alcohol (vodka, whiskey, tequila, etc.)
A serving of liquor is listed at 1.5 ounces. Hard alcohol can be one of the more predictable ways to partake, but it comes with some important things to note. For instance, if used in a mixed drink, the impact of blood sugar may also be mixed. If the mixers contain sugar, blood glucose will go up and then is likely to eventually come down due to the issues with processing in the liver later on.
Wine coolers, hard seltzers, and hard lemonades fall under this category, as they're often high in sugar and made with hard alcohol. Conversely, "diet" mixers have fewer carbs and research has shown that mixing alcohol with diet drinks may cause you to seem more drunk, which is important to keep in mind as well. Drinking hard alcohol on its own may be a little less complicated, but remember that it also has a higher alcohol content.
Tips for mixing alcohol and diabetes
Stick to serving sizes. Realistically, very few people are out at the bar (or at home) measuring an exact serving of their drink of choice. But it's important! Whether you're drinking wine, beer, or spirits, do your best to eyeball the drink size and stay aware that an increased serving size could magnify the potential effects.
Drinking in moderation is key. The American Diabetes Association states that men with diabetes should drink no more than two servings of alcohol in a day, and women with diabetes should stick to just one serving in that same time frame.
Monitor your levels. It can take up to 24 hours for the full effects of drinking to impact your diabetes, so keep a close eye on your CGM and/or glucometer for that period of time. Blood glucose swings can happen fast when drinking, so it's that much more important to stay on top of your numbers.
Stay hydrated to help prevent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Drinking alcohol can be dehydrating, and dehydration is a constant companion of DKA. So keep up with water, monitor for DKA symptoms during and after drinking, and consider some electrolytes if you're feeling hungover the next day.
Wear medical identification. When drinking, it's a good idea to let someone that you're with know that you have diabetes. Sometimes the symptoms of a low blood sugar episode can be confused with drunkenness, so it's vital that someone can know how to help you if you start acting differently with alcohol and diabetes.
Don't drink on an empty stomach. Eat a hearty meal before drinking and keep snacks on hand to help prevent (and treat) low blood sugar. The impact of the alcohol may mean that you need to carefully adjust your insulin dosage, so keep that in mind as you give yourself insulin during that time. If you're drinking in the evening, eating a snack before bed can be important as well.
Have a backup plan. Glucagon isn't an effective treatment for low blood glucose when you've been drinking, so keep those fast-acting carbs nearby. The liver is unable to react properly to the administration of injected or inhaled glucagon — due to its focus on processing the alcohol — making it essential to take other steps in a low blood sugar emergency.
Keep yourself in mind
While there are general expectations around how different types of alcohol can affect your diabetes, your experience may vary. It's important to keep all of this information in mind while staying aware that other's experiences with alcohol won't necessarily be the same as yours (and your own reaction may be different on various occasions). Monitor your blood sugar, keep snacks on hand, and enjoy yourself.
Looking for more tips around alcohol and diabetes? Check out this article about drinking with diabetes on the Edgepark Health Insights blog.
