Alcohol and diabetes - find out everything you need. The compatibility of impaired glucose metabolism and alcoholic beverages is of interest to many patients, although not everyone is ready to admit it. Below you will find detailed information on this issue. Read about the nuances of drinking alcohol with type 2 and type 1 diabetes.
Alcohol for diabetes: detailed article Let's immediately announce the good news: diabetics do not have to become ardent teetotalers. Moderate alcohol consumption is allowed if there are no contraindications. Most likely, you can safely drink a glass or two of alcohol with the right snack and in good company. Read more below.
Is it possible to drink alcohol if you have diabetes?
Almost all people who have impaired glucose metabolism can consume alcohol in moderation. The following are contraindications:
- Alcoholism
- Liver diseases
- Pancreatitis, stomach ulcers, other gastrointestinal problems
- Taking antibiotics and certain other medications
Practice moderation and be sensible. Getting drunk is harmful and even deadly. Men are allowed no more than 2 drinks per day and 6 drinks per week. For women daytime and weekly norm 1.5-2 times lower. One serving of alcohol is a glass of wine, 0.33 liters of beer or a shot of 40-degree drink. Try not to drink on an empty stomach.
If you have to struggle with alcoholism, then you need to completely abstain from alcohol. Otherwise, diabetes will worsen and the risk of death from various reasons. In particular, from heart attack and stroke, oncological diseases, road traffic accidents, violent acts. Keep in mind that women develop addiction to alcohol faster than men.
Diet options depending on diagnosis:
What alcoholic drinks are compatible with diabetes?
The website promotes the control of impaired glucose metabolism. This diet is much more effective than the standard diet for diabetics with restriction of calories and fat. People who limit their carbohydrate intake are prohibited alcoholic drinks containing sugar, honey, fruit juices, syrup If there are no contraindications, you can drink vodka and other 40-degree drinks, as well as dry red and white wine. It is not advisable to drink beer, especially dark beer. It is better to switch from it to dry wine. Before drinking alcohol, make sure you have a low-carb snack on hand. Under the influence of alcohol, you may lose control and eat some prohibited foods. It is better not to allow this to happen.
Read about products for diabetics:
What are the possible consequences of drinking alcohol for a patient with type 2 diabetes?
Reasonable and moderate consumption of alcohol brightens the lives of patients with type 2 diabetes, makes the diet easier to tolerate, and improves their adherence to other recommendations for controlling their disease. If you do not have the contraindications listed above, then you do not have to sign up for a sobriety society. But if you don't drink alcohol, it's better not to even start. We repeat that alcohol abuse negatively affects glucose metabolism and increases the risk of death from all causes. Perhaps dry red wine protects blood vessels from atherosclerosis. But this has not been proven by any serious scientific research.
And some other type 2 diabetes pills can lower your blood sugar excessively. This acute complication which is called hypoglycemia. It can cause fainting and even death. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of hypoglycemia. The listed medications are harmful and increase mortality. Their use should be stopped immediately, regardless of whether you drink alcohol or not. Replace them with or . Read more articles:
- - important material!
- - symptoms and treatment
If you inject insulin, you should also study the answer to the following question.
What are the nuances of drinking alcohol for patients with type 1 diabetes?
As you know, if you inject too much insulin, hypoglycemia can occur. Because of this, a person with diabetes may experience a deterioration in their mood and well-being. And if hypoglycemia is severe, then there will be a coma, even death is possible. Normally, in response to a decrease in glucose levels, the liver breaks down glycogen and restores normal sugar in the blood. However large doses Alcohol temporarily paralyzes the liver, and it stops breaking down glycogen. In such a situation, in a patient with type 1 diabetes, hypoglycemia can be caused even by normal, not increased dose insulin. Worse yet, the people around you are unlikely to come to your aid. They usually think that the person just got drunk and fell asleep, when in fact he needs emergency treatment. medical care.
Patients with type 1 diabetes very often die from hypoglycemia caused by drinking. Even if ambulance will have time to arrive on time and bring the person to consciousness, hypoglycemia can cause irreversible brain damage. Above you read about harmful pills for type 2 diabetes. Patients can and even should refuse to take them. For people with type 1 diabetes, this will not work with insulin. Because insulin is vital for them. Therefore, if you have type 1 diabetes, you should never get drunk. The risk of a catastrophe while intoxicated is very high. The same applies to people with type 2 diabetes who are treated with insulin.
