Type 2 diabetic patients must keep blood sugar levels as normal as possible to prevent the disease from elevating the chances of heart disease, high blood pressure and possible damage to eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels. “Levels of blood sugar, or blood glucose, rise sharply in patients with type 2 diabetes immediately following a meal,” said researcher Kalidas Shetty, a professor of food biotechnology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a U.S. State Department Jefferson Science Fellow. “Red wine and tea contain natural [phenolic] antioxidants that may slow the passage of glucose through the small intestine and eventually into the bloodstream and prevent this spike.”

You can consume wine when you are a diabetic, but you should consume wine with a carbohydrate food or with a meal. Consuming wine without a meal can cause one’s blood sugar to dip unexpectedly (hypoglycaemia), especially if he or she is dependent on insulin or medication.