If you have diabetes, then it becomes extremely important for you to manage your blood sugar levels. It is noteworthy that people without diabetes also experience blood sugar spikes, especially after consuming foods high in sugar.
Recently, Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as ‘The Liver Doc’, took to Instagram and shared a video in which a man claims that alcohol can help in controlling blood sugar levels.
Dr. Philips warned: “Do not drink alcohol to control your blood sugar levels.” He explained: “…this is very dangerous…this phenomenon is known as reactive hypoglycemia. The alcohol in the beer stresses the liver and the liver which produces and releases the glucose is unable to do so. So, an organ under stress…the sugar level comes out lesser and drinking a beer or alcohol to reduce your sugar levels from food is a really bad idea because that actually comes at the cost of an organ function. So please remember this and stop listening to this moron.”
According to Medical News Today, alcohol is a depressant and it is classed as a sedative-hypnotic drug because it depresses the central nervous system.
“Alcohol consumption can interfere with blood sugar as well as the hormones needed to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. People who frequently consume a lot of alcohol can wipe out their energy storage in a few hours,” it stated.
Alcohol consumption can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels. Alcohol consumption can also lead to situational unawareness of low blood sugar levels, it added.
What are the symptoms of alcohol-induced low blood sugar levels?
Some of the symptoms of low blood sugar levels are similar to those of consuming too much alcohol. These include:
- confusion
- sleepiness
- blurry vision
- headaches
- lightheadedness or dizziness
- lack of coordination
- unconsciousness