Alcohol and diabetes: Can I drink alcohol in diabetes?

People with diabetes should follow a healthy lifestyle and follow a certain diet. However, many are interested in whether it is possible to drink alcohol in diabetes.

Holidays can not do without alcohol, and a diabetic person does not know how to behave at the table.

Many people are wondering whether alcohol can be consumed in diabetes mellitus (type 2 or type 1). This article will describe the basic rules regarding the consumption of alcoholic diabetics.

The effects of alcohol on diabetics

Are alcohol and diabetes combined? Getting into the body of a diabetic, alcohol has a specific effect. The drink helps to disrupt the production of glucose in the liver tissues. It decreases and the effect of insulin increases.

When you drink alcohol, it is rapidly absorbed into the blood. The drink is processed by the liver, so if a person takes insulin or drugs in tablets to stimulate the production of insulin, then the use of alcohol can cause a sharp decrease in blood sugar, as the liver function is disrupted. Alcohol in diabetes can provoke hypoglycemia. Also, huge damage is caused to the state of the cardiovascular system. A fatal outcome may occur.

Compatibility of diabetes mellitus and alcohol

As for whether alcohol and diabetes combine, there is a twofold opinion.

The overwhelming majority of doctors are firmly convinced that:

• When you drink alcoholic beverages there is a significant reduction in blood sugar, which can trigger the development of hypoglycemia.
• A drunken patient may fall asleep and not notice the first symptoms of hypoglycemia.
• Alcohol provokes confusion, which causes hasty decisions, including when taking medications.
• If a person with diabetes has problems with kidneys and liver, then the use of such drinks can cause an aggravation of diseases of these organs.
• Alcohol has a devastating effect on the heart and blood vessels.
• Alcohol can increase appetite, which can lead to excessive consumption of food and, as a consequence, an increase in the sugar content in the blood.
• Alcohol helps increase blood pressure.

The second opinion is that with diabetes you can drink alcohol, only in a very moderate amount.

There are a number of basic rules to avoid its harmful effects on the body.

A person with diabetes is advised:

• Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach;
• Use only strong drinks or dry red wine;
• Keep blood sugar under control.

Such an opinion is held by patients who do not follow strict doctor's orders and do not want to change the habitual lifestyle that they led before they discovered diabetes.

The main types of diabetes mellitus

Diabetes is provoked by abnormalities at the genetic level, and can also be caused by viral damage to the body or as a result of a malfunction of the immune system.

Often, the disease becomes the result of malnutrition, violations in the hormonal background, pathology of the pancreas, as well as the treatment of certain drugs.

Specialists are the following types of diabetes:

• Non-insulin dependent;
• Insulin dependent.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes (type 2)

How is insulin-dependent diabetes (type 2) manifested? It is inherent in slow development. This condition is accompanied by the presence of itching in the genital area. With this pathology skin manifestations of a fungal or bacterial nature develop.

The insulin-dependent form of diabetes (type 1)

It is inherent in patients of young age and is characterized by rapid development. This type of disease provokes a constant thirst. The diabetic sharply reduces weight, increases the volume of excreted urine, there is a muscle weakness. If the patient does not perform proper treatment, he may develop a ketoacidosis with a lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting.

General symptoms

For both types of disease, there are such complications as:

• Disturbances in the work of the heart;
• Atherosclerosis of blood vessels;
• Propensity to inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system;
• Damage to the nervous system;
• Various pathologies of the skin;
• Obesity of the liver;
• Weakening of the immune system;
• Degeneration of the joints;
• Fragility of teeth.

Often, a sharp change in the blood sugar is inherent symptomatology, which is similar to intoxication. The patient begins to stagger, becomes drowsy, weakens and disoriented. People with diabetes are advised to have a doctor's report with an accurate indication of the existing pathology.

PRECAUTIONS

Alcohol in diabetes mellitus provokes a decrease in the production of glucose by the liver, which is dangerous for sick people who consume alcohol on an empty stomach or after sports training.

If a diabetic drink alcoholic drinks too often, he jumps in blood pressure, increases the threshold of hypoglycemia, there is numbness of the limbs and signs of neuropathy.

This reaction to alcohol is not uncommon. If you take alcohol in a limited number and constantly monitor the level of insulin, the likelihood of side effects is minimized.

If a diabetic prefers strong drinks, then a day is recommended to take no more than 75 ml. Although strong alcohol is better to replace the dry red wine, which should be consumed no more than 200 grams per day.

If a person has diabetes, can you take alcohol daily? The limitation of quantity does not indicate that you can drink alcohol every day. Optimal will be a minimum reception, no more than twice a week.

Basic rules of alcohol use in the presence of diabetes mellitus

What should a diabetic person who drinks alcohol know? Can I drink any alcohol with diabetes? There are several types of alcoholic beverages, which in the presence of the disease drink is strictly prohibited.

To this list it is possible to rank:

• liquor;
• champagne;
• beer;
• Sweet dessert wine;
• Carbonated, containing a weak concentration of alcohol.

