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Diabetic Medicine, 29 Annals of Internal Medicine, 163Los Angeles TimesDiabetes, 63Examiner.com
The Red Wine Hypothesis
My wife, who likes to keep informed of my sugar level, remarked one day that my blood glucose seemed to be a bit lower on the mornings after I had had a drink. I decided to add my wine drinking to my daily glucose record as a prospective data collection, to test the hypothesis that red wine was associated with reduced blood glucose. As we had not noticed this effect for other alcohol and I knew that it was possible that white wine or beer might increase glucose, I also recorded an âother alcoholâ variable. This also included the occasional glass of whisky.
My planned statistical analysis was by the two-sample t-test method, because I knew that my glucose measurements followed an approximately normal distribution. To examine the effects of alcohol other than red wine, I planned to carry out a multiple regression of glucose on red wine and other alcohol jointly, as I suspected that the effects of the two would be opposite, and also because I thought that other alcohol consumption would not be independent of red wine, as drinking would often happen on social occasions.
When I came to do the analysis, I had data from 12 December 2016 to 30 June 2017. Alcohol and glucose were recorded on 192 days, and on 99 of the days I had drunk red wine the previous day. This would usually be two or three glasses of wine. Other alcohol was recorded on 19 days .
Figure 3
Fasting blood glucose against wine consumption on the previous day, with box-and-whisker plots.
Figure 4Figure 5
Potential Health Risks Of Red Wine
While studies have shown some health benefits of drinking red wine, individuals should weigh the benefits against the risks and keep in mind the dangers of alcohol abuse.;
Drinking red wine presents some potential health risks:
Wine Allergies
About 10% of the population is at risk of an allergic reaction to wine. Many components of wine can trigger a reaction, including yeast, molds, and sulfites. Even the flavonoids that make red wine healthy can be troublesome. Red wine is the form of alcohol most likely to cause a reaction in people with asthma.;
Excessive Drinking
Many people have a problem with overconsuming alcohol. The U.S. government includes alcohol guidelines in its Healthy People Initiatives, but many individuals do not follow them. Many consumers, especially heavy drinkers, underreport their alcohol consumption, so the problem is likely worse than reports indicate. ;
Pregnancy Concerns
Those who are pregnant should not drink alcohol. This precaution extends to those planning to get pregnant and to those who are breastfeeding. All alcohol should be avoided, including red wine. ;;
Continued
Alcohol and Gout
People who suffer from gout should not drink at all. ;Consumption of alcohol, including wine, can worsen gout symptoms.;
Liver Damage
Drinking too much alcohol of any kind can damage the liver, leading to conditions such as cirrhosis. Alcohol can even worsen conditions caused by a virus, like hepatitis C.
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Does White Wine Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels In Diabetics
Fact Checked
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 4. 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.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
What To Drink And Not To Drink
Aside from strict moderation, for people with type 2 diabetes the key to drinking safely is to choose alcoholic beverages that are low in sugar and carbs. Some, such as dry wines, champagne, and distilled alcohol, are naturally lower in sugar than other offerings as long as they’re imbibed straight up or with a sugar-free mixer. Beer, although also low in sugar, tends to be higher in carbs. Dessert wines such as port live up to their names by being relatively sweet.
| Comparing Carbs and Sugar in Alcoholic Beverages | |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | |
| 0g | 0g |
Its wise to steer clear of spiked cider and hard lemonade, which are both high in carbs and added sugars. Opt instead, for a spiked or hard seltzer or club soda or plain seltzer water with a squeeze of lime.
The same logic holds true for mixed drinks made with juice, added sugar, and syrups.
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Alcohol And Blood Sugar When You Dont Have Diabetes
So, what should you know about how alcohol affects blood sugar if you dont have diabetes? Some of the ways alcohol affects blood sugar include:
- Alcohol is high in sugar and calories, which can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes. Drinking moderately isnt likely to lead to type 2 diabetes, but excessive drinking over time can be a trigger for its development.
- If you drink alcohol, its important to factor in those sugars and calories when youre looking at your overall diet.
- Even if you dont have diabetes and drink excessively, it can cause low blood sugar because drinking increases insulin secretion, although it is unlikely these levels will get dangerously low.
