DIABETES AND ALCOHOL
When you drink alcohol, it is metabolized (that is, broken down) by the liver, and there is
less glucose production while the alcohol is being broken down. In people with diabetes who are on insulin, this
can cause hypoglycemic reactions. It is therefore important that you drink alcohol with a meal rather than on an
empty stomach. The recommended amount of alcohol is the same as for people without diabetes—two drinks for men
and one for women. One drink is defined as twelve ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or one and a half ounces
of distilled spirits. You generally do not need to count the carbohydrates in the alcohol or inject any extra
insulin for the alcohol. The exception would be if you drank several cans of beer at one sitting; then you may
need to give some insulin for the carbohydrates in the beer.
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