Wondering which alcohol is good for diabetic patients? Learn about alcohol and diabetes.
Are alcohol and diabetes a good mixture? It’s a common question and the research may leave you guessing. While many studies in the past have showed that excessive alcohol and diabetes can be a disastrous combination, potentially making nerve damage or high blood pressure from the disease worse, a new study is raising some eyebrows.
The latest study was published in the journal Diabetologia, and researchers came to their conclusions after studying the health and drinking habits of 70,000 healthy Danish men and women for five years. Looking for specific links of who developed diabetes, researchers believe the study showed that people who drank between three and four days per week were less likely to develop diabetes by 30 percent, over those people drank alcohol less than once per week. The type of alcohol was also significant, with researchers believing those who drank wine moderately saw the most decrease in Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. When the alcohol was consumed was also highlighted by the study, with lead study author Janne Tolstrup staying that spreading it out on more days is better than drinking it all together.
When considering which alcohol is good for diabetic patients, what makes wine so special? The authors of this specific study believe it may involve the polyphenol compounds in red wine, which are believed to manage blood sugar levels. The study also showed that beer was linked to lower diabetes risk, but this only seemed to occur in men.
While the study showed interesting correlations to alcohol and decreasing one’s likelihood to become diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, much more research is needed. Tolstrup added that alcohol is closely related to over 50 diseases and affects people in both negative and positive ways. While this particular study highlighted a correlation between alcohol and diabetes, it did not look at other diseases, for instance, how prior research shows that small amounts of alcohol increased a woman’s risk of breast cancer.
Because alcohol can affect almost every organ in the body, it is important for people to stick to current alcohol recommendations and guidelines. Regarding alcohol and diabetes, it is important for anyone with diabetes to understand how this drink can affect the disease:
- Alcohol may interact with certain medications people with diabetes take to manage the disease.
- Alcohol impacts the liver, which may result in the liver not properly regulating blood sugar levels.
- For up to 12 hours after consuming alcohol, it can cause blood sugar levels to drop. In some cases, this drop can be dangerous. Be sure to check your blood sugar before you begin drinking and while consuming alcohol and eat a snack if it dips below 100 mg/dL.
Sources:
http://time.com/4876998/drinking-wine-diabetes/
