Written By: Pavitra Sampath | Updated : May 21, 2014 1:26 PM IST
Can a diabetic person have alcohol every day?
Answered by Dr Rajiv Kovil
Drinking alcohol on an everyday basis is not a healthy habit for any person, let alone a diabetic. Diabetes is not only a blood sugar condition, it is a disease that affects all parts of your body, including your liver. Since the liver is one of the first organs to take a hit when you drink, alcohol intake is not a good idea for diabetics, since they have an already weakened liver.
Moreover, many diabetics suffer from a disease known as NAFLD (Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease), where there is anaccumulation of excess fat in the liver. This type of liver disease is commonly seen in patients who do not consume alcohol, but still show an accumulation of fat in their liver. Since a normal, healthy liver does not have any fat in it, this condition poses a unique problem for patients who do not indulge in drinking alcohol. That being said, about 35% of chronic liver disease cases are caused by NAFLD, for which diseases like diabetes, obesity and hypertension with increased cholesterol are precursors. Apart from that a rapidly changing lifestyle, lack of exercise, stress, long working hours, eating unhealthy, fatty or frozen foods considerably increases the amount of fat you consume making you more prone to liver disease. Find out why your liver is so important?
So, before you decide to pour that next drink, consider this risk factors like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, altered lipid profile with hypertriglyceridemia (excessive build up of triglycerides in one's blood), hypercholesterolemia (excessive build up of cholesterol in one's blood) and hypothyroidism (low production of the thyroid hormones) all lead to liver disease, NAFLD and liver failure all of which have serious complications like coma and even death. Read more about the Top 6 natural remedies to keep your liver healthy).
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.
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