Moderate
Drinking May Help Control Blood Glucose
Drinking
moderate amounts of wine, beer or hard alcohol is associated with
better blood glucose control among healthy adults, particularly women,
study findings indicate.
Women
who drank any kind of alcohol had lower hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels
than non-drinkers, regardless of their body mass index (BMI).
In
men, however, only wine was associated with lower blood glucose
levels, the researchers report in the September issue of the European
Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Lifestyle and personality traits
associated with wine drinking may account for the finding, they note,
as previous studies have linked beer drinking among men to smoking,
hostility and a less healthy diet.
Drinking
wine, on the other hand, is associated with healthy lifestyle
behaviors, such as not smoking and avoiding obesity, as well as a
higher level of education. Wine also tends to be consumed with meals,
which would blunt the effects of alcohol on the body.
Whatever
the reason, the results support those of previous studies and
"provide further evidence that moderate alcohol consumption may
be one component of a healthy lifestyle," Dr. N. J. Wareham, from
the University of Cambridge in the UK, and colleagues conclude.
The
results are based on interviews with more than 6400 white adults, 40
to 78 years of age, who were participating in a study on diet and
chronic disease.
Overall,
adults who consumed the most alcohol tended to be younger and to have
lower blood glucose levels. Those who consumed alcohol also tended to
be more educated, to smoke, and to report exercising.
BMI
declined as alcohol intake rose among women. Among men, however, BMI
rose in tandem to the amount of alcohol consumed.
Men
and women also differed in the type of alcohol they drank. Men drank
more beer, while women tended to drink more wine. Fruit and vegetable
consumption was associated with wine but not beer intake. Eur
J Clin Nutr
2002;56:882-890.
================================
Dr.
Richard Bernsteins book the Diabetes Solution
is
on sale for $10.95
Click
Here.
Over
a Million Copies Sold! Dr.
Bernstein, a renowned and even revolutionary figure in diabetes
treatment and diabetic himself, will show you how you could stop the
roller-coaster swings in your blood sugars, steady your glucose
levels, reduce your insulin intake and enjoy
the same level of good health that nondiabetics
