Diabetes and alcohol consumption

People with diabetes don’t have to give up alcohol but it’s not always a beneficial combination and diabetics should practice caution when drinking.

Excessive alcohol consumption can cause pancreatitis which can potentially lead to type 2 diabetes. Heavy drinking is one of the biggest risk factors for chronic pancreatitis, which causes diabetes by affecting the amount of insulin the body produces.

Can people with diabetes drink alcohol?

The relationship between alcohol consumption and type 2 diabetes is complicated as it comes with risks and diabetics should monitor their drinking very closely. The risks amongst other things depend on the amount and type of alcohol that is consumed.

The liver plays a major role to regulate blood glucose levels.

“The liver is not a multitasker. If you are drinking, specifically on an empty stomach, the liver focuses on removing the alcohol from the blood instead of working to regulate blood sugar,” says Margot McCumisky, the National Manager of Diabetes South Africa.

If your liver is not releasing enough glycogen it could lead to your blood glucose levels going too low. This could lead to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), which can cause a person to pass out or in severe cases a diabetic coma or even death.

Hypoglycaemia can also lead to dizziness, confusion and blurry vision.

Beverage dos and don’ts for diabetics

“Diabetics should never drink on an empty stomach and also limit their daily and weekly alcohol intake,” advises McCumisky.

Different alcoholic drinks have varying effects on blood sugar and diabetics should rather choose alcoholic beverages that are low in sugar and carbs. It is recommended to also avoid alcoholic beverages which contain more alcohol and to also have sugar free mixers with any spirit. Light beers or dry wines are good choices as they have less alcohol and fewer calories.

Drinking slowly and drinking water in between may also help to better regulate blood sugar. Check blood levels before and after drinking as blood sugar levels can still drop as long as 24 hours after consuming alcohol.

Some symptoms of low blood sugar can look the same as being drunk and other people may not necessarily know that you need help, so it is important to carry some form of medical alert ID that says you have diabetes.

Heavy alcohol consumption also increases the risk of chronic diseases and other serious health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease. This can increase the risk of diabetes complications as some of these conditions are linked to diabetes.

Alcohol can also interfere with diabetes medicines or insulin.

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