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Drinking Alcohol and Diabetes: Facts & Information

by David J. Hanson, Ph. D.

Over 16 million people in the United States suffer from Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes and that number is growing rapidly. The Mayo Clinic Health Letter explains that

Diabetes is actually a group of diseases with one thing in common -- a problem with insulin. The problem could be that your body doesn’t make any insulin, it doesn’t make enough insulin, or it doesn’t use insulin properly.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by your pancreas. It’s a key part of the way your body processes the food you eat because it helps maintain the proper level of a sugar (glucose) in your blood. Glucose is your body’s fuel. Cells use it to produce energy to grow and function. 1

Diabetes can lead to serious problems such as blindness, impotence, loss of limbs, and death. Unfortunately, the incidence of diabetes is growing rapidly in the United States and a number of other countries.

Medical Reports on Alcohol and Diabetes

Alcohol and Diabetes Risk

Drinking alcohol in moderation is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes, according to a large-scale Scandinavian study.

Moderate Drinking Reduces Diabetes Risk 

Moderate drinkers are less likely to have type 2 diabetes than are abstainers, according to the findings of 15 different studies that  followed a total of 369,862 men and women for an average of 12 years.

Drinking and Diabetes

Light to moderate drinkers of alcoholic beverages have a 30% to 40% lower diabetic risk than do abstainers. Consuming alcohol directly improves the action of insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes according to a major research study.

Diabetes, Alcohol & Heart Disease

The American Diabetes Association reports that "in people with diabetes, light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol are associated with a decreased risk of heart disease.

Postmenopausal Women & Diabetes

Non-diabetic postmenopausal women can reduce insulin concentrations and improve insulin sensitivity by consuming alcohol in moderation.

Drinking Alcohol Reduces Diabetes Risk in Women

Drinking alcohol (beer, wine, or distilled spirits) in moderation was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes among women age 40-70.

Moderate Drinkers at Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

A major study of almost 21,000 physicians for over 12 years has found that men who are light to moderate drinkers have a decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Male Drinkers Less Diabetic

A study of 8,663 men over a period of as long as 25 years found that the incidence of type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes was significantly lower among moderate drinkers than among either abstainers or heavy drinkers.

Moderate Drinking Reduces CHD Risk

A study of over 5,000 women with type 2 diabetes mellitus by Harvard researchers found that coronary heart disease (CHD) rates "were significantly lower in women who reported moderate alcohol intake than in those who reported drinking no alcohol.”

Older-Onset Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease

Light to moderate consumption of alcohol appears to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 80% among individuals with older-onset diabetes, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Pre-Menopausal Women & Diabetes

Pre-menopausal women who consume a daily drink of beer, wine or distilled spirits have a much lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than abstainers.

Published Resources on Alcohol and Diabetes

  • Avogaro, A., et al. Acute alcohol consumption improves insulin action without affecting insulin secretion in type 2 diabetic subjects. Diabetes Care, 2004 (June 6), 27(6), 1369-1374.
  • Bell, D. Alcohol and the NIDDM patient, Diabetes Care, 1996, 19(5), 509-513.
    Carlsson, S., et al. Alcohol consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes: a 20-year follow-up of the Finnish Twin Cohort Study. Diabetes Care, 2003, 26(10), 2785-2786.
  • Beulens, J., Stolky, R. P., van der Schouw, Y. T. , Grobbee, D. E., Hendriks, H., and Bots, M. L. Alcohol consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes among older women. Diabetes Care, 2005 (December), 28, 2933-2938.
  • Conigrave, K., et al. A prospective study of drinking patterns in relation to risk of Type 2 diabetes among men. Diabetes, 2001, 50, 2390-2395.
  • Davies, M.J., et al. Effects of moderate alcohol intake on fasting insulin and glucose concentrations and insulin sensitivity in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial. The Journal of the American Medical Association. 2002, 287(19), 2559-2562.
  • Facchini, F., et al. Light-to-moderate alcohol intake is associated with enhanced insulin sensitivity, Diabetes Care, 1994 (February), 17(2).
  • Ford, Gene. The Science of Health Drinking. San Francisco, CA: Wine Appreciation Guild, 2004, chapter 13, Diabetes Mellitus..
  • Hu, F., et al. Diet, lifestyle and the risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in women. New England Journal of Medicine, 2001, 345(11), 790-797.
  • Kopper, L., et al. Moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. Diabetes Care, 2005, 28, 719-725
  • Lazarus, R., et al. Alcohol intake and insulin levels: The Normative Aging Study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 1997, 145, 909-916.
  • Mingardi, R., et al. Alcohol intake is associated with a lower prevalence of peripheral vascular disease in non-insulin dependent diabetic women. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 1997, 7(4).
  • Rimm, E., et al. Prospective study of cigarette smoking, alcohol use and the risk of diabetes in men. British Medical Journal, 1995, 310, 555-559.
  • Solomon, C. G., et al. Moderate alcohol consumption and risk of coronary heart disease among women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Circulation, 2000, 102, 494-499.
  • Tanner, L. Light to moderate drinking cuts diabetes risk in women, too. Associated Press, 6-10-03; National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
    Umed, A., et al. Alcohol consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus among US male physicians. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2000, 160, 1025-1050
  • Valmidrid, C. T., et al. Alcohol intake and the risk of coronary heart disease mortality in persons with older-onset diabetes mellitus. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1999, 282(3), 239-246.
  • Wei, M. et al. Alcohol intake and incidence of type 2 diabetes in men. Diabetes Care, 23(1), 2000, 18-26
  • Wheeler, M., et al. Is there a place for alcohol in your diabetes meal plan? Diabetes Forecast, 2003 (August).

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Nothing on this page constitutes medical opinion or advice. For medical diagnosis, opinion, advice or treatment consult a qualified physician.

Reference:
  • 1. Diabetes, Supplement to Mayo Clinic Health Letter, February, 1998.

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