Alcohol consumption has always been a no-go area for diabetics, but the latest scientific studies show that moderate alcohol consumption (less than 30 grams of alcohol per day) can reduce the risk of diabetic complications, and it is excessive alcohol consumption that increases the incidence of diabetic complications. These studies were clinically tested and the results were credible at the 9th National Nutrition Symposium of the Chinese Nutrition Society. The American Diabetes Management Treatment (DiabetesCare), Volume 16, published the research results of Finnish scientists, which showed that: drinking alcohol with meals in diabetic patients and consuming 1 g of alcohol/kg of body weight did not significantly change the blood sugar and insulin levels in type I diabetic patients, but in type II diabetic patients, drinking alcohol could cause a slight increase in insulin secretion after meals, which led to a decrease in the next morning blood glucose in the next morning. If alcohol is consumed on an empty stomach, hypoglycemia should also be noted. It should be noted, however, that the above alcohol intake has been tested in Europeans. The American Annals of Internal Medicine (AnnInternMed), Volume 140 this year, published a study by American scientists showing that moderate drinkers have the lowest risk of diabetes, while non-drinkers or excessive drinkers have a higher risk of diabetes. Compared to non-drinkers, those who drank between one and three drinks a day had a 33%-56% lower risk of developing diabetes, while those who drank more than three drinks a day had a 43% higher incidence of diabetes compared to moderate drinkers. So how much alcohol do you have to drink to be effective? Professor Shi Kuixiong said: “Because our people’s physique is different from foreigners, the corresponding amount should be reduced. The daily alcohol content of drinking should not exceed 30 grams, that is, no more than 10 grams of alcohol per glass. So be sure to look at the alcohol content when you drink.” Take Beijing’s Yanjing beer for example, the alcohol content of Yanjing beer is 4%, that is, 100 ml contains 4 grams of alcohol, if you want to not exceed 30 grams of alcohol standard, that is, not more than 750 ml of beer, so a bottle of beer a day is enough. It is important to note that the “Refreshing 11°” on some beer labels refers to the malt sugar content, not the alcohol content. Regarding the effect of alcohol consumption on diabetes complications and mortality, American scientists report that moderate alcohol consumption can reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease by 34%-55% and the mortality rate caused by coronary heart disease by 55%-79% in diabetic patients compared to non-drinkers. This latest research, rather than saying that alcohol consumption can be a treatment for diabetes, answers the long-standing question of whether diabetics must abstain from alcohol, and that moderate alcohol consumption by diabetics does not increase diabetes complications. For those diabetic patients who already drink alcohol, if metabolic indicators such as blood glucose and lipids are well controlled, there is no emphasis on abstaining from alcohol, but attention should be paid to moderation (1-3 drinks/day) and no alcohol abuse. However, it is not recommended for diabetic patients who originally do not usually drink alcohol to drink alcohol, because there is a big difference in the physique of diabetic patients who never drink alcohol and those who already drink alcohol.