Does drinking cause diabetes? Not directly it doesn’t. Everyone knows the many harmful effects of drinking so we won’t cover those here but there are ways that drinking can indirectly cause diabetes. So perhaps the better question to ask would be “Does drinking cause diabetes indirectly?” And to that question the answer is a resounding yes!
How does Drinking Cause Diabetes Indirectly with Pancreatitis?
Excessive drinking can lead to pancreatitis. And since pancreatitis damages the pancreas, the chances are good that this damage will diminish the ability of the pancreas to secrete enough insulin into the blood to control the blood sugar. And this can, in fact, lead to diabetes.
Pancreatitis is a disease that inflames the pancreas. Almost half of all chronic cases are the cause of excessive alcohol consumption. This may not appear for many years but once it does, you don’t have a lot of options. Not only is it painful but it will cause blood sugar abnormalities, and can lead to diabetes type 2. It can also lead to damage to the heart, lungs, and kidneys. The best prevention – don’t drink excessively.
How does Drinking Cause Diabetes by Creating Glucose Intolerance?
Alcohol consumption can lead to glucose intolerance. And, in a chain reaction type effect, glucose intolerance can lead to diabetes. Again, we are not talking about the glass of wine with dinner or the couple of drinks a week during an entertainment event. It is excessive drinking that causes glucose intolerance that can lead to diabetes.
Does Drinking Cause Diabetes from a Reaction with Insulin?
Again, excessive drinking can cause chemical reactions that changes the way the body reacts to insulin. This isn’t the reaction to injected insulin or insulin taken orally. It is an unnatural reaction to the body’s own insulin created from the pancreas. Sometimes the body stops responding at all to the pancreas-created insulin. Over time, this can cause insulin to develop.
Does Drinking Cause Diabetes by Elevating Blood Sugar Levels?
It is a fact that drinking alcohol in large amounts can increase the secretion of the hormones that can be responsible for raising blood sugar levels. While this is not a direct relationship or even completely understood, it is known that this increases the risk of developing diabetes. It would certainly qualify a person to be classified as pre-diabetic or borderline diabetic.
Does Drinking Cause Diabetes by Increasing Weight?
The relationship here isn’t a direct relation, but weight gain is known to be a leading risk factor for developing diabetes type 2. And drinking excessively will cause you to consume more calories than you should and contribute to obesity. Obesity is a major cause of diabetes type 2.
So – does drinking cause diabetes? Yes and no. But why take the risk. If you must drink, be responsible and monitor your glucose levels.