French Paradox Cardiovascular Disease And T2d
The term French paradox appears to have been popularized in the early 1990s by 60 Minutes, the CBS news magazine , and an epidemiological article in The Lancet , which point out that high intake of saturated fat is positively related to high mortality from coronary heart disease except in France, where there is high wine consumption. This observation was made as early as 1979 by St. Leger et al. . CHD has important linkage to the issue of the effects of wine use on T2D because of the marked increased risk for CHD in people with T2D. A steady accumulation of articles reporting an association of moderate alcohol use and protection against CHD independent of T2D has appeared over the past few decades. At the current time, a PubMed search for the terms alcohol and coronary heart disease yields 11,980 citations. Rather than trying to digest this unwieldy number, I will concentrate on a more refined and more manageable group of reports focused on the impact of red wine drinking on the health of people with T2D .
Epidemiologic studies of the association between moderate alcohol consumption and the development of T2D
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The Effect Of Evening Alcohol Consumption On Next
Is Red Wine At Dinner Good For Type 2 Diabetes
A glass of red wine each evening with dinner may offer heart health perks to people with type 2 diabetes.
A two-year study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine is the first long-term study aimed at assessing the effects and safety of drinking moderate amounts of alcohol in people with type 2 diabetes, who are more at risk for developing cardiovascular disease than the general population. Those with type 2 diabetes also tend to have lower levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol.
The researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev reported that over two years, red wine helped improve signs of cardiac health by modestly increasing levels of HDL cholesterol and lowering overall cholesterol.
The randomized controlled intervention trial involved 224 controlled diabetes patients aged 45 to 75, who generally abstained from alcohol. The patients were randomly assigned to drink 5 ounces of red wine, white wine, or mineral water with their dinner for two years. They were all given instructions to follow a well-balanced Mediterranean diet plan that did not have a calorie restriction.
The researchers performed genetic tests that showed how quickly the patients metabolized alcohol, as well as various lipid tests. They also measured glucose control, blood pressure, liver function tests, medication use, and other symptoms at several time points during the two-year follow-up.
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Red Wine Compound May Curb Diabetes
Compound, Called Resveratrol, Counters Insulin Resistance in Lab Tests
Oct. 2, 2007 — Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, may counter type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, a new study shows.
Insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar. When the body becomes less sensitive to insulin, that’s called insulin resistance, a condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Resveratrol curbs insulin resistance in mice, Chinese scientists report.
They included Cheng Sun and Qiwei Zhai of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai.
If the findings apply to people, it might be possible to create new resveratrol drugs that could be a “valuable new strategy for treating insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes,” write the researchers.
But don’t count on a glass of wine to do the same thing. It would take quite a bit of wine to reach the same level of resveratrol.
“According to our findings, people might need to drink about three liters of red wine each day to get sufficient resveratrol — about 15 milligrams — for its biological effects,” Zhai says in a news release.
The researchers aren’t recommending that anyone rely on wine to help their insulin sensitivity.
Red Wine And Heart Disease Risk
Red wine also has other constituents, besides alcohol, which can help with glycemic control. The antioxidants and polyphenols found in red wine are praised for having a good effect on cholesterol.
For diabetics, particularly those with type 2 diabetes, consuming red wine in moderation in combination with a controlled diet could be beneficial.
To put it simply, the alcohol from red wine lowers the blood sugar while other substances help keep the cholesterol in check. The result is a double benefit for the cardiovascular system.
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Red Wine And Type 2 Diabetes
Even though some alcoholic beverages increase blood glucose levels, research indicates that drinking red wine may actually be beneficial to those suffering from type 2 diabetes.
In a recent study out of the Annals of Internal Medicine, it was found that drinking red wine in moderation can decrease the chances of developing heart disease in those suffering from type 2 diabetes.
In this study, greater than 200 research participants were watched for up to 2 years.; One group were instructed to drink a glass of red wine every day with supper, while others drank white wine and still others drank mineral water instead.; All participants ate a Mediterranean-type diet that didnt restrict the intake of calories.
The study lasted 2 years.; After 2 years, those who drank red wine had elevated levels of HDL cholesterol and decreased total cholesterol than were found in people who drank white wine or only drank mineral water.; There were also benefits in the blood glucose level in the red wine drinking population.; Researchers believed that drinking moderate amounts of this type of alcoholic beverage along with eating a healthy diet may moderately decrease the risk of heart disease.
