Alcohol Guidelines For People With Diabetes

Wondering if alcohol is off limits with diabetes? Most people with diabetes can have a moderate amount of alcohol. Research has shown that there can be some health benefits such as reducing risk for heart disease. But, moderation is important. If you have any questions about whether alcohol is safe for you, check with your doctor

People with diabetes should follow the Alcohol Guidelines For People With Diabetes if they choose to drink:

   •    Women should have no more than 1 drink per day.

   •    Men should have no more than 2 drinks per day.

*One drink is equal to a 12 oz beer, 5 oz glass of wine or 1 ½ oz distilled spirits (vodka,whiskey,gin)

Staying in control

Drinking within the government’s lower risk guidelines will help keep your drinking in control.

Here are Alcohol Guidelines For People With Diabetes :

- Eat well

A healthy meal before you start drinking, and snacks between drinks can help to slow down the absorption of alcohol. It’s particularly important if you’re diabetic. Alcohol lowers blood sugar levels, so eat plenty of food, preferably carbohydrates, to make sure blood sugar levels stay steady.
•    Wear an I.D. that notes you have diabetes.
•    Sip your drink slowly to savor it and make it last.
•    Have a zero calorie beverage by your side to keep yourself hydrated like water, diet soda, icetea
•    Try a light beer or wine spritzer made with wine, ice cubes and club soda.

- Know your strength.

Alcoholic drinks labels will have the abbreviation “ABV” which stands for Alcohol By Volume, or sometimes just the word “vol”. It shows the percentage of your drink that’s pure alcohol. This can vary a lot. For example, some ales are 3.5%, some stronger lagers can be as much as 6% ABV. This means that just one pint of strong lager can be more than three units of alcohol, so you need to keep your eye on what you’re drinking.

-Takeaways

•    If you choose to drink alcohol, follow the guidelines above and have it with food. Talk with your health care team about whether alcohol is safe for you.
•    If you drink alcohol at least several times a week, make sure your doctor knows this before he/she prescribes a diabetes pill.
•    Drink only when and if blood glucose is under control. Test blood glucose (if prescribed) to help you decide if you should drink.