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Diabetes and Alcohol - to drink or not to
drink?
The American Diabetes Association recommends that maximum 2 drinks a day for a
man and maximum 1 drink a day for a woman. Since that you have diabetes and are
on diabetes medications that lower blood glucose, there are some precautions you
should practice.
Alcohol tends to lower blood sugar and can cause hypoglycemia.
So, you should not drink when your blood glucose is low or when your stomach
is empty. It is crucial for people with diabetes -- alcohol should only
be used if your diabetes is under good control and with your doctor's
prescription.
How can Alcohol affect Diabetes
One of the liver's function is to store glucose and then release it into
your bloodstream when your blood sugar level falls. When you consume alcohol,
liver will does the job of breaking down the alcohol once it's in your body. But
it needs time. So, if you drink faster than your liver can break it down, the
excess alcohol moves through your bloodstream to other parts of your body
without being metabolized in your stomach.
Alcohol is a toxin. Your body reacts to alcohol like
a poison. The liver wants to clear it from the blood quickly. In fact, the liver
won't put out glucose again until it has taken care of the alcohol. If your
blood glucose level is falling, you can quickly wind up with very low blood
sugar.
When alcohol comes together with exercise, the risk
of low blood sugar increases. This happen because exercise helps lower your
blood sugar levels. Let's say you have an alcohol drink after the match.
Hours after the game, your body is still working to replace the energy your
muscles used up. To do this, it clears glucose from the blood and adds it to the
muscles' store. This is why exercise can cause your blood sugar level to go
down.
If you are on diabetes medications (take insulin or
diabetes pills), they too are working to clear glucose from your blood. The
action of insulin and some diabetes pills, meglitinides (Prandin) and
sulfonylureas is to lower blood glucose by making more insulin. Either you eat
or your liver adds glucose to your blood, you could be heading for a low blood
sugar level. If you have an alcohol drink, it will stop your liver from sending
out any glucose and further lowering down your blood sugar level.
Here
are a few guidelines, if you choose to drink alcohol,
- you should not drink when your stomach is empty. Try to have your drink
with a meal or after eating a snack.
- keep to sensible drinking levels.
- limit the amount. 2 drinks or fewer a day for a man and 1 drink or fewer a day
for a woman.
- don't substitute alcohol for meals.
- alternate an alcoholic drink with a low calorie mixer.
- if you use mixers in your drinks, choose ones that are sugar free, such as
diet soft drinks, diet tonic, club soda, seltzer, or
water.
- made known to your doctor before he/she prescribes a diabetes pill.
- drink only when and if blood glucose is under control.
- You should also check your blood glucose before you go to bed to make sure it
is at a safe level -- between 100 and 140
mg/dL. If your blood glucose is low, eat something to avoid a low blood
sugar reaction while you sleep.
- have a no calorie beverage by your side to quench your thirst.
- sip a drink slowly.
- Hypoglycaemia and drunken behaviour can be confused with each other. Always
wear or carry diabetes information along.
- drink plenty of water! Water helps your body replace lost fluids (dehydration)
from drinking alcohol.
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