How do wine and beer affect my blood sugar level?

How do wine and beer affect my blood sugar level?

Anne Peters, MD, FACP, CDE (Professor and Director of Clinical Diabetes Programs, USC Keck School of Medicine) gives expert video advice on: Does taking additional insulin correct a high blood sugar level?; Why is my blood pressure important if I have diabetes?; What are the most common causes of death for people with diabetes? and more...

Many people think wine has lots of carbohydrate in it, and it doesn't. It's got sugar alcohol, which doesn't raise blood sugar levels, so a glass of wine can lower your blood sugar levels. But beer, which is made from corn, has lots of carbohydrates in it, so increases blood sugar levels. And so, many times, switching from beer to wine, or from beer to low-carbohydrate beer, actually will lower blood sugar levels and help balance the diabetes. So alcohol, like anything, can actually be added into the diabetic lifestyle, but it needs to be done knowing the effects of the alcohol and how to prevent low blood sugar reactions.