Prediabetes, Diabetes, And Wine Drinking
A recent study on adults and their risk of developing prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes in conjunction with alcohol consumption showed that low or medium consumption of alcohol (beer, wine, and spirits) actually decreased the risk in women. For men, the results were a little more straightforward: the general consumption of alcohol, especially in higher amounts, increased of prediabetes risk measurably. But a new study brings into question whether or not wine, a long-standard part of many American and European diets, may actually help people with prediabetes and diabetes to improve their health. Prediabetes and a Glass of Wine a Day According to the study, which was reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2015, people with diabetes who drank one glass of red or white wine a night (as opposed to a glass of mineral water) saw health benefits and an improvement in measurements associated with diabetes. Red wine drinkers, especially, saw significant improvements in both diabetes-related issues and heart health. (White wine drinkers saw an improvement in their triglyceride levels, but red wine drinkers saw an improvement in cholesterol and lipid, or fat, metabolism.) The wine drinkers overall saw that, after two years of drinking one glass of wine a night, they had fewer signs of metabolic syndrome, which can include high blood sugar and hypertension. This study only focused on people with diabetes, and many other studies show the benefits of wine drinking on people without the disease, but there is little conclusive evidence on the effects of wine drinking on people with prediabetes. However, the health goal for those with prediabetes is to prevent the development of full-fledged diabetes. This means that efforts should focus on lowering blood glucose levels and regulati Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Alcohol
If you have diabetes, drinking alcohol may cause your blood sugar to either rise or fall. Plus, alcohol has a lot of calories. If you drink, do it occasionally and only when your diabetes and blood sugar level are well-controlled. If you are following a calorie-controlled meal plan, one drink of alcohol should be counted as two fat exchanges. It is a good idea to check with your doctor to see if drinking alcohol is safe for you. Here are some other ways that alcohol can affect diabetes: While moderate amounts of alcohol may cause blood sugar to rise, excess alcohol can actually decrease your blood sugar level -- sometimes causing it to drop into dangerous levels, especially for people with type 1 diabetes. Beer and sweet wine contain carbohydrates and may raise blood sugar. Alcohol stimulates your appetite, which can cause you to overeat and may affect your blood sugar control. Alcoholic drinks often have a lot of calories, making it more difficult to lose excess weight. Alcohol may also affect your judgment or willpower, causing you to make poor food choices. Alcohol can interfere with the positive effects of oral diabetes medicines or insulin. Alcohol may increase triglyceride levels. Alcohol may increase blood pressure. Alcohol can cause flushing, nausea, increased heart rate, and slurred speech. These may be confused with or mask the symptoms of low blood sugar. People with diabetes who drink should follow these alcohol consumption guidelines: Do not drink more than two drinks of alcohol in a one-day period if you are a man, or one drink if you are a woman. (Example: one alcoholic drink = 5-ounce glass of wine, 1 1/2-ounce "shot" of liquor or 12-ounce beer). Drink alcohol only with food. Drink slowly. Avoid "sugary" mixed drinks, sweet wines, or cordials. Mix liquor Continue reading >>
And Diabetes
Diabetes is a common, life-long condition that occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin it does produce doesn’t work properly. Insulin is a hormone that transfers glucose from the bloodstream into the cells to be used for energy. If you have diabetes, your body cannot make proper use of this glucose so it builds up in the blood instead of moving into your cells. The chances of developing diabetes may depend on a mix of your genes and your lifestyle. Drinking to excess, for example, can contribute to individuals becoming diabetic. Diabetes is a manageable condition. But when it’s not well managed, it is associated with serious health complications including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage and amputations2. There are two main types of diabetes3 Type 1 diabetes develops if the body can’t produce enough insulin, because insulin-producing cells in the pancreas have been destroyed. It can happen: Because of genetic factors When a virus or infection triggers an autoimmune response (where the body starts attacking itself). People who have this type of diabetes are usually diagnosed before they’re 40 and there’s currently no way to prevent it. It’s the least common type of diabetes – only 10% of all cases are type 14. Type 2 diabetes. Develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the body becomes resistant to insulin. It can happen: When people are overweight and inactive. People who are an ‘apple-shape’ (with lots of fat around the abdomen) have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes Because of genetic factors. People who have this type of diabetes are usually diagnosed when they’re over 40, and it’s more common in men. However, more overweight children and Continue reading >>
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Does Wine Help Or Harm People With Diabetes?