The patient should not be prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages, at least because it is not very effective. For example, according to national survey USA, 90% of the total population drinks alcohol in one way or another; 11% of American drinkers self-reported that they drink alcohol daily, and 10% of men and approximately 3-5% of women suffer from aggressive and persistent alcoholism. By making such a prohibition, the doctor seems to absolve himself of responsibility for the consequences. possible complications, and in the end only the patient loses. The doctor’s task should be to teach the patient how to drink alcohol correctly, that is, with the least harm to health. In this case, the doctor proceeds from the position of their potential more harm and dangers for people with diabetes than for people without diabetes.
The issue of alcohol consumption by patients with diabetes mellitus is usually discussed within the framework of a discussion of hypoglycemic conditions and their prevention. By inhibiting hepatic gluconeogenesis, alcohol can lead to the development of severe long-term hypoglycemia. Even in a healthy person, due to the acute effect of alcohol on gluconeogenesis, transient mild hypoglycemia may develop within 6-36 hours after drinking it on an empty stomach.
A patient receiving insulin or tableted hypoglycemic drugs initially has nonphysiological hyperinsulinemia, and the glucagon response to hypoglycemia is always suppressed. For hypoglycemia caused by alcohol intake, glucagon administration is not effective.
In addition to drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, the risk of severe hypoglycemia is significantly increased by drinking alcohol after a long interval between meals or after physical activity. There are a number of rules that patients should always remember in connection with drinking alcohol.
Drinking alcohol for diabetes
Insulin dose
If alcohol consumption is expected, the dose of insulin and tableted hypoglycemic drugs should be significantly reduced. It is recommended to either not take tableted glucose-lowering drugs at all or significantly reduce the dose.
Eating
Both before and after drinking alcoholic beverages, it is always necessary to take carbohydrate-containing food. In this case, slow-digesting carbohydrates are recommended, which, in addition to their main effect, slow down the absorption of alcohol.
Hypoglycemia
It is advisable to take easily absorbed carbohydrates in liquid form. Glucagon is ineffective.
Relatives and those around a patient with diabetes mellitus should be informed about the situations in which hypoglycemia is most likely to develop, and should have the means to relieve it.
Strong alcoholic drinks
Vodka, whiskey, cognac, rum, etc. are drinks with high content alcohol and virtually no carbohydrates. Their use is undesirable, and in large quantities is contraindicated. After reception large quantity strong drinks, which should be avoided, additional glycemic control is required, as well as avoidance of the evening dose of insulin and tableted glucose-lowering drugs. The next day, choosing the dose of insulin can be significantly more difficult.
Beer
500 ml of regular light beer containing alcohol is equivalent to 1.5 grain units. Thus, the hypoglycemic effect of alcohol in beer is balanced by the carbohydrates it contains. The carbohydrates contained in beer do not need to be taken into account when administering insulin. Beer is the most preferred alcoholic beverage.
In the liver, ethanol passes through the acetaldehyde stage and acetic acid oxidizes to carbon dioxide, thus releasing significant amount energy - about 7.1 kcal per 1 ml of ethanol. For comparison: during the oxidation of carbohydrates and proteins - 4.1 kcal/g, fats - 9.3 kcal/g. Thus, most alcoholic drinks are quite high in calories. For example, 100 g of vodka has the same calorie content as 70 g of sugar or 39 g butter, and 50 grams of cognac contains the same calories as 33 grams of chocolate.
I. Dedov, V. Fadeev
When people pick up a glass of vodka, wine or beer, they don’t think about what happens in the body after drinking alcohol and what consequences await them. Today, we will talk about whether it is possible to combine insulin and alcohol.
Diabetes and alcohol
People with diabetes are strictly prohibited from drinking alcohol, even in small doses. Insulin is a substance, an important vital hormone, due to which the level of glucose in the blood decreases. Alcohol, in turn, also reduces glucose levels, and therefore, in no case should the drug insulin be combined with alcoholic beverages or consumed by patients with diabetes.
Important! Doctors have already recorded many cases of fatal, the cause of which was the intake of alcohol and insulin at the same time.
