BEER

Michelob Ultra lager, a light 3.5% low carb lager. 2g carb (none of which is sugar) per 330ml. Tends to push my BG finger prick test to 5.8mmol/L after a few pints.

Bud Light is also 3.5% but has a few more carbs. Tends to push my BG finger prick test to 6.4mmol/L.

Coors Light has more carbs, I’d be looking at 7.5 mmol/L

Kronenburg 1664 has many carbs, a couple of pints of that and my BG hits 10 mmol/L!

Real ale, IPAs all worse than 1664.

Red wine, brandy, whisky... barely any BG impact for me.

Clearly everybody is different, so YMMV.

Your BG monitor will help you make informed decisions after testing to see what happens.

Walking Girl said:

Uh. Never heard that in my 52 years on this planet, so guess I’m not listening to whoever “they” is.

Regardless, to the OP, not sure any alcohol is good for us, the question is more, how bad is it? I like a good ale, but it does push my BG up before it declines. My BG curve is less dramatic with wine. My motto is make it a count regardless, so no watered down light beers for me. Just my .02.

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The phrase is widely known. Because you have not heard it does not negate it (or prove its veracity).

I am teetotal so it matters not a whit to me.

Interesting that several teetotalers have thought to contribute to a thread about beer! In this thread and others I have seen phrases like "having a few beers", that is where it can all go wrong. Stick to one can or bottle if it fits into your carb allowance and you are probably ok.

Mr_Pot said:

Interesting that several teetotalers have thought to contribute to a thread about beer! In this thread and others I have seen phrases like "having a few beers", that is where it can all go wrong. Stick to one can or bottle if it fits into your carb allowance and you are probably ok.

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You're absolutely correct.

I can quite happily demolish a box of Michelob on a friday night - 12 bottles. A total of 24g of carbs over a four hour window, with a BG total keeping in the 5s for the duration. Paired up with cheeses, cold meats, olives, and face meltingly hot pork scratchings, it's quite the feast and not added to the carbs from the lager.

Juicyj said:

HI @bexter75 Beer can be high carb so would increase your glucose levels, ideal to avoid, I prefer a glass of red wine as that has no impact on my levels.

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Hate to be perhaps a bit dim here, but I hear a lot about alcohol and T2 but I’d be interested in what would you happen if you had a light meal and then 6 pints of lager? Ok pushes BS up but so what? Let’s say then you alcohol abstain for a month and eat normally but limited carbs?

Gryph said:

You're absolutely correct.

I can quite happily demolish a box of Michelob on a friday night - 12 bottles. A total of 24g of carbs over a four hour window, with a BG total keeping in the 5s for the duration. Paired up with cheeses, cold meats, olives, and face meltingly hot pork scratchings, it's quite the feast and not added to the carbs from the lager.

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That’s motivational! So many doom and gloom stories/advice over leaving beer alone like it will kill you!

Red9 said:

That’s motivational! So many doom and gloom stories/advice over leaving beer alone like it will kill you!

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It's all about the carbs, and entirely individual. Know the content of what you're putting in, keep to whatever limits you allow yourself and test your BG reaction (before, after and during if that helps); then you'll know how it affects you

And then there's the other factors to consider - what you're eating (or not) with it, how that impacts how your body handles carbs, and how your liver copes. Then resisting any inebriated urges to gorge on fish and chips, Haribo and white bread

Red9 said:

That’s motivational! So many doom and gloom stories/advice over leaving beer alone like it will kill you!

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Well, the beer I actually like the taste of, would send my blood sugars into the stratosphere. (The heavier stuff that comes out of monk's breweries. I've been teetotal for quite a while now, even with the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease resolved... I've beat that poor thing enough.) But anyway, if you're fine drinking low carb beers, have at it. If you're not on insulin or gliclazide you're quite safe to get absolutely plastered on whiskey, wodka and what have you. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/alcohol-guide might help.

It's a personal choice. We're all different with different needs. Like I said, I don't drink at all anymore, and didn't much before that to begin with, maybe a glass, 5 times a year...? Most T2's have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. I don't want to ruin any progress I've made there. Could well be your liver's fine though, and up for a dram or two. And if you don't have medication that'll lower your bloodsugars, like the aforementioned Glic and insulin, there's no risk of a hypo. Some do, and don't wake up in the morning. Decide what works for you.