Things To Remember About Alcohol & Diabetes
Alcohol and diabetes can be a tricky combination, but its absolutely possible to enjoy drinking responsibly if you remember these guidelines:
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Wine For Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Abstract To ensure an acceptable quality of life for Type 2 diabetic patients, the food recommendations have to be as liberal and individualized as possible. Unfortunately, disagreements exists about the consumption of different types of wine. Diabetic patients are advised by some to restrain their wine intake and to use dry wine containing little carbohydrate, while others are more liberal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dry and sweet wine on the glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetes. Twelve diabetic patients consumed a light meal with either 300 ml tap water 300 ml dry white wine, 300 ml sweet white wine with ethanol added or 300 ml dry white wine with glucose added. Similar glucose, insulin, and triglyceride responses were obtained in all four situations. There was a greater suppression of the free fatty acid levels in the three situations with wine as compared with water . This effect may be caused by an attenuation of the free fatty acid mobilization and esterification of free fatty acids to triglycerides induced by alcohol. Our results indicate that patients with well-controlled Type 2 diabetes can drink moderate amounts of wine with meals without risking acute deterioration of glycaemic control. Whether the wine is dry or sweet has no impact on the glycaemic control.Continue reading >>
How To Be A Diabetes Wine Lover
Karen Graham, registered dietitian, diabetes educator, and author of three best-selling books on living with diabetes, is also a wine lover who happens to live a stones throw from vineyards in British Columbia.
Her advice to the wine enthusiast with diabetes is to start with the basics and go from there.
She suggests that you hone in on a few different wine styles you like, experiment with brands, and learn what works for you. Then stick to those as much as you can.
In her book The Complete Diabetes Guide, Graham outlines the general carbohydrate/sugar content of the most popular wines, something she says can be used as a starting point for handling the wines you like best.
Be aware that when it comes to drinking alcohol of any kind, including wine, there are some steps all PWDs should take.
Make sure you never drink on an empty stomach, Graham tells DiabetesMine.
She also reminds PWDs to always have a source of fast-acting glucose on hand, because alcohol can lower blood sugars, and do so quickly.
You should also let any friends you may be enjoying wine with know about your condition, and make sure theyre familiar with the signs of a low blood sugar, which can mimic drunkenness. They should know not to hesitate to ask you about your situation should they see signs.
And, of course, you should pay close attention to your blood sugars both before, during, and for a long time after a wine outing.
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Potential Benefits For People With Type 2 Diabetes
People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, as well as lower levels of good HDL cholesterol. High levels of HDL cholesterol can reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke, as it absorbs cholesterol and carries it back to the liver, where it is flushed from the body.
Should patients with type 2 diabetes be recommended to take up moderate alcohol consumption? The American Diabetes Association leave the decision to the individual; the American Heart Association recommend discussing alcohol with a physician.
The researchers wanted to find out what the cardiometabolic effects would be when patients with type 2 diabetes took up drinking moderate amounts of alcohol; they also wanted to assess whether the type of wine would matter.
They hypothesized that initiating moderate wine consumption would lower cardiometabolic risk, mainly because of the ethanol component. They predicted similar effects of red and white wine. Because of genetic variability in alcohol metabolism, they predicted that the effects of wine would vary according to ADH1B genotype.
Among those excluded were: people already taking more than one alcoholic drink per week, anyone with a history of addiction and patients using two or more insulin injections a day.
Measurements taken at baseline included genetic markers, blood pressure, liver biomarkers, medication use and symptoms, and quality of life.
Red Wine Vinegar Aids Weight Loss And Fights Diabetes
Red Wine Vinegar goes well with salads and is a staple of the Mediterranean cuisine. But did you know that it can also help you lose weight and curb your appetite? It even allows you to eat the high-carb foods that usually give you a feeling of regret after the last bite.
When red wine is fermented for a long period, it transforms into red wine vinegar. Besides containing the same antioxidant called resveratrol, the main component of red wine vinegar, and the one that gives it the sour taste, is acetic acid.
Acetic acid is also a main component of other vinegars like white vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Acetic acid helps to slow down the digestion of foods that you eat. This action helps to regulate blood sugar and prevent spikes. Blood sugar spikes are what make your pancreas secrete insulin, which tells your body to start to store fat.
According to Doctor Oz, two tablespoons of red wine vinegar will give you optimal results if you want to maintain steady blood glucose and insulin levels. The main reason why it does so is because it prevents some of the carbohydrates that you consume from passing through the blood stream. Carbohydrates are what raise your blood sugar level, insulin level, and ultimately bring your body to store more fat. It is the carbohydrates, not the fat that you eat, that is making you fat.
Here is an excerpt from a research article summary on WebMD;concerning mice and red wine vinegar:
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