Is it ok for pre-diabetics to drink alcohol?
Of the total population of pre-diabetics – approx.. 86 million – it is estimated that 11% of them will develop full-blown diabetes. That’s over 9 million who will develop a disease that can lead to blindness, kidney dialysis, heart disease and amputation.
The best way to prevent pre-diabetes from getting worse is to live as clean a life-style as possible. As we all know this is difficult in our busy day-to-day lives. One of the ways we slip up is to consume alcohol. Pre-diabetes and alcohol can be a lethal combination if good judgement isn’t used.
Both the CDC and American Diabetes Association have stated that it’s ok to have an alcoholic drink on occasion. In fact for some people it may even be beneficial to have a drink. What amount is too much? What type of drink can I have? Is there a right time to have one? Before I discuss these let’s analyze what alcohol does to the body of somebody who has normal blood glucose levels.
Effects of alcohol of the body
When we have a drink it’s absorbed into the blood and as a consequent has an impact on our entire body. You may think that when you pee you are getting rid of much of what you just drank but it’s only a small portion that’s excreted in our urine and breath.
The outward physical effects are fairly obvious – impaired walking and slurred speech not to mention poor driving skills.
However it’s what it does internally that should be of major concern. It will do damage to your nervous system which can result in pain, numbness, or funny sensations in your hands and feet.
Prolong consumption will damage our pancreas and liver. These are main organs in our bodies that help to process and flush waste from it.
As you are well aware our pancreas is responsible for the regulation of insulin and glucose. Once it becomes damaged – a condition called pancreatitis (dangerous inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas) – this regulation won’t function properly. Many heavy drinkers develop this condition.
One result of pancreatitis is hypoglycemia or low blood sugar – a serious condition that I’ll discuss later.
As I stated above excess alcohol consumption also damages the liver. Many alcoholics develop cirrhosis or a scaring of the liver. This leads to inflammation and a build up of toxins in our bodies because a damaged liver is no longer able to properly excrete waste. And although we can live with part of our liver its full processing potential is diminished.
Some other things to keep in mind:
It can cause damage to other digestive organs like the esophagus and stomach lining . . . . again causing us not to process foods properly.
It can damage our heart – resulting in irregular heart beats, stroke and high blood pressure and even worse.
Men and women process alcohol differently. It generally affects women more because it takes less to have an impact on them. Women’s bodies tend to absorb more alcohol and take longer to process it.
Over time it will affect a man’s ability to perform sexually and can cause infertility and early onset of menstruation in women.
Overconsumption can actually cause a person to gain weight since alcohol packs a lot of calories. Excess weight is a leading cause of pre-diabetes and diabetes.
As you can see from the above, alcohol has a major effect on those with normal blood glucose levels. Now just imagine if your glucose levels are out of whack . . . . aka pre-diabetes and diabetes.
Guidelines to follow when consuming alcohol
Test your glucose levels before, during and after having a drink and . . . . always check before going to bed.
Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Food slows down the absorption of alcohol especially fatty foods.
Don’t drink an excessive amount – for men 2 drinks per day and women 1 drink per day. (A drink serving is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor such as scotch, gin, tequila, or vodka.)
Wear an identification bracelet to let the world know your condition.
Because hypoglycemia is one of the effects of drinking you should carry a quick sugar fix such as a candy bar or sugar tablet.
The effects of alcohol can be confused or cover up the symptoms of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. Some of the symptoms of hypoglycemia – slurring words, confusion, headaches, double vision and even unconscious (like someone turning down a dimmer switch). These are the same symptoms experienced by a person who has had too much to drink.
If you plan on having alcoholic beverages do so with a friend and not by yourself.
Pre-diabetes if left unchecked will eventually lead to full-blown diabetes – a condition you wouldn’t wish on your enemy. To prevent it from happening to you practice abstinence and if you can’t then keep your drinking to a minimum and follow the guidelines listed above. I have seen the result of excessive drinking by pre-diabetics and those with type two diabetes in my family and it did not end well.
