Can Quitting Alcohol Reverse Diabetes: Read everything about it?

People with diabetes often ask if Quitting Alcohol Reverse Diabetes. Well, according to some experts occasional drinking of alcohol, not necessarily create high or low of blood sugar, rather it can be beneficial. But, regular intake of even small quantity of alcohol surely impacts the diabetes/ blood sugar levels. That can shoot up the risk of diabetes-prone diseases. Moderate drinking, frequent blood sugar testing and regular consultation from doctor is the key to creating the balance between alcohol and diabetes impact.

What is Alcohol and its different types?

An alcoholic drink is a drink that contains ethanol; it is produced when yeast ferments the sugar in grains, fruits or other sources of sugar products. Alcohol can result into euphoria, talkativeness, drowsiness, respiratory depression, coma, or even death.

Alcohol can be classified into two major categories basis the process of its making. One is a Fermented Beverage and the second is a Distilled Beverage.

As the names suggest fermented beverage undergoes the fermentation process and are lower in alcohol content. They are more approachable. Like Beer is a result of fermented grain, Wine of grapes, and Cider from fermenting fruits like apple and pear.

Whereas distilled beverage is an alcoholic concentration left post separating water and flavoring liquid, after completing the fermentation process. This category has more alcohol content than its counterpart.   

Two categories of alcohol and their further subcategories:

Glycemic Index of Alcohol

Glycemic index (GI) is a value used to measure how much specific food increase blood sugar levels. It indicates how rapidly the body digests a particular type of food and converts it into blood sugar (Glucose). The lower the GI of a specific food, the less it may affect your blood sugar levels and hence less obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Foods are classified as low, medium, or high glycemic food and ranked on a scale of 0–100. The table below will help further.

If we talk about alcoholic drinks, the Glycemic index of Beer and non-alcoholic beer is classified as a high GI food whereas the Glycemic index of whiskey is considered as low (15 GI) and zero for vodka and wine, due to the low carbohydrate content.

Can Alcohol cause diabetes?

Learning about Diabetes is important to answer this question. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin or the insulin it produces doesn’t work properly. Insulin hormone transfers glucose from the blood to the cells to give the body energy. In case of diabetes, the body cannot make proper use of glucose and builds it up in the blood.

There are two main types of Diabetes: Type 1 (T1D) and Type 2 (T2D).

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce insulin because of genetic factors or some infection.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body can make some insulin but not enough as per requirement. It can happen because of genetic factors or because of dietary disorders.

A prediabetic patient, whose diabetes is at border line or who is likely to enter Type 2 diabetes bracket, should be equally considerate about the cause and effect of alcohol in their body.

There are certain symptoms of a diabetic patient and early detection is the best way to control it:

• Frequent visits to washroom
• Feeling thirsty most of the time
• Having unclear vision
• Feeling hungry and consuming abnormally high quantity food
• Slow healing of cuts and soars

Many studies are done to understand the impact of Alcohol on diabetes. Most of the results say moderate consumption of alcohol is acceptable for a non-diabetic or closely monitored diabetic patient; only after a proper recommendation from the doctor.

As per the American Diabetes Association recommendation, women should have not more than 1 alcoholic beverage per day, and men should consume not more than 2.

The alcohol chart of each drink looks like this:

Moderate amount of alcohol may increase blood sugar level whereas excessive alcohol can decrease blood sugar – which can be harmful for people with Type 1 diabetes. People with Type 1 diabetes must only drink while consuming food. So, eating is very important to avoid blood sugar to drop.   

Heavy drinking may result in severe health consequences because of collection of certain acids in body particularly in diabetics.

Alcohol has an impact on the diabetic patients directly or indirectly.

• Alcohol increases the eating urge making person to overeat further impacting the blood sugar level.
• Alcoholic drinks often have a lot of calories, causing obesity.
• Alcohol plays with the mind, forcing one to make wrong choices of food items.
• Alcohol can interfere with the current medication treatment leading medicines to work less.
• Blood pressure can also fluctuate because of alcohol.
• Mixing different drinks with usual alcohol can also lead to imbalance in the diet.
• Alcohol reduces metabolism, turning dinner or late snacks into fat component.

Controlled drinking is the key to find a balance between drinking and quitting alcohol. While we know Beer is the most loved and consumed alcoholic drink. However, knowing about carb content when drinking beer is essential for type 1 diabetic. A light beer has 3-6 grams of carbs per serving. Non-light beer has 10-15 grams of carbs. Then, most of people don’t drink 1 bottle of beer (the alcohol content of beer is 4-7%). That ways, one can always gain lot of carbs further endangering the diabetes.

How can Diabetes spike Blood sugar levels?

Blood sugar spikes occur in people with diabetes because they are unable to use insulin effectively. Sugar remains in the bloodstream for such patience rather than reaching the cells.   Untreated high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is dangerous and can lead to heart disease, blindness, neuropathy, and kidney failure.

Symptoms of Blood sugar spike:

• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• More water intake
• Unclear vision
• headache

There are ways to prevent blood sugar spikes:

• Get a professional meal plan developed
• Start weight loss/control program
• Start low glycemic index food
• Eat healthy meals

Alcohol raises blood sugar immediately, especially when mixed with juice and soda. But it can also low the sugar levels a few hours later.

