Diabetes & Alcohol

Drinkwell is the home of lower-calorie alcohol. We are passionate about helping you make informed decisions that work with your lifestyle. That is why all our diabetes-friendly beers and wines give you full nutritional information.

How can you live with diabetes and still enjoy alcohol responsibly?

What options do you have how can we help?

There are roughly 3,600,000 people in the UK, who are diagnosed with diabetes, and another 900,000 are estimated to be undiagnosed. The impact diabetes can have on day-to-day life is hugely significant and diabetics know how important it is to adapt lifestyle and diet choices to make sure they stay on top of their illness.

For those who suffer from diabetes, drinking alcohol can be a treacherous task, having to navigate insulin and balancing blood sugar levels, whilst trying to enjoy a couple of drinks with friends and family or simply trying to discover a new favourite drink. What makes this task even harder is that there is still no nutritional information required on any alcoholic beverages within the UK, making sugar consumption practically impossible for those trying to be mindful of their consumption and avoid needless impacts.

In this blog, we explore the relationship between alcohol and diabetes and some of the best alcohol options for diabetics.

• Lifestyle Red Wine Case
• £69.99

Nutrition details (per 125ml)

• ABV11%
• Calories82
• Sugars0g
• Carbohydrates0g

Each bottle saves you (vs standard average*):

• Calories

  132.0

*Statistics based from Drinkaware 2023 and Alcohol Health Alliance 2022

This case has been carefully curated to select the world's best sugar free red wines. Expertly created by leading winemakers, ... read more

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Can Diabetics Drink Alcohol?

Yes, diabetics can drink alcohol, but some extra consideration is required regarding what and how much you drink. The vital things to consider are:

Calories

Many alcoholic products are high in calories, which can lead to weight gain when consumed in excess. Making sure you stay at a healthy weight and not over-consume calories can help your body battle diabetes in a more efficient way.

Sugar

Most mainstream alcoholic products have significant levels of sugar and excess carbohydrates within them, which will cause your blood sugar level to increase initially. As your sugar levels gradually drop, the effects of alcohol on your body can increase the risk of hypoglycemia for up to 24 hours after drinking.

Alcohol

The liver stores excess glucose that can be released into the bloodstream to counterbalance the risk of hypoglycemia (hypo). However, alcohol inhibits the liver from doing this efficiently, increasing the risk of hypo. Therefore, drinking in moderation and sensibility is vitally important. Hypos can easily be confused with being drunk or hungover, so it is also important that you and those around know how to recognise a hypo and how to effectively treat it.

Can Diabetics Drink Non-Alcoholic Beer And Wine?

While non-alcoholic drinks may seem like a wise choice given the effects of alcohol on diabetes, it is important to consider the calorie and sugar content in non-alcoholic alternatives.

Non-alcoholic beers are often lower in calories because of the caloric content of alcohol. However, many mainstream non-alcoholic beers are higher in sugar and carbohydrates than their alcoholic counterparts, as sugar is often added to improve flavour once the alcohol has been removed. As an example, Heineken 0% has 1100% more sugar than the original; and San Miguel 0% has over 70% more carbohydrates than the original.

Low and no-alcohol wine, is often produced with low fermentation methods, which results in more residual sugars and therefore a much higher sugar content than full-alcohol wines. Some of the non-alcoholic wines that we have tested have over 60 g of sugar per litre.

The lack of nutritional information requirements for alcoholic beverages makes it difficult to fully understand the sugar and carbohydrate content of low and no-alcohol options.

Diabetic-friendly Alcohol Options from Drinkwell

We can’t underestimate the impact alcohol has on the body. We have to remember that alcohol is something we should enjoy sensibly and reasonably within our own personal requirements and limits. However, we also know that moderate drinking is often part of day-to-day life and socialising. Diabetes or dietary restrictions should not get in the way of that.

We are proud to support those who have diabetes and will always do our utmost to provide accurate information for all those that need it. For this very reason, we display accurate calorie, sugar, and carbohydrate content for each product across our low-sugar and low-calorie wine and beer portfolio. Clarity is key for everyone, and more so for those who suffer from an illness that can be so severely affected by the sugar and carbohydrate content of alcoholic drinks.

If you have diabetes and have struggled to find alcohol that fits in with your lifestyle or you are on a quest to find high-quality wines and beers with reduced sugar and carbohydrate content – look no further.

Best Red Wine for Diabetics

Traces Cinsault

Serving size 125ml

• Calories per serving: 78
• Total Sugar: 0g
• Tola Carbohydrates: 0g
• Alcohol by volume: 11%

Best Beer for Diabetics

Whether you are a fan of larger, ale or IPAs, we have a delightful collection of lower carb and lower sugar beer here at Drinkwell.

Lean Brew IPA

Per can (330 ml)

• Calories per serving: 90
• Total Sugar: 0g
• Tola Carbohydrates: 4g
• Alcohol by volume: 4.1%

Our Lean Brew IPA is the perfect example that lifestyle choices don’t need to mean a compromise in taste or quality. Lean Brew IPA delivers a healthy amount of hoppy bitterness and buckets of flavour with over 35% fewer calories, 80% less carbohydrates and still 90% of the alcohol that the market-leading mainstream alternative.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on. Hello@DrinkWellUK.com.

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