If the temptation is too great, then a patient taking insulin and alcohol can get:
Prohibited drinks
A patient taking insulin and alcohol will feel tired, drowsy, dizzy, high blood pressure and bothered by nausea and vomiting. Drinking alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited! However, there are some that doctors allow you to drink in a very small dose for the holiday:
- Vodka (50g)
- Cognac (50g)
- Whiskey in pure form(50-70g)
- Dry wine (150-200g)
Important! The consumption of beer and red wine, as well as various cocktails, is prohibited.
Incompatible tandem: insulin and alcohol
You never know how your body will behave after drinking alcohol. Diabetics need to be careful when drinking alcohol. I would like to note that alcohol immediately after consumption enters the bloodstream, and then into the liver, where the process of absorption actually occurs. For ordinary person it is not as scary as for people with diabetes. There are rules for taking alcohol and insulin at the same time:
- First you need to consult your doctor
- Drink alcohol in permissible doses exclusively with high-calorie foods. Ideally, this is a food containing a lot of carbohydrates
- Before injecting insulin after drinking alcohol, you need to check your blood sugar levels.
Important! Taking large amounts of alcohol together with insulin can lead to low blood sugar, thereby putting a person's life in danger.
First aid for detoxification
When joyful events happen in life, we sometimes forget about the rules of drinking alcohol and the consequences after drinking it. If a person taking insulin drinks more than he should, then in this case it is necessary to quickly remove toxins from the body.
- First of all, you should rinse your stomach. This can be done using clean water. Approximately 3 liters should be drunk and vomited individually. Then do an enema.
- The second step is taking absorbent drugs. The most common is activated carbon.
- Contact your clinic or your doctor for help. Any medical help would be helpful.
Important! Statistics show that 30% of people who take insulin and alcohol die or become comatose.
To summarize, taking insulin and drinking alcohol are strictly contraindicated. Any specialist and doctor will tell you this. If you don’t have a sense of control over yourself, it’s better not to tempt fate and not drink alcohol even in minimal doses.
Good day, friends! Just around the corner New Year and a series of feasts, friendly gatherings and noisy corporate events, which in our country cannot do without intoxicating drinks.
How compatible are alcohol and diabetes mellitus whether to drink alcohol on holidays, whether you can drink vodka, wine and beer and what consequences to expect - this is what my article is about.
If it is impossible to refuse strong drinks, then do it wisely so as not to be afraid of the negative result of your choice.
Compatibility of alcohol and diabetes
Many people with diabetes have no idea how alcohol affects their carbohydrate metabolism and the course of diabetes mellitus in general. But when forewarned, it means forearmed.
A person with diabetes does not have to completely avoid participating in holiday feasts if he knows how to properly drink various alcoholic beverages and when not to do so. No, I am not against alcohol as such, but I am sure that such people should be very careful when handling this product. Why? First things first...
Is it possible to drink alcohol (vodka, beer, wine) with type 2 diabetes?
As we know, alcohol comes in different forms. Conventionally, I divided it like this:
- Strong drinks
- Weak drinks
Among the latter, we can distinguish alcohol containing a large amount of carbohydrates (beer, semi-sweet wine, sweet liqueurs, liqueurs, etc.), as well as those that do not contain sugar, for example, dry wine or champagne, and it does not matter whether it is white or red.
So what type of alcohol is preferable for people with type 2 diabetes? Since representatives with this type of diabetes always have a problem with overweight, then I do not recommend drinks with high sugar content. Because together with table food, which is rarely low-carb, your blood sugar level will go through the roof.
It is better to give preference to expensive, high-quality noble strong drinks(cognac, whiskey, rum). Firstly, there is a greater chance that you will not get poisoned, because cheap drinks are often counterfeited, and secondly, you will drink a little because it is expensive and you won’t run for a second one. Well, these recommendations are more for men. Approximately safe amount of alcohol with high percentage alcohol, such as vodka, whiskey, cognac, except for sweet strong liqueurs, is considered to be about 50-70 ml.
For ladies, you can’t think of anything better than a glass of expensive dry/semi-dry red or white wine, except maybe dry champagne aged for many years. Agree that if you pour alcohol into yourself, then only high quality. For this category of drinks, 150-200 ml is considered relatively safe.
