2024-01-20 07:53:22
Diabetes mellitus is widespread in Germany. Most people are aware of the risk factors for illness, but is alcohol also one of them?
The beer after work, red and white wine with meals, the schnapps for digestion, cocktails at parties and champagne when there is something to celebrate. For many people, alcohol is a natural part of certain life situations. According to the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), Germany is a “high consumption country” in international comparison. And this despite the fact that alcohol consumption in this country has been falling steadily for around 40 years. While in 1980 an average of 15.1 liters of alcohol was drunk per capita, in 2020 people aged 15 and over only drank 10 liters of pure alcohol per year.
As the BZgA explains on kenn-dein-limit.de, around 85 percent of Germans between the ages of 18 and 64 do not drink alcohol or only drink small amounts of alcohol. However, 14.8 percent of the population (around 7.9 million people) drink so much alcohol that it poses a health risk. What does that mean exactly? Can alcohol also cause diabetes mellitus?
By the way: According to the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), diabetes mellitus – also known as diabetes – is an umbrella term for various metabolic diseases that all lead to elevated blood sugar levels. Those affected have a deficiency in the hormone insulin or the insulin effect is reduced. The main forms of diabetes are type 1 and type 2 – which can also occur together. Diabetics must keep an eye on their blood sugar, for example with self-tests, and inject themselves with insulin if necessary.
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Can alcohol cause diabetes mellitus?
Basically, increased alcohol consumption can lead to various health problems. The BZgA lists liver diseases, brain damage, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, dementia and obesity. Diabetes does not appear on the list. But that doesn’t mean that alcohol can’t promote the development of the metabolic disorder.
According to the diabetes information portal diabinfo, studies show that the risk of diabetes does not increase with moderate alcohol consumption. But: Heavy alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of diabetes. A lot of alcohol can lead to inflammation of the pancreas, which in turn can promote diabetes – and also pancreatic cancer. In addition, alcoholic drinks usually contain a lot of calories and can therefore lead to weight gain – a diabetes risk factor.
But what does moderate alcohol consumption mean? The BZgA has defined low-risk consumption as follows: Women should not drink more than one standard glass – ten to twelve grams of pure alcohol – and men should not drink more than two standard glasses a day. A standard glass corresponds to around 0.25 liters of beer or 0.1 liters of wine. In addition, according to the German Central Office for Addiction Questions, you should not drink alcohol on at least two days a week.
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Can diabetics drink alcohol?
What does it actually look like if someone has already been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus? Can diabetics drink alcohol? In principle, alcohol can be consumed even if you have diabetes, but according to diabinfo, it must be used very responsibly. Why is that?
According to the diabetes information portal, the German Diabetes Help, the Ärzteblatt and other specialist portals, alcohol lowers blood sugar levels. In the worst case scenario, hypoglycemia can occur.
According to the German Diabetes Aid, the effect of alcohol on blood sugar levels lasts for a very long time, so hypoglycemia may only occur during sleep and cannot be treated. To avoid hypoglycemia, diabetics should always combine alcohol with a meal containing carbohydrates.
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