In addition, do not drink alcohol:

• on empty stomach;
• More often than once a week;
• In parallel with a means of reducing temperature;
• During or after sports.

It is not recommended to snack drinks with salines or fatty foods.

The golden rule should be a constant control of blood sugar levels. Check it before drinking alcohol. If he is depressed, then do not drink. If there is such a need, then you should take a drug that increases the level of sugar.

If alcohol was drunk in larger quantities than expected, then you should check the sugar reading before bed. Usually in this case it is lowered. Doctors advise to eat something to raise it.

Many people are wondering whether alcohol can be mixed with other drinks in diabetes. In this case, it is recommended to choose a low-calorie combination. It is recommended to discard sweetened drinks, juices and syrups.

In case of doubt about your further well-being, tell the person who will be nearby, about a possible reaction from the body. In this case, you will be able to provide timely assistance. It is very important.

Can I drink vodka?

Can a diabetic drink vodka? To answer this question, you should pay attention to the composition of the drink. It contains alcohol diluted with water. It does not contain any impurities and additives. However, this is an ideal recipe for vodka, which is not held by all manufacturers. Modern products contain a variety of chemical impurities, which have a negative effect on the human body.

Vodka helps to lower the level of glucose, which can provoke hypoglycemia. Drink in combination with insulin preparations prevents the development of the right amount of hormones-purifiers that help the liver in the assimilation of alcohol.

But in some cases, vodka helps stabilize the diabetic state. You can drink vodka in patients with type 2 diabetes. Alcohol in this case is able to optimize the state if the sugar index becomes higher than the permissible norm. At the same time for a day is recommended to drink no more than 100 g of drink, snacking vodka with food of average calorie content.

The drink promotes the activation of digestion and the breakdown of sugar, but at the same time it disrupts metabolic processes in the body. In this case it is better to consult your doctor.

Drinking wine

Many scientists believe that the use of dry red wine can not harm the body. However, for a diabetic, drinking alcohol is always fraught with complications.

Red dry wine contains useful substances for the body - polyphenols. They are able to control the level of glucose in the blood. When you take this alcoholic diabetics should pay attention to the percentage of sugar in the drink. The most optimal indicator is not more than 5%. Therefore, doctors recommend dry red wine, although they note that it is also not worth using.

Is it possible to drink alcohol with diabetes in unlimited quantities? At a time, the use of no more than 200 g is recommended, and for daily intake sufficient will be 30-50 g.

Drinking beer

Many people, especially men, prefer alcohol to alcoholic beverages. It is considered a high-calorie product, which contains a large amount of carbohydrates. Therefore, it is not recommended for people with diabetes.

Beer is also alcohol. With type 2 diabetes mellitus in the amount of one glass it is unlikely to bring harm. But in insulin-dependent patients, the drink can cause an attack of glycemia. Therefore, alcohol with type 1 diabetes and insulin is a dangerous combination. A coma is often provoked, which can lead to death.

Many diabetics mistakenly believe that beer does not suffer any damage to their health status. This opinion is based on the fact that yeast has a positive effect. Often this product is used for preventive purposes. When a diabetic uses brewer's yeast, then he has a restoration of healthy metabolism, liver work and hematopoiesis are optimized. But this effect is caused by the use of yeast, not beer.

Existing contraindications

There are certain conditions of the body in which alcohol and diabetes are not compatible:

• Increased tendency to hypoglycemia.
• Presence of gout.
• Reduced functionality of the kidneys in conjunction with a pathology such as nephropathy of diabetic nature.
• Increased level of triglycerides with alcohol intake, which causes a failure in fat metabolism.
• Excessive use of alcohol in chronic pancreatitis can trigger the onset of type 2 diabetes.
• The presence of a diabetic hepatitis or cirrhosis, which is quite common.
• Reception of Metformin. Usually, this medication is prescribed for type 2 disease. The combination of alcohol with this medicine provokes the development of lactic acidosis.
• The presence of diabetic neuropathy. Ethyl alcohol provokes damage to the peripheral nerves.

The intake of food should be carried out from three to five times evenly and should include different types of foods.

Particular danger is the development of late hypoglycemia, when the pathological picture occurs a few hours after drinking alcohol. To stop such an attack is very difficult because of a sharp decrease in glycogen in the liver. And this condition can manifest itself after a sporadic use of alcohol on an empty stomach.

Limitation of dose

If a person has diabetes, alcohol should be restricted.

The recommended dose of alcohol in the presence of diabetes:

• Beer - 355 ml;
• Wine - 148 ml;
• Strong drinks (gin, whiskey, port wine, rum, etc.) - 50 ml.

Conclusion

Alcohol and diabetes, according to many doctors, do not combine. Consumption of alcohol can cause a sharp drop in the sugar content in the blood. Doctors strongly recommend to refrain from drinking alcohol. But if you do not always follow this rule, then you should adhere to clear recommendations on the rules of drinking by persons suffering from impaired glucose production.