Diabetes and Alcohol: Drinks and co*cktails (2024)

FAQs

What alcoholic drinks can you drink with diabetes? ›

Good drink choices

12 ounces of beer • 5 ounces of wine • 1 ½ ounces of liquor. Light beers or dry wines are good choices; they have less alcohol and fewer calories. If you like mixed drinks, use diet soft drinks, water or seltzer as your mixers.

Water is the best drink for people with diabetes, but it's not the only option. Many drinks have added sugars, making them high in carbohydrates. They'll quickly raise blood glucose levels. And, because they're also high in calories with few or no nutrients, they aren't the best choice.

Gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey: A serving of 1.5 ounces (45 mL) contains zero carbs. Avoid these drinks on an empty stomach or mix them with sugary drinks to prevent blood sugar spikes and then dipping to dangerously low levels.

Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as fruit punch, may taste like fruit juice, but they often contain high levels of sugar or corn syrup and contain little to no real fruit juice. These ingredients can cause the same spikes in blood sugar levels as soda.

Water is the best all-round drink. If your family likes flavoured waters, make your own by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime, or strawberries.

In addition, a diet enriched with egg yolk was associated with elevated plasma glucose compared with a control diet in rats (9). Data from the Zutphen Study (10) have indicated a positive association between egg consumption or dietary cholesterol and fasting glucose.

Diabetics clearly should avoid heavy drinking (i.e., more than 10 to 12 drinks per day), because it can cause ketoacidosis and hypertriglyceridemia. Moreover, heavy drinking in a fasting state can cause hypoglycemia and ultimately increase diabetics' risk of death from noncardiovascular causes.

Drinks, including alcohol

Many soft drinks and juices contain carbohydrates and added sugars. A person with diabetes can safely consume unsweetened teas, coffees, and zero-calorie drinks, as well as plain water, of course. To give the water some flavor, try throwing in some whole fruit pieces.

The fastest way to lower blood sugar is to take fast-acting insulin medication. Exercise can also help to bring down blood sugar levels quickly. Diet and lifestyle changes can help manage overall blood sugar levels, but for immediate action, prescription medication or medical assistance may be necessary.

How can I flush sugar out of my system fast? ›

Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar. One study found that people who drink more water lower their risk for developing high blood sugar levels. And remember, water is the best. Sugary drinks elevate blood sugar by raising it even more.

Though bananas are higher in carbs and sugars than some foods, they also contain fiber and resistant starch that slows down the digestion and release of sugar into your bloodstream. These qualities make bananas a healthy, go-to snack for people with diabetes.

If what you're looking for is the lowest-calorie, lowest-sugar alcohol, you'll want to stick with clear liquors, registered dietitian Alex Aldeborgh says. This includes vodka, gin, rum, tequila, soju and sake, among others, which will generally have less calories and less sugar.

The short answer to this question is yes, people with diabetes can enjoy all types of pizza. In moderation, people living with diabetes can safely enjoy all types of foods that are often viewed as “unhealthy”, including yummy pizza.

In terms of carb content, tequila may be a more suitable drink choice for people with than many other alcoholic drinks. Like most distilled spirits, it provides 0 grams of carbs and sugar per 1.4-ounce (42-mL) serving, a standard shot ( 8 ).

If what you're looking for is the lowest-calorie, lowest-sugar alcohol, you'll want to stick with clear liquors, registered dietitian Alex Aldeborgh says. This includes vodka, gin, rum, tequila, soju and sake, among others, which will generally have less calories and less sugar.

Spirits Pure spirits like gin, whisky, vodka, and tequila are suitable drink choices for people following a keto diet. These drinks are low-calorie and contain zero added sugar and zero carbs. You can drink them plain or mix them with low-carb mixtures like soda water, diet soda, or sugar-free tonic water.

Pure forms of alcohol like whiskey, gin, tequila, rum and vodka are all completely sugar-free whereas wines and light beer like Sapporo or Budvar have a minimal carb content.

Diabetics Can Drink It.

Researchers have discovered that tequila can help those with type 2 diabetes. The agavins, natural sugars in agave, are non-digestible so blood sugar levels won't spike. In fact, it can lower glucose levels and increase insulin production.