Diabetic Diets And Wine: The Mediterranean Diet And Diabetes

All across the Mediterranean wine is regarded not just essential to a meal, but essential to your health. Now new research is showing that there may be some truth to this hopeful claim. An ambitious study of over 40,000 people showed that compared to more modern western diets, a traditional Mediterranean Diet which included 1-2 glasses of wine a day reduced the risk of death by heart disease by 30%.

Unfortunately, if your one of many people with diabetes, you've probably noticed that a simple glass of wine or beer doesn't appear in most diabetic diets. This is due to the fact that the sugars in many alcoholic beverages can either raise or lower blood glucose to dangerous levels. However, recent studies now show that dry wines in particular can greatly enhance diabetic diets by helping regular blood glucose, improve insulin resistance, and substantially reduce the risk of heart attacks and heart disease.

Wine and blood sugar

Because elevated levels of blood sugar are a concern for people with diabetes, most diabetic diets are geared towards managing blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that drinking a moderate amount (1-2 glasses) of wine daily can actually lower blood glucose. Alcohol is also believed to metabolize without insulin and can lower peak levels of insulin. In another study, women who added moderate consumption of wine to their diets actually improved their insulin resistance. High peak levels of insulin are particularly dangerous to people with diabetes since they can raise blood fat and cholesterol increasing the risk of heart attacks and heart disease.

Wine and cholesterol

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of wine is it's ability to reduce the risks of heat attacks, heart disease, and other heart-health issues. by increasing levels of "good" HDL-cholesterol in the body. What's more, the flavonoids found in red wine help lower levels of "bad" LDL-cholesterol which are responsible for fatty buildup in the arteries. Interestingly the beneficial wine appears to be greater for people with diabetes. A recent study found that people with diabetes who drank 1-2 glasses of wine a day reduced their risk of coronary heart disease by 60% compared to a drop of only 40% for people without diabetes.

Wine and diabetic diets

It only takes adding 1-2 glasses a day to most diabetic diets to gain the health benefits of alcohol outlined above. Of course, whether you have diabetes or not, it's important not to overdo it as consuming too much alcohol can lead to other health problems. Diabetes is a serious condition which should always be managed under the care of a medical professional. Ask your doctor about the heart-healthy benefits of wine and other foods in the Mediterranean Diet when exploring the various diabetic diets available to you.

By: Michael Fenwick

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Learn how to lose weight, get fit and enjoy the easy lifestyle and rich cuisine of the Mediterranean at at www.easymediterraneandiet.com a popular site for Mediterranean Diet tips, menu plans, free recipes and more.