The effects of alcohol on blood sugar levels
It is possible some of you have finished your sugar challenge, others may be taking time off over the weekend and continuing for longer. Others going straight through.
Alcohol isn´t good for our health for many reasons such as health of our liver and brain, but many of us do enjoy a drink with friends. If we are going to drink then some choices are better than others for our blood glucose levels.
Alcohol affects your blood sugar for as long as it is in your body.
How does this happen?
The liver is very important when it comes to regulating blood sugar levels throughout the day. The main function of your liver is to store glycogen, which is then stored in the form of glucose. When drinking, alcohol affects the liver and its ability to release glucose into the bloodstream.
Once your body has absorbed all the sugar it can from alcohol, it will start to use up the sugar, decreasing your blood sugar levels. Alcohol impairs liver function and can keep your liver from releasing enough glycogen to keep your blood glucose levels from going too low. As the liver inhibits the release of more sugar, your blood sugar levels will lower. This makes your blood sugar low as long as the alcohol keeps impacting your liver’s normal function.
Once enough alcohol has been removed from the body your liver will regain the ability to release sugar. This often takes about 12 hours!
Wine, spirits are the best options so long as they aren´t mixed with sweet things that increase the sugar load on the body. It is also possible to find sugar free versions and include those for a few weeks!
Very important!
If you do drink, ensure you do so with your food.
Alcohol is sugar so to manage blood sugar, the best time to enjoy alcohol or something sweet is after you´ve eaten some veggies (crudites and hummus/guacamole) or a meal with veggies/fibre, fat and protein. If you consume sugar on an empty stomach you send your system into a sugar spin riding on a high glucose and fructose spike!
If you do consume something on an empty stomach, use your muscles afterwards to they “eat up” the excess glucose as it arrives in your blood and then you reduce your glucose spike and the risk of weight gain and avoid an energy slump!
This works even better if you drink water mixed with some vinegar before you eat.
