Probably the most ceaselessly asked questions from individuals with diabetes besides “what should I eat?” is “is it okay to drink alcohol when an individual has diabetes?” My response is at all times the identical. Recommendations regarding alcohol consumption for individuals with diabetes are the identical as those for the final population.

So, what are the recommendations for drinking alcohol sparsely?

In response to Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, even a small amount of alcohol may be damaging. Research shows that no amount or sort of alcohol is sweet on your health. It doesn’t matter what sort of alcohol it’s—wine, beer, cider or spirits. The more alcohol you drink per week, the more the risks.

What are the health risks of drinking alcohol?

The chance to your health from drinking alcohol will rely on the quantity you drink:

• 7 or more standard drinks per week – Your risk of heart disease or stroke increases. Each additional standard drink increases the danger of those.
• 3 to six standard drinks per week – Your risk of developing several several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, increases.
• 1 to 2 standard drinks per week – You’ll likely avoid alcohol-related consequences for yourself and others.

What is taken into account an ordinary drink?

A typical drink in Canada is defined as:

• 12 oz of beer, cider, or cooler with 5% alcohol content OR
• 5 oz wine with 12 % alcohol content OR
• 5 oz distilled liquor with 40% alcohol content (rum, gin, spirits)

Should alcohol be avoided completely?

The suggestion is that individuals consider reducing their alcohol use. Every person can have different comfort levels with different levels of risk. The explanation why some people will want to reduce alcohol use is that in line with research:

• 1–2 drinks every week represents a low risk of harms,
• 3–6 drinks every week represents a moderate risk of harms and
• 7 or more drinks every week represents an increasingly high risk of harms.

For individuals who drink more, any reduction in alcohol use is helpful. Actually, individuals who eat high levels of alcohol have much more to achieve by reducing their consumption by as much as they’re able.

Are there any recommendations which can be specific for individuals with diabetes?

If an individual with diabetes chooses to drink alcohol, there are a couple of precautions or guidelines that must be followed to stop spikes or drops in blood sugar levels. Individuals with diabetes are sometimes quite surprised to learn that alcohol can actually cause blood glucose to drop.  This happens in people who find themselves taking certain diabetes medications similar to insulin or sulfonylureas. While the liver is busy processing alcohol, it takes a break from its other role of releasing stored glucose as needed, making the medications more powerful in lowering blood glucose.  The drop in blood glucose (or hypoglycemia), can occur shortly after drinking and as much as many hours after drinking. In some individuals with type 1 diabetes, hypoglycemia can occur as much as 24 hours later! Checking blood glucose levels before drinking, before going to bed, and upon waking the subsequent morning will help an individual to learn the way the alcohol affects them.

The symptoms of drinking an excessive amount of alcohol and people of hypoglycemia may be very similar making it difficult for others to discover whether the person with diabetes is experiencing drunkenness or a low blood glucose response.  This confusion may end up in the person with diabetes not receiving appropriate assistance and treatment. Depending on how much alcohol is consumed, the person with diabetes could have impaired judgment, making it difficult to treat their low blood glucose or rendering them unable ask for the correct assistance.

Listed below are some suggestions for secure alcohol consumption for an individual with diabetes and the way supporters will help them to avoid spikes and drops:

• To make it easier to follow the moderate amount of alcohol, alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks similar to sparkling water or weight-reduction plan pop.
• Eat foods with carbohydrate while drinking. If dancing, playing sports or doing other physical activity, eat extra foods with carbohydrate to avoid a low blood sugar.
• Mix alcoholic drinks with water or weight-reduction plan pop as an alternative of sugar-laden pop, juice or other sweet mixers.
• Wear diabetes identification similar to a MedicAlert® bracelet.
• Others should know the person’s signs and symptoms of low blood glucose, and know the best way to treat it.
• At all times have a treatment for low blood glucose available, similar to ¾ cup regular pop or 3 glucose tablets.
• If blood glucose is lower than usual before going to bed, a carbohydrate snack must be taken.

Discover more healthy eating ideas and suggestions within the diabetes weight-reduction plan section and get hold of some tasty recipes here.