Alcohol and Sugar Metabolism: What's the Link?

Exclusive Members Article

Apr 01, 2025

∙ Paid

As a doctor, I have always been passionate about educating and informing my patients about their health. And one topic that often comes up is the effect of alcohol on our sugar metabolism. With so much conflicting information out there, it can be confusing to know whether or not moderate alcohol consumption is truly harmful to those trying to manage their sugar levels.

But fear not, dear reader! By the end, you'll have a clear understanding of how alcohol affects our body's ability to process sugar and make informed decisions about your dietary choices. Let's first handle sugar metabolism with and without alcohol and then dive into the potential risks and benefits of moderate drinking.

Sugar Metabolism

To understand how alcohol affects sugar metabolism, we must first understand how our body processes sugar. When we consume food, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (sugar), which is absorbed into our bloodstream.

Our pancreas releases insulin in response to this rise in blood sugar levels, which helps transport the glucose to our cells for energy or storage. The liver also plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels by converting excess glucose into glycogen for storage or releasing stored glycogen when energy is needed.

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Alcohol and Sugar Metabolism

When we drink alcohol, it is absorbed into our bloodstream and processed by the liver. However, unlike other nutrients, alcohol takes priority over everything else and is metabolized first. Here is how it affects our body's metabolism of sugar:

Inhibition of Gluconeogenesis

One of the main ways alcohol affects our sugar levels is by inhibiting gluconeogenesis. Gluconeogenesis refers to glucose production from non-carbohydrate sources such as amino acids, lactate, and glycerol.

This process helps maintain stable blood sugar levels during fasting or low carbohydrate intake. When we consume alcohol, our liver prioritizes breaking down the ethanol (alcohol) over other functions, such as producing glucose through gluconeogenesis.

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