Less commonly, people with type 2 diabetes are at risk of developing hypoglycemia due to drinking alcohol. This is due to the blockade of the protective mechanism - the breakdown of liver glycogen and the release of glucose into the blood if it decreases in the blood. This situation can threaten people taking stimulant drugs (Maninil, Diabeton, Amaryl, Novonorm, etc., as well as insulin).
Beer for type 2 diabetes
I am observing a trend that now beer is not even considered alcohol. It’s quite sad to realize this, since this is how beer alcoholism begins. But a person with type 2 diabetes should not be afraid of this; if he regularly drinks beer, he will most likely die not from liver cirrhosis, but from cardiovascular pathology, since beer leads to an even greater increase in body weight and an increase in blood glucose levels, which is toxic in such quantities.
And all because beer contains a large amount of carbohydrates, it is called “liquid bread”. In addition, hops and brewer's yeast have an estrogenic effect on the male body, suppressing the production of testosterone. Think twice before buying another bottle of beer.
By the way, the same applies to soft drinks. With the same result, you can drink a can of Coca-Cola, which also contains a lot of carbohydrates.
If you have type 1 diabetes, you can drink alcohol
People on insulin need to be more careful when drinking alcohol. Make sure that you do this in a suitable company, where they know about your disease and, if something happens, they will at least take you to the hospital, not to mention provide first aid. Never drink alone, it is very life-threatening.
And also try to measure your sugar level and take a dose of carbohydrates before going to bed. I'll tell you why later...
Now let's figure out what type of alcohol is preferable. For diabetics, type 1 is not so scary great content carbohydrates, and how much is the dose of ethanol taken. The more pure alcohol enters the body, the more the protective mechanism during hypoglycemia is blocked - the breakdown of liver glycogen.
In other words, if a person is drunk and his blood sugar drops, then if he does not take carbohydrates, he can fall into a hypoglycemic coma, because this person has personally blocked the self-rescue mechanism. At any other time, in the case of hypo, the liver would quickly release glucose into the blood and the condition would repair itself.
When a diabetic drinks sweet alcoholic drinks, he, as it were, insures himself, that is, he drinks and snacks at the same time. When drinking unsweetened strong drinks, be sure to have a good snack, and carbohydrate-containing food.
Consequences of alcohol consumption in type 1 and type 2 diabetes
So, let's summarize. What consequences can expect a person who drinks alcohol in excessive quantities and has diabetes mellitus.
Problem #1
I repeat once again that perhaps the most basic effect of alcohol on the body of a person with diabetes is a drop in sugar levels and provocation. Alcoholic drinks have unique property enhance the effect of administered insulin and glucose-lowering tablets, especially the sulfonylurea group (maninil, amaryl, etc.), but ethanol completely blocks the production of glucose by the liver, where it is stored as an “energy reserve”.
When drinking alcohol, sugar may rise strongly at first, but after a few hours it suddenly collapses and causes a state of hypoglycemia. But the most dangerous thing is delayed hypoglycemia, which can occur at any time within 24 hours after consumption. Very often, hypoglycemia occurs at night or in the morning, when the first signs go unnoticed and the person can fall into a coma.
When you have been drinking and have hypo symptoms, others may misperceive your condition and consider you a person who has had too much alcohol. As a result, assistance was not provided on time and possible death or post-hypoglycemic cerebral hypoxia, which can make you a “fool.”
ATTENTION! Injections of glucagon or epinephrine will not be effective in reversing severe hypoglycemia because the liver is blocked.
All that remains is to drink the person with sweet tea, juice, cola, in the end.
Moreover, carbohydrates should be in liquid form, so they are absorbed faster.
If the person is already unconscious, do not try to pour it into his mouth. sweet tea, so you can simply drown it, i.e. the liquid will go into the lungs and not into the stomach.
The same goes for candies and other sweets. In this case, all that remains is to call an ambulance and pray that the coma is not so deep.
Problem #2
In addition to the danger of hypoglycemia, alcohol is considered a high-calorie product. The breakdown of 1 gram of ethanol produces 7 kcal of energy, which is almost comparable to fats, which produce 9 kcal from 1 gram.
