Alcohol, Blood Sugars and Hypoglycemia: What You Should Know
Foods sweetened with sugar alcohols may allow people with diabetes to maintain better blood sugar control while still enjoying sweet treats in moderation. If you have diabetes, drinking alcohol may be safe for you as long as you choose the right types of drinks and consider alcohol’s effects on your blood sugar levels. While sugar alcohol may be a better option for people living with diabetes, remember that the ingredient is still a carbohydrate. While it doesn’t require much insulin to be metabolized, it may still impact your blood sugar levels. People drinking on an empty stomach are particularly at risk of hypoglycemia. Therefore, eating food before drinking alcoholic beverages is essential.
Sugar alcohols vs. artificial sweeteners
- It’s difficult to determine how much red and processed meat you can safely have.
- We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
- If you’ve experienced even one Valentine’s Day or Christmas since you were diagnosed with diabetes then you’ve likely eaten a few of those “Sugar-Free Russell Stover’s” chocolates.
- The liver is responsible for keeping blood sugar within the typical limits.
Things like trouble concentration, slow reflexes and sensitivity to bright lights and loud sounds are standard signs of a hangover, and evidence of alcohol’s effects on your brain. When you drink too much alcohol, it can throw off the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. Your liver detoxifies and removes alcohol from your blood through a process known as oxidation. When your liver finishes that process, alcohol gets turned into water and carbon dioxide. Dr. Sengupta shares some of the not-so-obvious effects that alcohol has on your body.
Nutritional Strategies to Manage Sugar Cravings
As you may well know, living with type 2 diabetes often means cutting out or cutting back on foods and beverages that can affect sugar (glucose) levels in the blood. Sugar alcohols are generally less sweet than sucrose and have fewer calories. They’re also less digestible, which may cause side effects in some people. On the other hand, sugar affects blood sugar levels more and may contribute to tooth decay.
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Sugar is also the main cause of tooth decay,2 which can lead to cavities if left untreated. Comprehensive, accurate, easy-to-understand articles written by a team who live with diabetes, and fact-checked by medical professionals. Diabetes Strong is committed to delivering content that is patient-focused and adheres to the highest standards for accuracy, objectivity, and trustworthiness.
Weight gain
For this reason, if you eat a lot of sugar alcohols in a short period of time, you may experience gas, bloating, and diarrhea. When you consume sugary foods or drinks, certain bacteria in your mouth ferment the sugar. These bacteria then multiply why do alcoholics crave sugar and secrete acids that erode the protective enamel on your teeth. The lower the GI index of a food, the slower your blood sugar level rises after you consume that food. That means a lower GI index food is healthier than a higher GI index food.
- Sugar alcohols, like sorbitol, are added to foods to give them a sweet taste as an alternative to regular sugar.
- Sugar cravings are the most intense about a week after the last drink.
- Most people with alcohol addiction develop sugar cravings about 3 days after their last drink.
- Eventually, you can develop permanent and irreversible scarring in your liver, which is called cirrhosis.
- It’s also worth noting that a light beer has only 5.81 g of carbs, while a regular beer has 12.8 g.
With 4.6 grams of carbs per 12-ounce (360-mL) serving, it provides roughly 50% fewer carbs than a regular Budweiser (11, 12). Bud Lite is another low carb beer that provides fewer than 5 grams of carbs per serving. It also has a low carb version suitable for people with diabetes. Even drinking a little too much (binge drinking) on occasion can set off a chain reaction that affects your well-being. Lowered inhibitions can lead to poor choices with lasting repercussions — like the end of a relationship, an accident or legal woes.
How Does Alcohol Affect Blood Sugars and Cause Hypoglycemia?
People with metabolic syndrome or other cardiac risk factors should be cautious about consuming erythritol. The sweetener has been linked to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. During it, small sugar molecules are chemically broken down by bacteria or fungi until a new molecular compound is formed. One component of the newly derived substance is alcohol, which is where the name sugar alcohol comes from. People with alcohol use disorder may experience chronic health issues because of repeated hypoglycemia.