| Dehydration, alcohol + Mediterranean diet benefits |
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Depending on your comfort levels, you will have likely either have enjoyed or despised the heat this week.
On Tuesday, we highlighted the need for people with diabetes to keep hydrated in times of extreme heat. This is because dehydration can increase the likelihood of hyperglycemia.
Drinks are an especially important aspect of day-to-day life for people with diabetes. You should always consider how a drink will affect your blood sugar levels, and this is why water is such a strong choice, because it provides hydration without any calories.
In this heat, certain drinks can prove a little problematic. One of these drink types is alcohol.
There is no reason why people with diabetes can’t drink alcohol, but different alcoholic drinks can have varying effects on your blood sugar.
Alcohol can increase the risk of hypoglycemia because it inhibits the liver from turning proteins into glucose, while certain alcohol drinks such as beers and most cocktails can initially increase your blood sugar.
In hot weather, it is important to test your blood sugar levels regularly if you are drinking alcohol. The heat can make signs of low and high blood sugar hard to spot, so testing often can prevent you from missing any symptoms.
People with diabetes have expressed difficulty in finding drinks that have neither sugar nor artificial sweeteners. See what members of the forum have to say.
You can read more on diabetes and drinking with our guide What Can I Drink?
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