This fact is harmful for obese people, since alcohol itself has no nutritional value and eats a lot of food. As a result, a large amount of calories enters the body, some of which will inevitably be deposited in the subcutaneous and internal fat, exacerbating insulin resistance and diabetes.
Problem #3
Separately, I would like to say about taking glucose-lowering drugs and drinking alcohol. The combination of these substances in rare cases can lead to the development of metabolic alkalosis - alkalization of the body.
Metabolic alkalosis is perhaps even more dangerous than metabolic ketoacidosis because it is very difficult to bring the patient out of it.
Problem #4
Among other things, alcohol in large quantities is toxic substance, and therefore it has an effect on all organs that are already burdened by the presence of diabetes.
Rules for drinking alcoholic beverages for diabetes
Since you are planning a fun feast, then you should stick to following rules that will protect you from severe consequences drinking alcohol.
- Drink surrounded by your family, trusted friends and colleagues who know about your peculiarity and know how to help you in case of hypo.
- Never drink alcoholic beverages alone.
- Never, under any circumstances, drink on an empty stomach. Alcohol is absorbed very quickly, and therefore you need to eat well before a feast or toast.
- Throughout the feast, eat foods with medium and low so that they are absorbed more slowly and act as a kind of “shock-absorbing cushion” in case of “hypo.” Of course, the ideal compensation you were going for for a long time, it may go bad, but it’s still better than lying in a coma. If you move a lot, for example, dancing, then eat high-carb foods.
- Before the upcoming libation, it is recommended to reduce the dose of insulin by at least half, and hypoglycemic agents You can even cancel it completely at this time, i.e. do not take evening doses.
- It wouldn’t be bad if you checked your sugar level a couple of times during the feast, for example, during a break. But I believe that many people forget about this.
- Give preference to dry or semi-dry grape wines that are small doses even useful.
- Before going to bed, be sure to check your sugar level, and if it is low, then eat 1-1.5 XE of carbohydrates.
For whom drinking alcoholic beverages is strictly contraindicated?
- Persons with chronic pancreatitis. Alcohol destroys the pancreas, disrupting the production of digestive juices and insulin. There is even a type of diabetes called pancreatogenic.
- Persons with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver.
- Persons with diabetic nephropathy with renal failure.
- Persons with gout.
- Persons with impaired lipid metabolism, especially with increased triglycerides.
- Persons with a high tendency to hypoglycemia.
Of course, sometimes we all look forward to the holidays, especially New Year's, anticipating a generous feast. But you must agree, friends, that it is not the feast and alcohol that create a festive atmosphere, but family and friends who share your joy and good mood.
With warmth and care, endocrinologist Lebedeva Dilyara Ilgizovna
Diabetes mellitus is chronic disease, but people with diabetes can normal life, making sure they can control the disease. Lifestyle changes and daily habits are an important condition for the treatment and control of diabetes. If the patient violates the recommendations prescribed by the doctor, this will affect his health. Can a person with diabetes drink alcohol? There are a number important points, which must be taken into account when deciding whether to drink alcohol with this disease.
If you choose to drink alcohol if you have diabetes, you should do so occasionally and only when you have your blood sugar levels under control.
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There is no doctor in the world who recommends diabetics to drink alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can lower your blood sugar, which can cause hypoglycemia, which is quite life-threatening. Alcohol acts like sedative and slows down the functioning of the brain, reactions become slow, and in a state alcohol intoxication the patient may not pay attention to the first signs of hypoglycemia and may not take it in time necessary measures. Therefore, every diabetic should know what precautions need to be taken if he decides to drink an alcoholic drink.
If you have diabetes and decide to drink alcohol, first talk to your healthcare provider about how to do so safely.
Are diabetes and alcohol compatible?
There are two opinions about whether you can drink alcohol if you have diabetes or not.
First opinion: patients with diabetes should not drink alcohol in any case. Most doctors around the world adhere to this point of view. They claim that:
- When drinking alcohol, your blood sugar level will noticeably decrease, and this can lead to hypoglycemia;
- located in drunk a diabetic may fall asleep or simply not notice the signs of glycemia, and if the medicine is not taken on time, it threatens the health and life of a person with such a serious disease;
- alcohol leads to confusion, which can lead to hasty decisions, including when taking medications;
- if a diabetic suffers from diseases related to the pancreas, kidneys or liver, then drinking alcohol can lead to an exacerbation of diseases of these organs;
- alcohol causes irreparable damage blood vessels and liver;
- alcohol stimulates appetite, which can lead to overeating and, as a consequence, an increase in blood sugar levels;
- alcohol increases blood pressure.
