Enjoying a glass of wine, fruity margarita, or frosty pint of beer requires a little forethought if you have diabetes. Before you indulge, make sure you have a tasty appetizer or healthy salad to go along with your drink. And talk to your doctor about drinking alcohol. The answer to whether you can or should not will depend on your specific circumstances.
How Does Alcohol Affect Blood Sugar?
The way alcohol affects your blood sugar comes down to whether you’ve eaten, and how much and how often you drink. A standard drink contains 0.6 fluid ounces of alcohol. This means that a 12 ounce beer (about 5% alcohol) is equivalent to a 5 ounce glass of your average table wine (about 12% alcohol) or a shot of hard liquor such as vodka. Here’s the scoop on how much and how often:
- When you have an occasional drink with food, alcohol generally has little effect on your blood sugar. This is the safest way to enjoy alcohol.
- When you have an occasional drink without any food, alcohol can cause your blood sugar to fall to dangerously low levels. You should never drink alcohol on an empty stomach.
- If you are a habitual drinker (3 to 4 drinks a day), alcohol increases your blood sugar no matter what you eat. If this describes you, consider talking to your doctor about ways to cut back or stop your alcohol use.
