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Is Red Wine Bad For Diabetes


How To Drink Safely

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When you’re planning to imbibe alcohol, take steps to keep your blood sugar under control, such as:

If you are following a fixed carbohydrate meal plan you may need to eat a little extra when drinking. Because drinking alcohol can stimulate your appetite, be mindful that you do not replace food with alcohol and do not count alcohol as part of your carbohydrate choices.

How The Study Worked

They began by gathering data from Danish citizens 18 years old or older who completed the Danish Health Examination Survey. The data set included 28,704 men and 41,847 women more than 70,000 participants total who self-reported their drinking habits and other lifestyle details beginning in 2007-2008 and continuing through 2012.

During the study period, 859 men and 887 women developed diabetes.


Overall, those with the lowest risk of developing diabetes were people who drank moderately on a weekly basis, Tolstrups analysis showed.

In terms of volume, 14 alcoholic beverages each week for men and nine beverages each week for women yielded the best results: a 43% and 58% lower risk, respectively, compared to non-drinkers, the researchers found.

In principle we can only say something about the five-year risk from this study, said Tolstrup in an email. However, there is no reason to think that results would be different had we had more years of follow-up. A very long follow-up, for instance, 10 years, would result in drinking and other habits changing and this could cause more noise in results, said Tolstrup.

In terms of frequency, the lowest risk of diabetes was found among those who drank three to four days each week.

The team also looked at diabetes risk in relation to what people drank.


When it came to beer, men who drank between one and six each week reduced their risk of diabetes by 21% compared to men hoisting less than one beer each week.

Alcohol Consumption And Risk Of Pre

Abstract AIMS: Alcohol is a potential risk factor of Type 2 diabetes. However, more detailed information on effects of alcohol types and early phases of Type 2 diabetes development seems warranted. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of alcohol consumption and specific alcoholic beverages on the risk of developing pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes in middle-aged Swedish men and women. METHODS: Subjects, who at baseline had normal glucose tolerance or pre-diabetes , aged 35-56 years, were evaluated in this cohort study. Logistic regression was performed to estimate the risk to develop pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes at 8-10 years follow-up, in relation to self-reported alcohol intake at baseline. Adjustment was performed for several risk factors. RESULTS: Total alcohol consumption and binge drinking increased the risk of pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes in men , while low consumption decreased diabetes risk in women . Men showed higher risk of pre-diabetes with high beer consumption and of Type 2 diabetes with high consumption of spirits . Women showed a reduced risk of pre-diabetes with high wine intake and of Type 2 diabetes with medium intake of both wine and spirits , whereas high consumption of spirits increased the pre-diabetes risk. CONCLUSION: High alcohol consumption increases the risk of abnormal glucose regulation in men. In women the associations are more complex: decreaContinue reading > >

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Is It Safe To Drink Alcohol

Check with your doctor to make sure alcohol doesnt interfere with your medications or complicate any of your medical conditions. Drinking alcohol can lead to serious low blood sugar reactions, especially if you take insulin or types of diabetes pills that stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. Alcohol can also affect other medical conditions you may have, like diabetic nerve damage, diabetic eye disease, and high blood triglycerides. Get guidelines for alcohol use from your medical provider.

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Best Red Wine for Diabetics

“Since both red and white wine were beneficial in terms of blood sugar lowering it does seem to rather neatly and very cleverly tie the benefit in probably to alcohol rather than wine itself,” he says.


There’s a big caveat however. The benefits of alcohol can be quickly outweighed by the risks if you drink more than one or two servings per day.

And Wilcox says not all of us metabolize or benefit from alcohol in the same way. Some of us are fast metabolizers, others are slow metabolizers it’s determined by our genes.

And in this study, it was the slow metabolizers who got significant improvements in blood sugar control.

So, you can’t count on a benefit. Wilcox says if you have diabetes, wine is no replacement for proper treatment.

“Most certainly a glass of red wine does not substitute for good control of blood glucose with one of the diabetic medicines,” he says.


But that nightly glass of wine could be one small part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

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Will I Have A Hypo Whilst Drunk

The symptoms of drunkenness can be very similar to a hypo, which can lead to very dangerous confusion.

Furthermore, if you have been drinking heavily, there may be a risk of hypos for up to 16 hours after you have stopped drinking.

Monitoring blood glucose levels closely is an essential part of managing your diabetes in this situation.


Ada: Red Wine Ingredient Benefits Prediabetes

Resveratrol, the compound in red wine potentially responsible for its beneficial cardiovascular effects, may also benefit patients with prediabetes, researchers say.

In a small and preliminary study, older patients with impaired fasting glucose taking a resveratrol supplement had improvements in postprandial glucose and insulin resistance, according to Jill P. Crandall, MD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, N.Y., and colleagues.

“There have been a lot of reports of its benefits in a number of disease states,” which is why researchers decided to investigate resveratrol in prediabetes, Crandall stated. But she cautioned that, “This is just the beginning. The findings need to be confirmed in bigger studies.”

