After all, you might assume that wine is loaded with sugar, making it taboo in your diet.
Good news, though.
“They can pretty much drink and eat any food a person without diabetes can eat.”
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That doesn’t mean you’re free to down glass after glass, though.
How wine affects your blood sugar levels
Wine is primarily made from grapes and yeast.
As the wine ferments, the yeasts eat the sugar from the grapes and create alcohol in the drink.
That said, some wines are fermented less or have additionally sugar added for flavor purposes.
If you’re sticking with red and white wines, the sugar content is surprisingly low.
But there’s more to the story.
Your blood sugar does matter but not because those wines are high in sugar or even high in carbohydrates.
So what’s the problem?
If drank in excess, “your liver starts prioritizing alcohol over blood sugar,” Turoff says.
It also helps clear alcohol from your system and, with alcohol in your body, its duties shift.
Additionally, you might not be eating as nutritious of foods when you’re drinking.
You might even eat foods that you might not otherwise eat were if not for that glass of wine.
Those extra calories can add up, potentially making the number on the scale go up, Turoff says.
Even if you don’t have diabetes, alcohol can be hazardous to your heart, Moskovitz says.
Some organizations also classify alcohol as a carcinogen.
One 2022 study from theInternational Journal of Cancerfound that alcohol could be a direct cause of cancer.
For instance, wine contains high amounts of polyphenols, a pop in of antioxidant found in plants.
Perhaps the most well known in wine isresveratrol, which is revered for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
“You’ll get more benefits by doing things like walking, meditating and eating more vegetables.”
How to drink wine when you have diabetes
Want to enjoy a glass of wine?
If you have a history of alcoholism, skip all alcohol, wine included, Moskovitz says.
According to theAmerican Heart Association,most people should stick to no more than two drinks per day.
You should aim to be somewhere between 100 and 140 mg/dL.
If you’re below 100 mg/dL, eat a snack to help bring it up.
“There are many ways to prevent and manage diabetes,” Moskovitz says.
“While drinking red wine may provide health-protecting benefits, only drink it if you truly enjoy it.”
And be sure to always enjoy any jot down of alcohol in moderation.
