Wine for Diabetics: Managing Blood Sugar Levels with SYLTBAR’s Diabetic-Friendly Selection

Jun 29, 2023by SYLTBAR Team

Alcohol and Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition that causes blood sugar to rise due to the body not producing enough insulin or not using the insulin it does produce in an efficient or effective way. Untreated, sometimes diabetes can lead to more serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that aids the body’s cell function to convert sugar (glucose) to energy. When you consume alcoholic beverages, the liver is prevented from producing glucose, and that can result in a drop in blood sugar levels. This can cause hypoglycemia, which is when blood glucose levels fall below 4 mmol/L (72mg/dL). The main symptoms of hypoglycemia are fatigue, dizziness and extra sweating.

Mild cases can be addressed by eating or drinking some kind of fast-acting carbohydrate that will increase your blood sugar levels back to normal. If blood sugar levels drop dangerously low and/or the person becomes unconscious or experiences a seizure, more drastic medical measures should be taken.

People with diabetes are typically advised by medical professionals to make sure they do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach, especially not in large amounts. Eating something will help make up for that dip in blood sugar caused by the alcohol. However, the effect of alcohol on blood sugar can vary depending on the individual and their specific diabetes management plan.

If you aren’t sure how your body and blood sugar levels react to alcohol, you can get your blood glucose tested.

Best Wines for Managing Blood Sugar Levels

Choosing wine that is lower in sugar can be a good option for those with diabetes, as it can help to minimize the impact on blood sugar levels. When searching for wine that may be more diabetic friendly than others, pay close attention to sugar and carbohydrate levels.

Dryer varieties will be your best bet. In the Prosecco and Champagne categories, that means always opting for those that say “Brut” on the label. This means that the Prosecco has 0-12 g/L of residual sugar. Residual sugar is not added sugar; it is the sugar left over from the grapes during the fermentation process. We always advise staying away from mass-produced Prosecco, Champagne and other sparkling wine brands that typically add sweeteners to their product as a way to cut production time and costs. This is especially important for people with diabetes.

Luckily, if you are already a fan of SYLTBAR Prosecco and Sparkling Rosé, you’re in the clear. Our wines have absolutely no added sweeteners or chemicals. This is due to the double fermentation process that our winemakers use during production that allows the grapes to fully develop. SYLTBAR wines are pure; nothing added and nothing removed.

Mr SYLTBAR Premium Prosecco and Mrs SYLTBAR Sparkling Rosé have both been lab-tested by the University of Miami Diabetes Research Institute, proven to have the lowest sugar content when compared to other well known sparkling wine brands.

There has also been feedback from patients with diabetes who consumed SYLTBAR and reported back that they had stable glucose levels. This feedback comes from a Live Patient Diabetes Study that observed diabetic patients while they were drinking a 6 oz glass of Mr SYLTBAR, to see how their blood sugar would react. The results showed that there was no sugar spike after consuming SYLTBAR. Even more interesting was that after time had gone on, blood sugar levels decreased. This was an incredible result and shows that SYLTBAR is so low in sugar that it does not have any effect on blood sugar level.

Shop for Diabetic-Friendly Wine

Shopping for low-sugar Prosecco and Sparkling wine is easy when you’re shopping with SYLTBAR. Our Prosecco is 0.3 g of sugar per 6 oz glass, and our Sparkling Rosé has 0.45 g of sugar per 6 oz glass.

If you or someone you know has diabetes, you can still confidently and comfortably enjoy wine and be able to manage your blood sugar levels. Shop for SYLTBAR’s diabetic-friendly wines online at syltbar.com or look for a retailer in your area that sells our wines.

Disclaimer: This website is intended for responsible adults of legal drinking age. We hope that if you decide to try any beverage displayed on this site, you do so with moderation and caution. It is not our intent to promote misuse of alcohol, alcoholism, hazing, binge drinking or any other form of alcohol abuse. We cannot take any responsibility for the effect these drinks may have on people.