Do Sugar, Alcohol, and Diabetes Mix?

from Everyday Health

Do Sugar, Alcohol, and Diabetes Mix?

Sugar and alcohol once were forbidden fruits for people on a diabetes diet. Using caution and common sense can allow you some leeway to indulge.

By Dennis Thompson Jr.

Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

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People with diabetes know they must carefully watch their sugar intake as part of their diabetes diet and limit their alcohol consumption. And for the most part, it is wise to carefully control how much sugar you’re eating and alcohol you’re drinking as part of your diabetes management plan.
But following a diabetes diet does not mean you need to completely eliminate sugar from your daily meals and snacks. You just need to be smart about what you eat and keep close tabs on the sugars in foods.
The same goes for alcohol — if you pay close attention, you should be able to drink a little when you attend a social gathering or are out casually with friends.
Diabetes Management: Sugar and Diabetes
A major part of diabetes management involves keeping your blood sugar levels stable. No matter what type of diabetes you have, this is an ongoing challenge:

• Type 1. People with type 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin, the hormone the body uses to regulate blood glucose levels. The amount of sugar or alcohol consumed has a direct effect on the amount of insulin and other diabetes medication you must take.
• Type 2. With type 2 diabetes, you’ve developed a resistance to insulin, but can still produce the hormone. Controlling blood sugar levels can help you avoid having to take insulin or diabetes medications.
• Gestational. Diabetes during pregnancy means you have high blood glucose levels, which can do damage to both you and your unborn child.

Sugar is a form of carbohydrate that the body quickly converts to glucose, meaning that, when eaten, it has the ability to cause blood glucose levels to quickly rise and create a condition known as hyperglycemia. This is why doctors and diabetes educators warn people to track and limit the amount of sugar they consume.

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