Second opinion: people with diabetes can drink alcohol in rare cases and in small doses, since there are basic safety rules, if followed, the harm to the body is negligible:
- do not drink on an empty stomach;
- use only strong drinks, or only dry wines;
- Constantly monitor your blood sugar levels.
This opinion is shared by disciplined patients, as well as those who do not want to change the usual rhythm of life that they led before the discovery of the disease and do not pay enough attention to their health.
So how can alcohol affect someone with diabetes, and is it okay if you have diabetes? Which point of view is correct and which is wrong? Let's try to figure it out.
Types of diabetes
Diabetes develops mainly due to genetic abnormalities, hereditary factors, viral pathologies or autoimmune reactions. Sometimes diabetes is a consequence of not enough good nutrition, hormonal disorders, pancreatic pathologies, as well as during therapy with certain medicines. Experts distinguish several types of diabetes:
- insulin-independent;
- insulin dependent.
Non-insulin-dependent diabetes (type 2) is poorly developed and is almost always accompanied by itching sensations in the genital area. Moreover, this type of diabetes is characterized by the presence of skin pathologies of fungal and bacterial origin. The insulin-dependent form of diabetes (type 1) is typical for young patients and is characterized by rapid development. This type of diabetes causes the patient to have a constant and unquenchable thirst. The diabetic begins to lose weight quickly, urine volumes also increase due to increased fluid consumption, and muscle tissue weakness appears.
If a patient with an insulin-independent diabetic form does not receive the necessary therapy, then he begins to develop ketoacidosis with lack of appetite and nausea and vomiting symptoms. Both diabetic types are characterized by the presence of complications such as:
- angina pectoris disorders;
- vascular atherosclerosis;
- tendency to genitourinary inflammation;
- nervous system lesions;
- skin pathologies;
- fatty liver;
- pathologically reduced immune defense;
- pathologies of joint tissues;
- fragility of teeth.
Sometimes sharp jumps in sugar are accompanied by symptoms similar to intoxication: the patient begins to stagger, becomes drowsy, and suffers from weakness and disorientation. In force similar factors Persons suffering from diabetes are advised to always have a doctor's report with them indicating their pathology.
Precautions for diabetics
When alcohol is broken down in the liver, glucose synthesis is suppressed, which is especially dangerous for diabetics who drink on an empty stomach or after a workout. If a diabetic abuses alcohol, his blood pressure will begin to fluctuate, the likelihood of developing hypoglycemia increases, and painful symptoms, numbness of the extremities, neuropathic signs. Similar reaction on alcohol in diabetes is far from uncommon. But if you take alcohol in strictly limited quantities and keep insulin levels under control, the likelihood of complications is minimized. For this purpose, it is recommended to use test strips and a glucometer.
If a diabetic prefers strong types of alcohol, then he can take no more than 75 ml per day. Although it is better to prefer red wines to strong drinks, which can be consumed in quantities not exceeding 200 ml per day. Such a restriction does not say that you need to drink every day. It is better to reduce alcohol intake to a minimum and take it no more than twice a week. And in the case of diabetes, you shouldn’t drink at all - it’s better to allow drinking alcohol only on significant dates.
Alcohol and diabetes - basic rules
What should you know if you drink alcohol?
There are several types of alcohol that are strictly unacceptable for diabetes - liqueurs, beer, champagne, sweet dessert wines, low-alcohol soda, etc. In addition, when drinking alcohol with diabetes, the following rules must be taken into account:
- Alcohol is allowed no more than once a week;
- If you are taking antihyperglycemic drugs, then alcohol is strictly prohibited;
- Never drink alcohol on an empty stomach;
- Do not drink alcohol before, during or immediately after physical activity;
- When drinking alcohol, snacking on salty or fatty foods is unacceptable;
- Constant sugar control should be mandatory rule. Check your blood sugar before drinking alcohol. If it's low, don't drink. If there is such a need or reason for use, then take something to raise your blood sugar levels
- If you drink more alcohol than you planned, check your blood sugar before bed. Usually in such cases the sugar level is low, and it is advisable to eat something to raise it;
- If you like to drink alcohol mixed with other drinks, choose low-calorie combinations. Avoid sweetened drinks, juices and syrups;
- Be careful and monitor your body's reactions. Symptoms low level blood sugar and intoxication can be very similar (dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, etc.);
- If you have even the slightest doubt about your well-being, be sure to inform someone close to you about your illness, so that in case emergency you were provided with qualified and timely assistance. This is especially important!
