Can Type 2 Diabetics drink wine?

Food Nutrition
1

I am following a low carb diet and have noticed that if I have a glass of wine with dinner my BG levels are 80-85 before bed compared to 95/100 without the wine. I’m controlling my diabetes with diet/exercise only. Can your BG go too low even if you don’t use any medication/insulin to manage diabetes or can a glass of wine once a day help in BG control?

2

Yes, Sue, I switched from a beer or two a night to a glass of red wine or two. I usually have it early with dinner; I experimented with having a small glass before bed to help control the Dawn Phenomenon also, but found that I was a bit dihydrated in the morning so I drink i early then have some water to avoid that. As Judith mentioned it is good for our hearts. Cheers.

3

Red wine is well known to lower BG. I personally don’t drink it, because i don’t like an6y alcoholic drinks
Hana

4

I’m not sure how to interpret this? “Can Type 2 Diabetics drink wine?”

Do you mean competitively? I don’t see why not.

Do you mean should they? In my opinion, everyone should have a glass or two of dry red wine a day.

It is it different for a T2 vs T1? I don’t think so.

I consider myself a pretty reasonable wine drinker. I’m not really competitive, I don’t hold any records, but I do pretty well. I always have wine with dinner. I used to try to have a glass or two before bed to suppress my DP, but it just wasn’t “fun.” I drink dry red wines, Shiraz, Malbec, Merlot, Cab. Dry red wine is basically a wash for me, the residual sugar in the wine offsets the alcohol and I get basically no effect on my blood sugar.

5

Thanks for all the great information. I will experiment and see if it helps with the dawn phenomenon as I have problems with that also. Does it matter if you drink white or red wine?

6

Choose a wine that has a low residual sugar, these will be dry wines. If the wine is sweet, then it usually has lots of residual sugar. Red wines are broadly drier and lower in residual sugar. The drier red wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Syrah, Malbec, Pinot Noir or Zinfadel. Direct information on residual sugar content is usually not directly available, so just taste. But be aware that acidity and high alcohol levels can “mask” sugar content.