However, trials of resveratrol by companies such as Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline, which have focused on the supplements anti-aging abilities, have not had promising results.

“It is a small study and needs to be confirmed, as other studies with this drug have been negative,” Vivian Fonseca, MD, of Tulane University, mentioned.


For their study, the researchers recruited 10 patients ages 60 to 80 who had impaired glucose tolerance.

Over four weeks, patients took one of three doses of resveratrol with a standard meal that included 110 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of protein, and 20 grams of fat.

The researchers said the results didnt vary by dose, so they combined the data for the analysis.

Practice Pearls

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Alcohol And Blood Sugar

Alcohol, including wine, may increase the risk of dangerously low blood sugar, even in people who are not taking insulin or other diabetes medications.

The liver releases glucose to help the body maintain a healthy blood sugar level. The liver also must break down alcohol. So when a person is drinking, the liver is less effective at releasing glucose when the body needs it.

The risk of alcohol-related low glucose is higher when a person:

  • drinks on an empty stomach
  • takes diabetes medication or insulin
  • replaces a meal with alcohol
  • drinks to excess

It takes about 11.5 hours for the liver to break down the alcohol in one drink. Until the body successfully metabolizes the alcohol, the risk of low blood glucose persists.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following strategies:


  • eating plenty of low glycemic index foods, such as whole wheat pasta and bread, milk, yogurt, and apples
  • eating a high-fiber diet that includes foods such as whole grain bread, vegetables, and fruits, which can help lower blood glucose
  • switching from eating three large meals a day to having more frequent, smaller meals
  • eating plenty of lean proteins, such as chicken, turkey, and lentils
  • reaching or maintaining a moderate body weight to reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications

People can take the following measures to drink more safely:

Emergency help will be necessary if a person faints or experiences other symptoms of low blood glucose.

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Drinking lots of alcohol is dangerous for anyone. However, with larger amounts of alcohol, serious hypoglycaemia can occur.

Some sources advise strict carbohydrate management, perhaps even chips or pizza, if a large amount of alcohol has been consumed.

However, avoiding alcohol in large quantities is the best recourse.


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What’s New In Research

The healthy active agent in red wine is called resveratrol. It is a chemical found in the skins of grapes that has been shown to protect against cardiovascular disease. It is also an anti-inflammatory agent, and resveratrol has actually lowered blood glucose levels in studies with diabetic rats .

As previously mentioned, a recent literature review has revealed the possibility of red wine as a complementary therapy to those who are currently being treated for type 2 diabetes .

In addition, another promising area of research has revealed that the moderate consumption of red wine throughout ones life can reduce the risk of developing diabetes. This was found to be particularly true for those who were overweight

More research in this area is continuing but this certainly is encouraging for type 2 diabetics who would like to enjoy some red wine now and again.


Research On Wine And Diabetes

A lot of the health benefits associated with red wine is in relation to cardiovascular health.

The CASCADE study divided 224 well-controlled type 2 diabetic participants into three groups and asked them to consume either red wine, white wine, or mineral water with dinner. The aim was to assess the effects of moderate alcohol consumption when people followed a Mediterranean diet, evaluated over the 2-year study period.

The researchers concluded that red wine favorable impacted cardiovascular risk, particularly by increasing HDL-cholesterol by 2.0 mg/dL . Interestingly, the study also demonstrated that people with certain genes saw improvement in their blood sugar control when drinking wine . However, be aware that not everyone experienced the same improvements in blood sugar levels.

A study published by the American Diabetes Association found participants with type 2 diabetes with moderate consumption of red wine had a 17% lower risk of having a cardiovascular event and 13% lower risk of all-cause mortality. They also found that HDL cholesterol increased by an average 12%.

You may have also heard that red wine contains resveratrol and that certainly is true. However, its resveratrol supplements that have been shown to be beneficial for blood sugar control, not wine unfortunately.


For instance, a large review concluded that high dose resveratrol supplementation improved fasting blood glucose levels and improved blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes.

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Red Wine And Blood Sugar Values

According to the research funded by the American Diabetes Association, drinking a glass of red wine can decrease blood glucose levels for up to 24 hours after drinking these types of beverages. Because of this factor, the ADA recommends that you check your blood glucose level prior to taking a drink, during drinking, and up to 24 hours after consuming an alcoholic beverage.

One of the problems with drinking and diabetes is that you may have symptoms that resemble type 2 diabetes when you drink alcohol. This means that you may cause people to think you are acting differently because of taking in alcohol, when the low blood glucose levels are the actual culprit behind your behavior.

Another problem with drinking and diabetes is that certain alcoholic beverages, including those that have added substances such as fruit juice or an alcohol mixture that is high in glucose, can actually raise the blood glucose values.


So If I Have Diabetes I Can Drink As Usual

Red Wine Benefits People with Type 2 Diabetes

Not quite. People with diabetes need to be extra careful with alcohol.

Alcohol intake significantly increases the risk of hypoglycemia . If your diabetes is already well under control, a moderate amount of alcohol may be fine either before, during or soon after a meal.

