People with diabetes have a special diet. There is a list of products that are forbidden to eat. It included alcoholic beverages. Let's try to understand why alcohol is so harmful in diabetes mellitus.
Harm of alcohol with diabetes
Alcohol is the basis for the development of hypoglycemia is the process of reducing the concentration of glucose in the blood. This is especially true when alcoholic beverages are consumed without food rich in carbohydrates. Also categorically can not drink between meals and after prolonged physical activity.
Any consequence of drinking alcohol depends on the amount of ethanol that has entered the body. Any beverage that contains alcohol can cause hypoglycemia. Alcohol in diabetes causes a severe form of this disease.
Cases when diabetes and alcohol are the most dangerous combination for both men and women:
- has a strong predisposition to hypoglycemia;
- if there is a chance of a sharp increase in triglyceride levels. This will lead to a breakdown in lipid metabolism;
- can not be drunk with cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. These diseases are a good reason for the onset of diabetes mellitus;
- chronic pancreatitis is also not compatible with alcohol. This disease causes the emergence of secondary diabetes mellitus;
- to type 2 diabetics it is forbidden to combine alcohol with metformin. This will lead to Lactate-ocidosis.
Types of diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is divided into two types:
- The first type of illness permits a moderate and insignificant dose of alcohol. This allows you to acquire sensitivity to insulin, through which you can control blood sugar. But do not regularly use this method, otherwise there will be negative consequences.
- Drinking at type 2 of the disease should be very cautious. Here the main thing is to feel your body and analyze its reaction. If the patient has complete dependence on insulin, then alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Alcohol groups
All alcoholic beverages can be divided into three groups. This is very important to know, because diabetes has two types of variety.
- Alcoholic beverages containing more than 400 fortresses. These include vodka, brandy, cognac, scotch, gin. They are low in sugar, so they are allowed to include diabetics in the diet, but only 1 type.
- Alcoholic beverages with a strength of less than 400. They contain a lot of sugar. They include wine, champagne, cocktails, etc. It is forbidden to drink to people of both types 1 and 2.
- A separate group is beer. This drink for type 2 diabetes is allowed.
Effects of alcohol use
In people with diabetes, sugar does not turn into energy. All excess glucose goes out of the body along with urine. If there is a sharp decrease in sugar, then it is dangerous for a person. This process is called hypoglycemia.
The use of alcohol increases the risk of hypoglycemia. In this case, the activity of the heart, vessels, pancreas is disturbed. If there are disorders of the nervous system, alcohol will exacerbate this situation.
When drunk, a person may not feel the characteristic signs of hypoglycemia. He just falls into an unconscious state - a hypoglycemic coma.
If a person has consumed alcohol and his condition is satisfactory, this does not mean that he can increase the dose. The human body begins to react to alcohol in just a few hours.
Rules for drinking alcohol in diabetes
Patients with diabetes should follow certain rules:
- Beer in case of diabetes is allowed to consume up to 300 ml.it has few carbohydrates. This is especially true of men;
- is not recommended for very frequent alcohol use;
- can not use wine to increase glucose levels;
- vodka can be consumed only if it is included in a special diet( daily dose is 50-100 ml);
- is strictly forbidden to drink liquor, liquor, fortified and dessert wine, because they sharply increase the concentration of sugar;
- after consuming alcohol, you need to measure the level of glucose and if you need to satiate the body with foods rich in carbohydrates;
- during drinking it is necessary to eat food rich in carbohydrates( it will keep the required level of glucose in the blood for a long time) or starch( ethanol will be absorbed more slowly).
It is recommended to measure the sugar level before, during and after drinking alcohol. Also, this indicator should be checked before going to bed. Do not drink alcohol after exercise. During training, blood sugar levels decrease.
You can not drink alcohol on an empty stomach, even wine. It is harmful not only to people with diabetes, but perfectly healthy. This use of alcohol leads to a decrease in blood sugar to a dangerous level.