With commentary from study author Meir Stampfer, MD, DrPH, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Doctors have long faced a paradox when advising their patients with type 2 diabetes on drinking alcohol. Moderate drinking has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, which would benefit people with diabetes who are at increased risk of the disease. Yet, people with diabetes have traditionally been advised to reduce their alcohol consumption to help better control their glucose levels. Now preliminary results of a new study presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Prague, found that adults with diabetes may be able to safely drink in moderation and reap the heart benefits. The study randomly assigned 224 patients with controlled type 2 diabetes to have either mineral water, white wine or red wine (about a 5-ounce serving of wine) with dinner every night for two years. All patients were following a healthy Mediterranean diet with no calorie restrictions. Researchers found that red-wine drinkers had a modest improvement in high-density lipoproteins (HDL), the good cholesterol, and also had improved apolipoprotein A1, a component of HDL. Those who drank red or white wine also saw modest improvements in glucose metabolism. Drinking one 5-ounce serving of red or white wine wasn’t associated with any negative effect on medication use, blood pressure or liver function tests. “Obviously excess drinking is harmful, but there is no good evidence to discourage moderate consumption among diabetics who have no other contraindication,” says Meir Stampfer, MD, DrPH, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and one of the authors of the study. “This first long-term large scale alc Continue reading >>
Is Red Wine Good For Diabetics? Study Claims The Tipple’s Main Antioxidant Can Help Reduce Artery Stiffness For Type 2 Sufferers
Many people count a glass of red wine as one of their guilty pleasures. Yet, drinking the occasional Merlot may protect type 2 diabetes patients from heart attacks and strokes. Researchers have found an antioxidant, known as resveratrol, in red wine reduces artery stiffness in type 2 diabetics, which is a known cause of heart-related illness. Study author Dr Naomi Hamburg, chief of vascular biology, Boston University School of Medicine, said: 'This adds to emerging evidence that there may be interventions that may reverse the blood vessel abnormalities that occur with aging and are more pronounced in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity.' Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes and gives wine its color. It is also found in peanuts and berries. Researchers from Boston University measured the stiffness of the body's main artery, known as the aorta, in 57 type 2 diabetes patients. Patients then consumed daily doses of 100mg resveratrol for two weeks, followed by a 300mg dose every day for a fortnight and finally a placebo for four weeks. Of those with high aortic stiffness at the start of the study, the 300mg dose improved flexibility by 9.1 percent and the 100mg dose by 4.8 percent, while stiffness worsened with placebo. This effect was not seen in patients without aortic stiffness at the start of the study. Dr Hamburg said: 'The effect of resveratrol may be more about improving structural changes in the aorta and less about the relaxation of blood vessels, and people with more normal aortic stiffness may not get as much benefit. Results will be presented at the Peripheral Vascular Disease 2017 Scientific Sessions in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This comes after Professor Gordon Shepherd from the Yale School of Medicine said drinking red wine sparks reactions in the Continue reading >>
Drinking Wine Is Linked To A Lower Risk Of Diabetes
TIME Health For more, visit TIME Health. Drinking alcohol—especially wine—every few days may help protect against type 2 diabetes, suggests a new study published in the journal Diabetologia. People in the study who drank three to four days a week were about 30% less likely to develop diabetes than those who drank less than once a week. This isn’t the first study to find a link between drinking moderately—having up to 7 drinks a week for women and up to 14 drinks a week for men—and a reduced diabetes risk, compared to not drinking at all. (Heavy drinking, however, is known to increase the risk of diabetes.) For the new study, researchers analyzed data from more than 70,000 healthy Danish adults who were surveyed about their health and drinking habits around 2007. They tracked them for five years to see who developed type 2 diabetes. People who had the lowest risk for diabetes were those who drank alcohol at moderate—and slightly more than moderate—levels. Men who drank 14 drinks a week had a 43% lower risk of diabetes than men who did not drink at all; women who drank nine drinks a week had a 58% reduced risk. TIME Health Newsletter Get the latest health and science news, plus: burning questions and expert tips. View Sample Sign Up Now The timing of those drinks also mattered. Drinking three to four days a week was linked to the biggest risk reduction. For women, very infrequent drinking (less than one day a week) was also associated with slightly lower diabetes rates, compared to being a lifetime abstainer. “For the same total weekly amount of alcohol, spreading it out on more days is better than drinking it all together,” said lead author Janne Tolstrup, professor of epidemiology and intervention research at the University of Southern Denmark’s Nati Continue reading >>
