Beer is liquid bread

Beer, if drunk with moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health.

Thomas Jefferson

I don’t like to pass judgment, but when I see other diabetics drink beer I cringe. You might as well be drinking coke. As my endocrinologist put it: The only thing that’s worse for diabetics than sugar is beer. She should know, the Czech Republic drinks more beer than any other nation per capita at 142 liters a year. 

Beer produces a powerful blood sugar response even in non-diabetics. If you swig back a couple of pints at rapid speed your insulin response is not fast enough to prevent a spike. I’ve tested the bear for this a couple of times and his blood sugar went above 9 mmol/l (162 mg/dl) at around the thirty-minute mark but was back in the normal range after two hours.

While a standard half-liter of beer contains 15 – 20g of carbohydrate, there are low carb variants at just five grams per pint. Here in the Czech Republic both Gambrinus and Staropramen make a low carb beer that can be had in any supermarket. Popular brands abroad include Michelob and Coors Light.

I have yet to find a pub in Prague that has low carb beer on the menu. It might have something to do with that we live in the land of beer connoisseurs, and the low carb stuff is not quite as good as the real thing. But if you love beer and can’t imagine life without it, it is a decent replacement. You’ll be doing your blood sugar a great favor.