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How come wine lowers bg? HbA1c too?

Totto

Totto

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,831
Location
Gotland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I can see that wine, the only form of alcohol I use, well more or less, has an enormous effect on my bg readings. Why is that?

If I drink wine often, will this lower HbA1c as well? It should, shouldn't it? Is that taken into account when interpreting the HbA1c? Is it of any significance?
 
It's all,down to the liver I gather. It will process the alcohol first then the meal. I had a drink most evenings and the GP reclkons that this masked my diabetes for 30+ years.



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Apparently the liver can't multitask so when it's processing alcohol it can't dump sugar into your blood. That's one of the reasons insulin users have to be careful after drinking - hypos are more likely and the liver isn't in a position to save you.

It will have a positive effect on HbA1c because your BG is lower for longer so less glucose sticks to the red blood cells - that's all the HbA1c measures.

Having said that, there's not much point to a good HbA1c if you knacker your liver with alcohol. LOL

Smidge
 
Alan, how come a drink in the evening could mask diabetes for decades? Must admit I might be at risk here but also have no clue at all as to what variety of diabetes I have.

smidge said:
Apparently the liver can't multitask so when it's processing alcohol it can't dump sugar into your blood. That's one of the reasons insulin users have to be careful after drinking - hypos are more likely and the liver isn't in a position to save you.

It will have a positive effect on HbA1c because your BG is lower for longer so less glucose sticks to the red blood cells - that's all the HbA1c measures.

Having said that, there's not much point to a good HbA1c if you knacker your liver with alcohol. LOL

Smidge
Click to expand...

My question was that after a meal with carbs my bg readings are lower if I have wine with meal compared with only water. No meds at all, newly diagnosed with diabetes so what variety is still to be told, if ever.
 
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