Alcohol And Diabetes
For some people, having a few drinks at home or in the pub is part of everyday life. And having diabetes shouldn’t get in the way of this. But when you have diabetes, it’s a bit more complicated. You might want to know whether it's safe to drink alcohol, and how much is okay. So yes, you can still drink, but you need to be aware of how it can affect your body and how to manage this. For example, drinking can make you more likely to have a hypo, because alcohol makes your blood sugars drop. It can affect your weight too, as there can be a lot of calories in alcoholic drinks. We’ll give you all the facts here. Alcohol and risk factors for Type 2 We don’t know exactly what causes Type 2 diabetes. But we do know that your family history, age and ethnic background affects your risk of developing it, and we know you’re more likely to develop it if you’re overweight. These are all called risk factors. Alcohol isn’t a risk factor in itself. But it can contain a lot of calories, which can lead to putting on weight. Take a look at our information about risk factors and find out your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Government guidelines on alcohol units To help keep health risks from alcohol at a low level, it’s safest not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week. These guidelines are the same for men and women. But what does this actually mean when you’re in the pub or having dinner with a glass of wine at home? It means you shouldn’t drink more than six medium glasses of wine or six pints of lager a week. But the size of the glass and type of alcohol affects the number of units, so it’s best to check the guidelines at drinkaware.co.uk Alcohol and hypos If you use insulin or some other diabetes medications like sulphonylureas, you’re more likely to Continue reading >>
Drinking Wine Can Fight Diabetes: Regular Glass Can Cut Risk By A Third Say Experts
Experts say those who enjoy a regular tipple in moderation can stop themselves being struck down with the Type 2 form of the condition and avoid the need for painful daily injections. They believe wine provides the greatest protection because of the way polyphenols regulate blood sugar. The chemical is especially abundant in red wine. But the scientists have warned heavy drinking will not help combat the debilitating condition and increases the threat of a host of life-threatening diseases like cancer. The Danish experts behind the latest study found consuming alcohol three to four days a week resulted in the lowest risk compared to those drinking once a week, reducing the danger by 27 per cent in men and 32 per cent in women. Professor Janne Tolstrup, of the University of Southern Denmark, said: “Our findings suggest alcohol drinking frequency is associated with risk and that consumption over three to four days a week is associated with the lowest risk of diabetes, even after taking average weekly alcohol consumption into account.” The findings come after researchers from Denmark’s National Institute of Public Health examined the effects of drinking frequency on risk and the association with different types. Data from the Danish Health Examination Survey from 2007–2008 saw 70,551 people aged 18 and over provide details on lifestyle and health including frequency of consumption. A standard drink was classified as one unit (12g) of alcohol. They were monitored for an average of five years until 2012 with information on diabetes incidence obtained from the Danish National Diabetes Register which did not distinguish between Type 1, an autoimmune disease, and Type 2. During that time 859 men and 887 women developed diabetes. The findings mirrored previous studies sh Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes And Alcohol: Proceed With Caution
Alcohol can worsen diabetes-related nerve damage.(RON CHAPPLE STOCK/CORBIS)Hoping for a beer at the ball game, or a glass of wine with dinner? If you have type 2 diabetes, that's probably OK as long as your blood sugar is under control, you don't have any complications that are affected by alcohol (such as high blood pressure), and you know how the drink will affect your blood sugar, according to the American Diabetes Association. An alcohol-containing drink a day might even help your heart (though if you don't already drink, most experts say that's not a reason to start). In moderation, alcohol may cut heart disease risk According to a study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, women with type 2 diabetes who drank relatively small amounts of alcohol had a lower heart-disease risk than those who abstained. A second study found that men with diabetes had the same reduction in heart risk with a moderate alcohol intake as non-diabetic men. In general, the recommendations for alcohol consumption for someone with type 2 diabetes are the same as anyone else: no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women. (Make sure to measure: 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.) People with diabetes who choose to drink need to take extra care keeping food, medications, alcohol, and blood sugars in balance. Janis Roszler, RD, a certified diabetes educator in Miami, Fla., recommends: Mixing alcoholic drinks with water or calorie-free diet sodas instead of sugary (and calorie- and carbohydrate-laden) sodas and other mixers. Once you have had your drink, switch to a non-alcoholic drink, such as sparkling water, for the rest of the evening. Make sure yo Continue reading >>
