Alcohol presents a risk to diabetics, so the safest approach is to avoid wine entirely unless your doctor approves. Wine contains alcohol, which can cause hypoglycemia, or dangerously low blood sugar. If you decide to drink wine anyway, test your blood sugar level before and after you drink to ensure your blood sugar level stays within the range your doctor recommends.
Significance
Diabetics must watch what they eat and drink to ensure their blood sugar levels stay in a safe range. Diabetics might have insulin deficiency, insulin that doesn't function correctly or both. Insulin facilitates the transfer of glucose from the bloodstream to the fat, muscle and liver cells to provide them energy. Consequently, diabetics must monitor their blood sugar levels to ensure they stay in a safe range.
Effects
Wine and other alcoholic beverages can lower glucose levels, so diabetics must exercise caution when drinking. The hypoglycemia can happen shortly after you start drinking or sometime in the following eight to 12 hours. The American Diabetes Association recommends eating something if your blood sugar levels drop. Otherwise, you might experience symptoms of hypoglycemia, which include dizziness, sleepiness and disorientation. In extreme cases, you may faint, have a seizure or fall into a coma.
Problem
The symptoms of hypoglycemia are similar to the symptoms of drunkenness, which presents a problem for diabetics. If you drink too much wine, people may assume you're drunk when you're actually in a dangerous hypoglycemic state. The American Diabetes Association recommends wearing a bracelet that says "I have diabetes" to help emergency responders and passersby recognize there might be a problem.
Precautions
If you must have wine, try diluting it with water, diet soda, club soda or diet tonic water. Or choose wine spritzers instead of wine. Also, eat a meal before you drink. While you drink, snack on something healthy, such as raw vegetables and dip. Note that your snacks might affect your blood sugar level, so you must take care to eat the right foods. The American Diabetes Association says diabetics who decide to drink alcohol should hire a registered dietitian to help design a safe eating plan that can help them compensate for the effects of alcohol.