When drinking alcohol, consider the carbohydrate content of alcoholic beverages to control your blood sugar.
More accurate carbohydrate content and calorie content of the drink can be found on the bottle label.
Even on healthy people alcohol has detrimental influence, it causes the development of many pathological conditions. That is why alcohol in diabetes initial stage and as the disease progresses, it must be strictly controlled, just like sugar. But if you follow everything necessary rules, then high-quality alcohol in limited doses cannot harm the body.
Diabetes and beer
Many people prefer beer to all alcoholic drinks, especially men. Beer is considered very nutritious product, rich in carbohydrates, so it is not recommended for consumption by diabetics. Although beer for type 2 diabetes, provided that you drink no more than a glass of the drink, will not do much harm. Such volumes of beer cannot provoke a sharp rise in blood glucose levels.
But in insulin-dependent diabetics, beer can provoke a glycemic attack, because alcohol in type 1 diabetes and insulin - dangerous combination. Their interaction in the body often ends in a coma, causing a fatal outcome.
Many diabetics mistakenly believe that beer is safe to drink. This misconception stems from positive impact brewer's yeast for diabetics. This product is often used to prevent diabetes. When a diabetic takes brewer's yeast, healthy metabolism is restored, liver activity and hematopoietic functions improve. But a similar effect is provided by taking brewer's yeast, but not beer.
How alcohol can affect diabetes
Penetrating into the body of a diabetic, alcohol has a specific effect. Alcohol in diabetes prevents the production of glucose in liver tissue and increases insulin action. Alcohol promotes destruction cell membranes Therefore, if you have diabetes, you should use it with extreme caution. Glucose penetrates immediately into the cells, causing its content in the blood to drop sharply. At the same time, the patient experiences a feeling of extreme hunger, and he cannot satisfy it even after consuming a large amount of food.
Even if the patient knows about the dangers of alcohol, it often happens that he still does not follow precautions. As a result, the diabetic develops hypoglycemia. Usually 20 ml of vodka is enough to activate the processes sharp decline sugar level. As the amount of alcohol consumed increases, the severity of the consequences increases. Although in general, alcohol in type 2 diabetes is less dangerous than in type 1 pathology.
There are certain conditions in which alcohol is strictly contraindicated for diabetics:
- With an increased tendency to hypoglycemia;
- If you have gout;
- In case of renal failure coupled with diabetic nephropathy;
- At increased content triglycerides, drinking alcohol provokes disruptions in the process of fat metabolism;
- Alcohol abuse during chronic form pancreatitis can cause secondary diabetes;
- If a diabetic simultaneously suffers from hepatitis or cirrhosis, which is quite common;
- When taking the drug Metformin, usually prescribed for type 2 diabetics. Combining alcohol with this drug leads to the development of lactic acidosis.
Meals should be evenly distributed throughout the day. Three to five doses per day are recommended. Each meal should consist of various types food products.
The occurrence of delayed hypoglycemia is especially dangerous, when the pathological clinic occurs several hours after drinking alcohol. It is quite difficult to stop such an attack because reduced level glycogen enzyme in the liver. Moreover, hypoglycemia can begin after episodic alcohol abuse or when consumed on an empty stomach.
Diabetics need to be extremely careful when drinking alcohol, because intoxication can easily be confused with an attack of hypoglycemia. The patient will not be able to detect such a complication in a timely manner, which is very unsafe. In addition, a hypoglycemic attack can be delayed, in which case hypoglycemia can begin 6-12 hours after drinking alcohol. Therefore, experts recommend that when drinking alcohol, be sure to eat before going to bed at night.
Ultimately, each diabetic himself must decide whether to drink alcohol or not, but if the answer is yes, he must carefully monitor his condition so as not to miss the approaching hypoglycemia.