Diabetes & Alcohol
Drinking alcohol can lead to serious low blood sugar reactions. Alcohol can also affect diabetic nerve damage, eye disease, and high blood triglycerides. You may wonder if drinking alcohol is safe for people with diabetes. If you drink alcohol, there are some things you need to know first about alcohol safety. Is it Safe to Drink Alcohol? Check with your doctor to make sure alcohol doesn’t interfere with your medications or complicate any of your medical conditions. Drinking alcohol can lead to serious low blood sugar reactions, especially if you take insulin or types of diabetes pills that stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. Alcohol can also affect other medical conditions you may have, like diabetic nerve damage, diabetic eye disease, and high blood triglycerides. Get guidelines for alcohol use from your medical provider. How Much Alcohol Can I Drink? If you choose to drink alcohol, drink in moderation. Limit your intake of alcohol to no more than one serving per day for women, and no more than two servings per day for men. One serving size of alcohol equals: 12 ounces of beer 5 ounces of wine 1½ ounces of distilled spirits (such as rum, whiskey, gin, etc.) Alcohol and Risk of Low Blood Sugar If you are managing your diabetes with diet and exercise alone, drinking alcohol can stil increase your risk of low blood sugars. And if you take insulin or types of diabetes pills that stimulate insulin production, drinking alcohol can lead to even more serious low blood sugar reactions. Normally, the liver releases glucose to maintain blood sugar levels. But when you drink alcohol, the liver is busy breaking the alcohol down, so it does a poor job of releasing glucose into the bloodstream. This can lead to a drop in blood sugar levels if you are drinking alco Continue reading >>
Does Alcohol And Tobacco Use Increase The Risk Of Diabetes?
Yes, alcohol and tobacco use may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Alcohol Although studies show that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may actually lower the risk of diabetes, the opposite is true for people who drink greater amounts of alcohol. Moderate alcohol use is defined as one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. Too much alcohol may cause chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can impair its ability to secrete insulin and potentially lead to diabetes. Tobacco Tobacco use can increase blood sugar levels and lead to insulin resistance. The more you smoke, the greater your risk of diabetes. People who smoke heavily — more than 20 cigarettes a day — have almost double the risk of developing diabetes compared with people who don’t smoke. Continue reading >>
Drinking Wine For Diabetes Prevention: Moderate Alcohol Consumption Manages Blood Sugar
Drinking Wine For Diabetes Prevention: Moderate Alcohol Consumption Manages Blood Sugar Many of us drink the occasional glass of wine to disconnect our brain at the end of the day. The alcoholic beveragenot only acts as a stress reliever, it can also protect us from diabetes. A new study published in Diabetologia found a moderate to high intake of wine is associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes. Researchers from the National Institute of Public Health at the University of Southern Denmark believe its protective effects could be attributed to the role polyphenols have on managing blood sugar levels. Although the mechanism is still hazy, researchers suggest higher concentrations of tannins have an inhibiting effect on the action of carbohydrate-reducing enzymes. In other words, the presence of polyphenols in the body will influence the effect foods have on blood sugar levels during and after consumption. Read More: People With Type 2 Diabetes May Benefit From Drinking Red Wine In The Context Of A Healthy, Mediterranean Diet In the study, men and women who consumed sevenor more drinks of wine per week had a 25 to 30 percent lower risk of diabetes compared to those who had less than onedrink of wine per week. "Our findings suggest that alcohol drinking frequency is associated with the risk of diabetes and that consumption of alcohol over 3-4 weekdays is associated with the lowest risks of diabetes, even after taking average weekly alcohol consumption into account," wrote the study authors, in their paper . Previous research on alcohol use and diabetes consistently shows light to moderate alcohol consumption (how many drinks are consumed) is linked with a lower risk of diabetes compared with abstention in men and women. But, studies that have examined the role o Continue reading >>
