Diabetes and Alcohol - Can Diabetics Drink?

Diabetes and alcohol - hardly sounds like a good match, does it? Reality is, real life tends to involve alcohol occasionally. Family gathering, social events, cook-outs...all common places where the drinks are flowing. So, can diabetics drink socially?

Diabetics who treat their disease with insulin shots or pills run a definite risk of suffering from low-blood sugar after consuming alcohol. However, social drinking (with your doctors ok) can most-likely be tolerated if:

a) Your doctor agrees
b) You have an occasional drink
c) You never drink on an empty stomach

Most important out of all the above factors is having an open discussion with your doctor about your diabetes and discussing the possibility of you consuming alcohol in a social environment. Your doctor knows your diabetic situation better than anyone and his/her decision should be well-respected. Your doctor should be viewed as your partner as you deal with life as a diabetic. Let him help you make good choices for your over-all lifestyle.

Also important to note is that the term 'social drinking' for a diabetic does NOT mean 'party all night'. We are discussing the possibility of having one, maybe two drinks, in the occasional social situation. Due to the way the body, mainly the liver, reacts to alcohol in your bloodstream, it is important to practice moderation and make smart choices for your health. Being healthy is much more important than having a beer at your local sports bar, isn't it?

To protect against low-blood sugar, be sure to eat before, or while, you are enjoying your adult beverage. You will need to give your body help in order to process the alcohol and aid your liver. The liver sees alcohol as poison and reacts in an adverse way that could greatly effect diabetics. Your liver won't send out glucose to your body until it has dealt with the alcohol..and that could be a bad night for you.

As long as your doctor agrees your diabetes is under control, you only indulge occasionally, and you never eat on an empty stomach, you should be able to drink socially - even as a diabetic.

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