US Department of Agriculture researchers have suggested that moderate drinking may help control blood sugar in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. They decided to study the effect of alcohol in postmenopausal women because alcohol has hypoglycemic effects and insulin resistance increases after menopause, creating hyperglycemia.

Fifty-three healthy women completed the study, in which they received 0, 15 or 30 grams of alcohol (30 grams is roughly equivalent to one oz). Their diets were controlled, with 54 percent of calories from carbohydrates or carbohydrates and alcohol, 32 percent from fat, and 14 percent from protein.

The researchers found that when the women consumed 30 grams of alcohol a day, their fasting insulin concentrations were reduced by 19 percent, compared to the periods in which they drank no alcohol. Even with reduced insulin concentrations, blood glucose concentrations were maintained; the researchers calculated that this translated to a seven percent improvement in insulin sensitivity.

While it is not certain that such results would occur in women with type 2 diabetes, the researchers concluded that moderate alcohol consumption may reduce insulin resistance, counteracting the hyperglycemia that is seen after menopause.

lifeclinic.com's Clinical Advisory Board notes that while alcohol in moderation may be beneficial, excess alcohol can cause liver damage and increase the chances of nerve damage (neuropathy). Alcohol can blunt the ability both to recognize hypoglycemic symptoms and also to respond to hypoglycemia. Since alcohol impairs the ability of the liver to release glucose, hypoglycemia can be more severe if someone has had an alcoholic drink. Also, although alcohol may improve insulin sensitivity in the short term, if it is consumed in sufficient quantity it can cause weight gain, which will then cause an increase in insulin resistance.

Related information Lifestyle - diet

Source:  Josefson D. Moderate drinking can help women with type II diabetes, study says. British Medical Journal, May 25, 2002;324:1236.