Things You Should Know About Wine And Diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes have been found to be 2-4 times more likely to suffer from heart disease when compared to people who do not have diabetes, according to the American Heart Disease, an organization that studies diabetes and its complications. There is some evidence that, when a person with diabetes drinks a moderate amount of red wine per day, they could decrease their chances of heart disease. Other evidence indicates that no amount of alcohol should be taken in by diabetics. Facts about Diabetes According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), greater than 29 million Americans have type 2 diabetes. That represents a tenth of all Americans. Most people with diabetes have the type 2 kind of diabetes. In this illness, the body is insulin resistant (meaning that they can’t use insulin to put the glucose in the bloodstream into the cells) or they don’t have enough insulin. Both conditions can exist at the same time. Because of a lack of insulin or insulin resistance, the diabetic patient with type 2 diabetes have elevations in blood sugar values. They tend to get better if they take a variety of medications, such as insulin, oral medications for diabetes, exercise on a regular basis, and eat a healthy diet. In many cases, the diet is important in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The major macronutrient that causes blood glucose to rise includes carbohydrates, such as starchy foods, candy and other sweets, fruits, and bread-like products. While, wine is considered a carbohydrate, there is some evidence to suggest that alcohol intake may actually decrease blood glucose levels, rather than increasing the levels of blood glucose. Red Wine and Blood Sugar Values According to the research funded by the American Diabetes Association, drinking a gl Continue reading >>
Does White Wine Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels In Diabetics?
The polyphenols in red wine may help prevent metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes by helping your body regulate blood-sugar levels and fat metabolism, according to a January 2011 “Food and Function” study. White wine also contains such polyphenols, but in much smaller amounts. Recommending any type of wine to help control diabetes is premature and, under certain circumstances, is risky. Video of the Day Any type of alcohol, including white wine, can cause hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, immediately after consuming it and for eight to 12 hours after drinking, according to the American Diabetes Association. If you choose to drink white wine, check your blood glucose before sipping it and also eat while or before you drink it. Also drink your wine only when your blood-glucose levels are under control and consult a doctor before you incorporate white wine into your diet, recommends the association. The symptoms of hypoglycemia and drunkenness are similar – disorientation, sleepiness and dizziness. The ligands in red wine – mainly ellagic acid and epicatechin gallate, or ECG – have an affinity to your peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ , or PPARγ, which is a key factor in both glucose and lipid metabolism. In fact, the affinity is similar to the type 2 diabetes drug rosiglitazone, according to A. Zoechling, lead author for the “Food and Function” study. That raises the possibility that red wine might someday be used in diabetes prevention and treatment, but more research is needed. Red wines contain a much higher level of ligands than white wines. Though the amount can vary among red wines, many reds contain 1 g per liter of these polyphenols, according to "Wine Spectator" magazine. White wines, on the other hand, have less than .1 g per liter. Continue reading >>
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Can Diabetics Drink Wine?
Wondering if a glass of red or white wine is OK to have with dinner? The American Diabetes Association (ADA) says yes, as long as you’re not pregnant and don’t have a history of alcohol abuse. The ADA also recommends that you eat whenever you’re drinking an alcoholic beverage. Since alcohol can cause severe, life-threatening low blood sugar (even in people who don’t have diabetes), food is essential to help the body regulate blood glucose levels. One study showed that moderate alcohol intake (no more than one drink a day) was associated with lower blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity in healthy people without diabetes. Another study showed that blood sugar levels didn’t differ for 12 hours after a meal between diabetic patients (both types 1 and 2) who drank a glass of wine with dinner (or a shot of vodka before dinner, or a shot of cognac after dinner) and those who drank an equal amount of water. Finally, a number of studies have suggested that moderate alcohol intake may have a positive effect on blood cholesterol and lipid levels. Just remember that alcohol calories should be included in your meal plan (one alcoholic drink is 1 fat exchange). Reprinted from 101 Tips for Staying Healthy with Diabetes (and Avoiding Complications). Copyright by the American Diabetes Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Check out Health Bistro for more healthy food for thought. See what Lifescript editors are talking about and get the skinny on the latest news. Share it with your friends (it’s free to sign up!), and bookmark it so you don’t miss a single juicy post! Thanks for signing up for our newsletter! You should see it in your inbox very soon. Continue reading >>
