[Irene]

Hi folks,

I think I made a new discovery yesterday regarding the effect of alcohol on blood sugar. I went out for dinner and though my meal was relatively large, I had a beer with it: something very refreshing in the summer heat. I was sure that coming home I would count my blood sugar and it would be very high. To my surprise, my blood sugar was 4.4 - uncommon after most smaller meals. I attribute that number to the alcoholic beverage.

 

[foxl]

Beers can be highly variable in both carb and alcohol content though!

Belgian beers can be as much as 12% alcohol. Some states (I think of KS for instance) limit beer to 3.2%.

And unfiltered beers especially can be quite carby, while Lite beers can be pretty low carb. And some them you cannot tell even by researching!

I will after my huge spike be limiting to a sip of my husband's. It makes me too sleepy even without the carb spike!

 

[aimster1mo]

I read somewhere that alcohol will lower blood sugar. I wasn't so sure about that but I have found.......
That if I have a mixed drink I'll have an initial spike from whatever mixer I use then my sugar will drop like a rock.

 

[Irene]

I read somewhere that alcohol will lower blood sugar. I wasn't so sure about that but I have found.......
That if I have a mixed drink I'll have an initial spike from whatever mixer I use then my sugar will drop like a rock.

Hi aimster2mo,

I checked my Johns Hopkins book yesterday, under "alcohol" - sure enough, it does lower the blood sugar, but how much was not specified. I found it was quite a bit: after such a meal it should have gone up to at least 7 or 8. There may be a good side to that though, if you can control it, and that is that if your blood sugar is high, a small drink may lower it. An occasional alcoholic drink is good for your heart.

 

[Joshua Shorter]

Beers can be highly variable in both carb and alcohol content though!

Belgian beers can be as much as 12% alcohol. Some states (I think of KS for instance) limit beer to 3.2%.

And unfiltered beers especially can be quite carby, while Lite beers can be pretty low carb. And some them you cannot tell even by researching!

I will after my huge spike be limiting to a sip of my husband's. It makes me too sleepy even without the carb spike!

Just for the record, Kansas has a weird law when it comes to alcoholic beverages. When buying in a grocery store or gas station or such, alcohol content is limited to 3.2%. However, in a liquor store you can have as much alcohol as you want. We obviously couldn't limit beer if we're going to sell Everclear. There is a big push in Kansas to release this restriciton from gas stations. It dates back to a time when people younger than 21 (but older tha 18, I think) could buy 3.2% beer but not 5.6%. Now that this is no longer applicable, it makes sense to let gas stations sell whatever they want since they're carding everyone.

 

[foxl]

Yes, Josh, I grew up (well from 15 on) in KS, in a KC suburb. It is nuts ...

 

[Joshua Shorter]

Yes, Josh, I grew up (well from 15 on) in KS, in a KC suburb. It is nuts ...

I thought you had. My only point was that beer from a liquor store can still have as much alcohol as you want to put in it.

 

[ecal]

Alcohol blocks the liver's ability to release stored glucose. That's why if you go out and drink, it is a good idea to snack while you do so..as long as you aren't drinking something loaded with sugar already. I stopped drinking altogether. I found that as my blood sugar control got better, I'd go very low just about every single time I had 3+ beers. A few times I went into 'diabetic freakout'..with the nonsensical babble and everything..no warning it was coming or anything. Just kind of very quickly sneaks up out of nowhere. Kind of embarrassing to do that at a bar with a group of friends or coworkers.

 

[Irene]

Alcohol blocks the liver's ability to release stored glucose. That's why if you go out and drink, it is a good idea to snack while you do so..as long as you aren't drinking something loaded with sugar already. I stopped drinking altogether. I found that as my blood sugar control got better, I'd go very low just about every single time I had 3+ beers. A few times I went into 'diabetic freakout'..with the nonsensical babble and everything..no warning it was coming or anything. Just kind of very quickly sneaks up out of nowhere. Kind of embarrassing to do that at a bar with a group of friends or coworkers.

Thanks ecal. Diabetes is embarrassing in many varied ways. What I dislike about it the most is the curtailing of freedom of activities at any time I want. But I think I'm becoming familiar with diet, timing, dose. Hypoglycemia *can* sneak up on you as you say. Surfing the net for the effect of alcohol on blood sugar, if find many websites-- here are two:

Diabetes and Alcohol | Effects of Alcohol on Diabetes

Alcohol - American Diabetes Association