Can I Drink Alcohol If I Have Type 2 Diabetes?

But if you do drink, know that not all alcoholic beverages are created equal when it comes to diabetes. In most cases, people with type 2 diabetes can drink alcohol in moderate amounts. As you may well know, living can diabetics get drunk with type 2 diabetes often means cutting out or cutting back on foods and beverages that can affect sugar (glucose) levels in the blood. The bittersweet flavor combo makes it a popular coffeehouse drink.

Alcohol and hypos

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) unawareness occurs when someone with diabetes has a drop in blood sugar but doesn’t recognize the symptoms. This happens when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or does not respond to insulin as it should. Researchers have clocked a rapid surge of young people receiving popular diabetes and weight loss drugs.

  • Unlike protein, fat, or carbohydrate, alcohol doesn’t require insulin to provide energy to the body.
  • Alcohol can interact with diabetes medications and impact your blood sugar.
  • Thus, you should drink in moderation and follow the practices listed above.
  • While alcohol can lower blood sugar levels, it also has the potential to increase them.
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Fruit and Diabetes – Can I Eat Fruit?

The bottom line is that any person with diabetes who wishes to consume alcohol should first discuss it with a doctor. Beverages such as beer and wine can have an alcohol content of 2–20%. Drinking is individualized and there’s no universal rule for how to do it safely when you live with diabetes. Talk to your doctor about your drinking habits and they can provide you with tips and tricks for how drink in a way that works for you. If yours is low, follow your physician’s recommendations, such as consuming some carbs to counteract the drop. Glucagon kits, widely used to treat hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes, do not work as well if someone has alcohol in their system.

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Can People With Diabetes Drink Alcohol?

If you do wake up with a hangover, it’ll still help to drink plenty of water. If you drink a lot or on an empty stomach, you’re even more likely to have a hypo. But the size of the glass and type https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of alcohol affects the number of units, so it’s best to check the guidelines at Alcohol Change UK. However, the carb content of your drink may vary depending on what you mix the liquor with.

  • Have a snack or meal as you sip or immediately beforehand to lower the risk of hypoglycemia.
  • In fact, some evidence shows that many people with type 2 diabetes can safely enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages, and it may even bring about some benefits.
  • In comparison, the number of young people receiving other medications stayed relatively flat over the same period.
  • If you have more than a single drink, most alcoholic drinks will tend to initially raise your blood sugar.
  • As with tea, it’s important that your coffee remain unsweetened.
  • It’s important to keep your personal health top-of-mind, right along with the advice of your healthcare provider.

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Always Monitor Your Blood Sugar Levels

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Diabetes, Alcohol, and Social Drinking

  • If you’re counting your carbs to know how much medicine or insulin to take, drinking can complicate your calculations.
  • Typically beers, lagers, wines, sherries and liqueurs will have this effect.
  • Talk to your doctor about your drinking habits and they can provide you with tips and tricks for how drink in a way that works for you.
  • In addition, alcohol consumption may excessively raise or lower your blood sugar levels, depending on the drink and whether you have eaten recently (2).
  • There is no need for people with diabetes to give up alcohol simply because of their diabetes.