Expert: Keith Patton - 12/9/2008

Question
Hi,
I am a type 2 diabetic and like beer and wine. Please could you advise me as to how much sugar (in grammes) is contained in a measured amount of both (say 100ml) This obviously would depend on strength.
Thanks

Answer
Rob:

It is not so much the sugar as it is the carbohydrates you need to be wary of.  Alcohol can inhibit the livers ability to release glucose since it is busy metabolizing the alcohol resulting in a drop in blood sugar when drinking if taking insulin.

There are 39 recognized styles of beer and thousands of different beers.  To give you a set amount of sugar per 100 ml is nearly impossible.  Best stay with dry wine (low residual sweetness) and light beers.  Darker beers, even amber beers have a fair amount of long chain (carmel) sugars that the yeast cannot break down. Avoid these.   Belgian ales have an additon of candy sugar for the same effect.  Avoid these.

So in essence to be safe avoid stronger beers, as the additional alcohol will interfere with glucose regulation.  These beers if you look on the label will be in the 5-15% alcohol range and will be labled in small print on the label as Ale or Malt Liqour.  This is legislative label done purely by laws regulating the alcohol content and labeling.  So Budwiesers new American Ale is stronger than Bud Light, it has to be to be called an Ale since ales contain over 3.5% alcohol by volume.

Dry beer if you can find it is what you want.  It was originally brewed for diabetics and in Germany was called Diat Pils or diet pilsner.  The Japs morphed it into Dry Beer.  Ashai and Sapporo may still make it.  Drink that if you can find it.

Keith