The relationship between diabetes and drinking

Heavy drinking is one of the causes of the risk of developing diabetes, and reduction of alcohol consumption (reducing the amount or frequency) is required in the treatment of diabetes.

Should diabetic patients drink alcohol? What is the relationship between diabetes and alcohol consumption?

This time, I will tell you about "diabetes and alcohol" in an easy-to-understand manner.

We will also introduce effective ways to avoid drinking too much alcohol, so please read to the end.

Does alcohol cause diabetes

Drinking alcohol does not mean you will get diabetes. However, the amount of alcohol you drink can affect your diabetes.

Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing diabetes.

The reason is the calories in alcohol.

Alcohol is high in calories. For example, he drinks 3 cans of 500cc beer for 630kcal, which is about the same amount of calories as a large serving of rice (370g).

Approximate amount of calories in alcohol

Drinking a large amount of alcohol can lead to a calorie surplus (calorie intake > calorie expenditure), which can lead to obesity, which is one of the causes of diabetes.

Heavy drinking causes obesity and may indirectly cause diabetes, so it is necessary to pay attention to the amount of alcohol consumed.

Effects of Alcohol on Diabetes

Basically, in diabetes, there is nothing better than refraining from drinking alcohol.

This is because alcohol disrupts blood sugar control and increases the risk of developing complications such as nephropathy and neuropathy.

Click here to learn more about neuropathy

Alcohol has the effect of accelerating the breakdown of glycogen (a polysaccharide made up of many glucoses) stored in liver cells.

As the breakdown is accelerated, the amount of glucose increases, so the blood sugar level rises temporarily after drinking alcohol.

Alcohol can also make the effects of your medications last longer or make them less effective.

Precautions when diabetics drink alcohol

Start by asking your doctor if it's okay to drink alcohol.

It is important to get advice from your doctor about your diabetes status.

If you are told that it is OK to drink, try to drink in moderation.

What is the appropriate amount according to the type of alcohol?

The recommended amount of alcohol per day is 20g for men and 10g for women. Let's decide the amount to drink according to the recommended amount.

Appropriate amount of alcohol

It is important to know your own dosage and not to drink too much.

can i drink highball

A highball is a drink made by mixing whiskey with soda. It is popular for its refreshing taste.

Some people think that highballs do not contain carbohydrates, so they can drink them without worry.

But highball is also alcohol. Are you really safe?

Diabetics can drink highballs, but the appropriate amount is about one 350ml can. If you drink from a mug, it's about 1 cup.

The whiskey, which is the raw material, does not contain sugar, and the highball made from whiskey is also sugar-free.

You thought, "If it's zero sugar, isn't it okay to drink a lot?"

Highballs are alcoholic beverages, even if they don't contain sugar. Excessive drinking can lead to poor glycemic control.

Excessive alcohol consumption puts a strain on the liver (the organ that breaks down alcohol), making it easier for people to develop fatty liver (a condition in which there is fat in the liver), which is the initial stage of liver disease.

With fatty liver, insulin resistance (=hormone that lowers blood sugar level, impairs the effectiveness of insulin) is likely to occur, and blood sugar level does not fall as expected, blood sugar control is disturbed, and the risk of developing complications increases. .

Even if you say zero sugar, you can never feel relieved. Please keep the highball in moderation.

Is it okay to drink wine even though it doesn't contain sugar?

There are various types of wine such as red wine, white wine, and rosé wine, but you can drink any wine.

Wine, like highballs, has zero sugar, but just like other alcoholic beverages, try to drink in moderation.

Two glasses of wine (about 200ml) contain 20g of alcohol. Be careful not to end up with just one bottle.

Does non-alcoholic beer matter at all?

Non-alcoholic beer is a beer-flavored beverage.

Some foods, even those that do not contain alcohol, can affect blood sugar levels.

This is because the ingredients of non-alcoholic beer often contain sugars such as starch syrup and fructose grapes.

Non-alcoholic beer that contains sugar can be said to be a barley-flavored carbonated drink with sugar.

When purchasing non-alcoholic beer, look at the ingredients list and choose one that does not contain sugar.

To avoid drinking too much alcohol

When drinking alcohol, it is recommended to drink carbonated water together.

Carbonated water contains carbon dioxide gas, and when you drink it, gas bubbles expand in your stomach. These bubbles will give you a feeling of fullness.

Another option is to order soups and other soups early and drink them with sake.

The warm soup will calm your hunger, and by eating the ingredients while drinking slowly, you will feel full more easily.

Both carbonated water and soup are effective in preventing overdrinking, so please try them.

summary

Diabetes and alcohol summary

As mentioned above, there is a high possibility that heavy drinking is a cause of diabetes, and alcohol itself has the risk of disturbing blood sugar control.

Please consult with your doctor about whether or not you can drink alcohol, and if it is okay, drink in moderation. The recommended amount of alcohol per day is 20g for men and 10g for women.

Highballs and wine have zero sugar, but they are alcoholic beverages like other alcoholic beverages. Please keep the appropriate amount in mind.

Also, some non-alcoholic beers contain sugar as an ingredient. Look at the ingredients list before purchasing.

Also, if you drink carbonated water or soup when you drink alcohol, it will help you feel fuller and prevent overdrinking.

Earlier, we talked about Diabetes and Alcohol.

I would be happy if the contents of this time would be useful to you who have a lot of opportunities to drink alcohol.