Even if you have a drink, this may not influence short-term blood glucose levels. However, there are some precautions to be taken care of.

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Red Wine At Meal Time

Red wine is often popular to consume with meals especially in the Italian culture where it is pretty much a staple at the dinner table. My in-laws are Italian and my father-in-law makes his own wine so there is wine at dinner every day at their house. One might think that this is too much alcohol consumption but the fact is – red wine can be healthy.

Should I Drink Alcohol

In Australia, drinking alcohol is generally acceptable and for many people is a normal part of social events. However, for as long as alcohol has been used and enjoyed, some people have experienced problems associated with it. Most people with diabetes can enjoy a small amount of alcohol. However, its best to discuss it first with your diabetes health care team. For people who are on insulin or certain diabetes tablets, alcohol may increase the risk of hypoglycaemia . Guidelines Limit your alcohol intake if you choose to drink. Current guidelines recommend no more than two standard drinks a day for both men and women. For those who need to control weight or lose weight, it’s a good idea to cut down your intake. It is also best to drink alcohol with a meal or some carbohydrate-containing food. One standard drink is equal to: 100 mL wine 285 mL regular beer 30 mL spirits 60 mL fortified wine 375 mL low-alcohol beer . It is important to remember: All alcoholic drinks are high in kilojoules and can contribute to weight gain Too much alcohol can increase the risk of developing complications by putting on weight and increasing blood pressure Drinking a lot of alcohol can cause hypoglycaemia if you are taking insulin or certain diabetes tablets Low alcohol or lite beers are a better choice than regular or diet beers because they are lower in alcohol When mixing drinks use low joule/diet mixers such as diet cola, diet ginger ale, diet tonic water.Continue reading > >

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How Red Wine Is Beneficial For Diabetes

If youre a diabetic your arteries can become stiff which can lead to heart disease. There is a well known antioxidant in red wine called resveratrol.

Georgetown University Medical Center had research done that showed that the ability of immune molecules that were harmful in penetrating the tissues of the brain were actually reduced by resveratrol.

Resveratrol is also found in dark chocolate, peanuts, raspberries, and red grapes. It also has been shown to slow down the mental deterioration in Alzheimers patients. But the most important fact here is that resveratrol helps in lowering your blood sugar and thats what is important here.

While there are tons of supplements and medications available today, where do you turn to? What works? What doesnt work? My feeling is that medications just mask the problem of diabetes. The real issue is that you want to treat, control, and reverse diabetes by natural methods such as diet and exercise and not drugs prescribed by a physician.

I would rather do it the natural way and supplementsare great alongside eating natural healthy foods and of course regular daily exercise. Thats where red wine comes in with resveratrol. Its a natural ingredient that not only helps with diabetes, but offers many other health benefits in addition to diabetes which I will discuss shortly.

Effects Of Alcohol On Diabetes

The Truth About Red Wine’s Health Benefits

Here are some other ways that alcohol can affect diabetes:

  • While moderate amounts of alcohol may cause blood sugar to rise, excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar level — sometimes causing it to drop into dangerous levels, especially for people with type 1 diabetes.
  • Beer and sweet wine contain carbohydrates and may raise blood sugar.
  • Alcohol stimulates your appetite, which can cause you to overeat and may affect your blood sugar control.
  • Alcoholic drinks often have a lot of calories, making it more difficult to lose excess weight.
  • Alcohol may also affect your judgment or willpower, causing you to make poor food choices.
  • Alcohol can interfere with the positive effects of oral diabetes medicines or insulin.
  • Alcohol may increase blood pressure.
  • Alcohol can cause flushing, nausea, increased heart rate, and slurred speech.

These may be confused with or mask the symptoms of low blood sugar.

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Disturbing Facts About Diabetes

  • In the US alone there are an estimated 29.1 million people living with diabetes, in terms of population this is an equivalent of 9.3%.
  • Approximately 21 million people are already diagnosed
  • The remaining 8.1 million people are living with diabetes but have not yet been diagnosed.

When it comes to taking alcohol as a diabetic, The American Diabetes Association leaves it up to the individual to decide. In controlled amounts its healthy but you should discuss your decision with your doctor.

In experiments on how alcohol affects people living diabetes, researchers aim to test the cardiometabolic of the body after taking alcohol. Different wines are used also used to test whether the type of wine also matters.

The results indicated that taking wine in moderate controlled levels actually lowered cardiometabolic risk mostly due to the ethanol. The hypothesis predicted that both red wine and white wine will have the same effect on body metabolism. The findings showed the opposite due to different ADH1B genotype, they all reacted differently.

In this research, people were used as test subjects all who were above the age of 40 and had controlled diabetes. They were divided into 3 groups, one was assigned mineral water, the other red wine and the final one was assigned red wine. The final results indicated a significant improvement in triglyceride levels, waist circumference, blood pressure, liver function and genetic interaction in test subjects that took red wine.

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