Carbs in beer

MarkMunday · #1 (**permalink**) 12-23-2004, 01:50 PM

This table will give you an idea of how all that beer you plan to drink over the festive season might affect your BSL, and your waistline. It gives grams of carbohydrate and calories for the popular brands. It would be so much easier if the manufacturers put this information on the bottle!

It is intertesting. The light beers don't contain much carbohydrate - about the same as half a slice of bread.

Merry Christmas!

Mark

TvBabe · #2 (**permalink**) 12-23-2004, 03:35 PM

Excellent chart Mark.

Here's another chart for those of you who might want some Bailey's in their coffee

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art580.asp

PeptideBong · #3 (**permalink**) 12-27-2004, 08:30 AM

I have only been diabetic for 3.5 months now but have noticed that beer really doesn't affect my BG that much. Initially when I was diagnosed I stopped drinking completely but once I had things under control started to drink beer when socializing or at family things like thanksgiving and xmas. I can have 6-10 beers and not have to compensate with additional insulin. However, if I were to have 5 slices of bread I would need alot more insulin. Since finishing school I really don't drink as much beer as I used to so maybe I just haven't done enough readings and such to get a full perspective of how the beer is effecting my BG.

jacobsam622 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-27-2004, 11:54 AM

When you drink beer the liver stops producing glucose and starts producing another hormone that breaks down the alcohol.

archimeech · #5 (**permalink**) 12-27-2004, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeptideBong

I have only been diabetic for 3.5 months now but have noticed that beer really doesn't affect my BG that much. Initially when I was diagnosed I stopped drinking completely but once I had things under control started to drink beer when socializing or at family things like thanksgiving and xmas. I can have 6-10 beers and not have to compensate with additional insulin. However, if I were to have 5 slices of bread I would need alot more insulin. Since finishing school I really don't drink as much beer as I used to so maybe I just haven't done enough readings and such to get a full perspective of how the beer is effecting my BG.

Hey Pep,
Wait till they put you on some kind of cholesterol/blood pressure coctail. I have 1 beer now, and am so buzzed out of my mind. 2 and I can barely walk. My wife calls me her new, "cheap date".

PeptideBong · #6 (**permalink**) 12-28-2004, 06:19 PM

archimeech. I'm not sure if you udnerstood that right or not. Beer still does get me really drunk it just doesn't seem to affect my BG that much. Since I have finished school my alcohol tolerance is ZERO. My dad came for a visit today and we went out to lunch. I had 2 pints and was pretty tipsy.

I had actually eaten before my dad showed up so I figured this would be a good test to see what the beer does to my BG. Plus I have my first Endo appoint in 2 weeks or so and have started keeping a more detailed log of everything.

So before going out my BG was 5.8 and after having 2 pints it was 5.7. However my BG was on it's way down since it was 3.4 an hour after that. Either way it didn't make it spike like crazy.

MarkMunday · #7 (**permalink**) 12-28-2004, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeptideBong

I have only been diabetic for 3.5 months now but have noticed that beer really doesn't affect my BG that much.

PeptideBong,

You are probably still producing some of your own insulin. Which is why beer doesn't push up your blood sugar much. For most of us, beer causes a significant increase in BSL. Monitor the way you respond to beer as it will probably change as the honeymoon period comes to an end.

Cheers,

Mark

PeptideBong · #8 (**permalink**) 12-28-2004, 07:30 PM

Oh well. Alcohol is having less and less of an appeal to me every year. But I doubt I will ever give up drinking completely. It's really hard to say no to a good red wine at a good meal or a nice frosty beer.....especially in the summer.

bac4uw · #9 (**permalink**) 01-04-2005, 10:33 PM

Hi PeptideBong-

You and I may be in the minority here... but I have noticed the same thing. I can drink beer and wine until I sick myself without much immediate effect on my BG (and without taking any insulin). However, on a couple of occasions after drinking quite a bit... my BG has gone wacky about 12-24 hours later - it has dropped into the 20s. (This hasn't happened every time though)

Bryan

HeatherP · #10 (**permalink**) 01-04-2005, 10:49 PM

Bryan, I don't want to lecture, but be extremely careful about that. Alcohol does the same thing to me and I've just about ended up in an ambulance for it. I've learned to adjust my insulin dose the next morning but it's taken a few hard lessons.

HeatherP

bac4uw · #11 (**permalink**) 01-05-2005, 02:06 PM

Hi Heather,

Don't sweat it... I could use a lecture every now and again. I think the take home point is that it shouldn't get to that point anyhow!

In any case, I have found (through thorough experimentation) one to three beers or glasses of wine (amazingly) does little to nothing to my blood sugar. Though it sounds like this might not be the case for most people...

Bryan