On the other hand, the reverse of hyperglycemia is equally dangerous. Patients on insulin treatment for diabetes can develop abnormally low blood sugar levels. This is known as hypoglycemia.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

• Slurring words
• Headache
• Double Vision
• Anxiety
• Abnormal Behavior.

Hypoglycemia’s symptoms are dangerous because people can think that you’re drunk and not understand the urgent medical help required. Also, it prevents the liver from making glucose when you drink on an empty stomach.

Not to drink empty stomach and checking blood sugar regularly are ways to avoid hypoglycemia. Also check your blood sugar up to 24 hours even when you stop drinking. It’s important for people with diabetes or hypoglycemia to avoid excessive amounts of alcohol.

Sugar content in beer is very low whereas highly distilled drinks like whiskey, rum, gin and vodka should not have sugar.

What are the risks of drinking alcohol?

As mentioned earlier moderate consumption of alcohol is acceptable but excessive consumption can take your body for a toll. It has an impact on most of the parts of your body leading to serious conditions.

1. Impact on Brain
2. Slurred speech
3. Heart damage
4. Cancer
5. Lung infection
6. Liver damage
7. Pancreatitis
8. Fatigue
9. Stomach distress and diarrhea
10. Sexual dysfunction and infertility
11. Thinning bones, muscles cramps and numbness

Drinking heavily reduces your body’s natural immune system, making it difficult for body to fight with germs and viruses. It is difficult for diabetic patient to heal from cuts and soars too or it takes longer time than usual. This makes him/her more prone to infections.

How many people die because of alcohol every year?

As per, World Health Organization (WHO) Report: 2018, around the world, 3 million deaths per year, result from excessive use of alcohol, this shows 5.3 % of all deaths. Alcohol consumption in early age like 20-39 years causes 13.5% of total deaths.

Other than direct death, the overdose of alcohol has social and financial impaction individuals, family, and society, as a whole.

How many diabetic dies because of alcohol?

According to a study, Diabetic patients are more likely to die from accidents, suicide and other alcohol-related factors. The main reason for deaths is the phycological pressure to deal with the disease for the life time and changing the life style forever. Also because of the anxiety and fear of impact; diabetic tends not to control the quantity of alcohol he/she should consume.

Can you drink alcohol if you are diabetic?

Drinking alcohol can lead to sudden rise or fall in blood sugar level, especially in case of diabetic patient. Additionally, alcohol has a lot of calories making it worsen for a patient. Drinking occasionally, after checking blood sugar level is the best way to control any health loss.

If you have diabetes but want to relax with an alcoholic drink, it’s important to know what cocktails are most appropriate for people with diabetes. Avoid mixing sugary ingredients or elements that are rich in carbs, and select drinks which are not very sugary.

Distilled spirit, neat or on the rocks like whiskey, scotch, bourbon, and rye, are good choices. They have no carbs, so they make a decent drink for someone with diabetes. Avoid flavoured whiskies, which may have sugar syrup added. Club soda and soda water are both great mixers for diabetics because they don’t have any calories, sugar, or carbs. Drinking wine, if you have T1D or T2D is fine, but check with you doctor. Drink like sangria and other mixed drink should be watchfully consumed only after knowing the ingredients in it, as they may vary from place to place.

Managing your blood sugar levels can be tricky for Type 1 diabetes patient consuming alcohol. Alcohol, particularly lots of alcohol, can make your blood sugar drop too low, leading to hypo when you’re drinking or the day after.

Can alcohol-induced diabetes be reversed?

Avoiding alcohol for short duration can improve blood sugar levels as per current UK study. However still few researches suggest that moderate/ balanced consumption can be rather beneficial for a diabetes patient.

Type 2 diabetes is not curable but proper diet and weight control can help reach right blood sugar levels and even medications could be stopped if followed regularly and religiously. So, control in type 2 diabetes is definitely possible.

What are the different treatment options?

T1D is same as T2D, but former is generally develops during early age and is mostly not related to diet. The precise reason of type 1 diabetes is still being researched. The most common reason are genetics and hereditary.

If you are suffering fromT1D, your pancreas produces no insulin or very little insulin. Injecting insulin is critical to control it.

Type 1 diabetes is not curable, and it is not possible to reverse it. But it is possible to control it. The symptom of this is similar to those of type 2 diabetes.

In case of both, always consult/visit to your doctor before changing your medicines. Your regular doctor can guide you create a balanced and appropriate meal plan as per your medications and blood sugar levels.

Treatment for type 2 diabetes includes:

• Checking blood sugar levels regularly
• using insulin or medication when needed
• eating a healthy, well-balanced diet
• exercising
• losing excess weight

The most common factor found in cases of Type 2 diabetes reversal is weight loss and controlled meal. As excess fat in the body affects the production of insulin and how it’s used. Doctors also recommend losing weight through diet and exercise. Few diabetes medications have weight loss as a side effect which can also help to treat or manage diabetes.

Other research trusted source has shown that bariatric surgery can reverse type 2 diabetes. It’s one of the few ways to reverse diabetes for an extended period of time.

One may choose any way; exercise, diet or surgery still weight control for long term can only remove/control diabetes.