15 Best and Worst Drinks for Diabetes

Managing blood sugar doesn’t just mean watching what’s on your plate, what’s in your glass counts too. While it’s easy to overlook beverages when planning a diabetes-friendly diet, they play a crucial role in controlling blood sugar levels. The challenge lies in finding drinks that not only quench thirst but support health, too.

Whether one is looking for the best drinks to maintain blood sugar levels or avoid them, we have you covered. Here’s a guide on drinks that can help manage diabetes and those that should be avoided.

10 Best Drinks For Diabetes

Check These Best and Worst Drinks for Diabetes

1. Water

Hydration plays a crucial role in managing diabetes. If you are someone who has been consistently suffering from high blood sugar levels, chances are you may be suffering from dehydration.

Proper levels of hydration in the body further help ensure you can wash out the excess glucose from your body (R) via the urine. This helps maintain proper blood glucose levels in the body.

In addition to hydration, water is an easily accessible, zero carb beverage, that’s not going to spike your blood glucose levels.

If plain water is not appealing, add some lemon or orange slices to boost the taste.

2. Low Fat Milk

Milk is one of the most nutritious drinks you can choose, and provides a generous dose of essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium and Vitaman D. While the carbs and the calories might seem like a bit too much for a diabetic, practice portion control and consume milk in moderate quantities.

Choose low-fat milk to help balance both the calories and fat effectively. Don’t just cut out milk entirely from your diet because it helps contribute to several other prospects for your health.

3. Chocolate Milk

Low-fat chocolate milk is beneficial for your overall health and can be a fantastic post-workout recovery drink.

Skip the store-bought variants of the drinks, which are loaded with sugar and can spike your blood glucose levels.

Instead, try making chocolate milk at home from scratch with low-fat milk and sugar-free cocoa powder.

4. Chamomile Tea

Another drink that is good for diabetes is chamomile tea. It doesn’t contain any added sugars and the antioxidants in chamomile tea are beneficial in boosting the body’s overall metabolism by reducing the free radical damage in the body.

A study (R) has shown the potent benefits of drinking chamomile tea in lowering the blood sugar levels in the body. It also has protective properties that help prevent nervous, renal, or even circulatory impairments.

5. Coffee

Research (R) suggests that drinking 2-3 cups of coffee is beneficial for effectively preventing the associated risks of diabetes.

However, ensure you don’t add sweeteners or additives to accentuate its taste.

If the caffeine fix is leaving you shaking and jittery, try decaf versions.

6. Lemonade

Lemonades are a good option if you want something cool and refreshing during the summer.

Not only is the lemon beneficial in fighting off any unwanted free radical damage in the body, It balances your metabolism, which in turn keeps the glucose levels in check.

Avoid consuming store-bought lemonade because those are loaded with added sugar and preservatives, instead make a healthier version at home with low sugar, or use a sugar substitute such as stevia or monkfruit.

7. Green Smoothies

Green smoothies are a great option – they provide your daily kick of greens and are good for balancing glucose levels in the body.

The combination of kale or spinach with berries or apples, ginger, and cucumber helps jumpstart your overall metabolism.

If green smoothies are not your cup of tea, try to drink low sodium tomato juice because it helps maintain the proper blood glucose levels.

8. Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic

Apple cider vinegar is beneficial in boosting your body’s functions and metabolism and even contributes to cleansing and detoxification. The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar helps in flushing out the unwanted toxins from the body and even contributes to the overall weight loss expectations which are quite crucial for diabetes.

It is essential not to overdo the consumption of this tonic and to stick to drinking it once a day, especially in the morning.

9. Almond Milk

If you are vegan, lactose intolerant, or simply want to switch to plant-based milk, almond milk is one of the best options. Not only is it completely plant-based and contains very few calories and carbs, but it also has proven to be beneficial for lowering blood sugar levels (R).

Use it in your smoothies or lattes, or make a smoothie bowl by blending half a frozen banana and a handful of strawberries with almond milk.

It helps stabilize fluctuating blood glucose levels.

10. Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is yet another excellent beverage for diabetics. Known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, ginger can help improve insulin sensitivity and reduce sugar levels in the blood. Having ginger tea regularly helps one keep the blood sugar in check and provides a soothing flavored drink.

Make ginger tea by steeping fresh slices of ginger in hot water. Add a dash of lemon juice for taste, and a boost of Vitamin C. Make sure the tea does not have sugar.

5 Worst Drinks to Avoid For Diabetes

1. Carbonated Soda

It goes without saying that when it comes to drinks to avoid diabetes, carbonated soda will at the top of that list.

A standard can of soda contains close to 40 grams of carbs along with 150-200 calories, which is the last thing you want to put in your body.

Not only does it cause an unprecedented spike in blood glucose levels, but it also contributes to several other conditions related to one’s health.

Regular soda tends to contribute to weight gain during diabetes, which might be beneficial for some people but not something anyone wants at the expense of the heightened levels of blood glucose levels in the body.

Alcohol is considered one of the worst drinks for diabetes. The main reason behind this is the fact that alcohol has the potential to cause drastic changes to the blood glucose levels in the body.

Often, consuming alcohol can end up skyrocketing the glucose levels, while at other times, it cab bring down the glucose levels drastically. If you are on any kind of diabetic medication, chances are that it could end up interfering with them and causing marked changes in the levels of blood glucose.

Also, cocktails tend to contain a high amount of sugar, which can further cause negative impacts on the body and inflict negative impacts on blood glucose levels.

3. Fruit Juices

Fruit juices are yet another one of the drinks to avoid when you have diabetes.

Any kind of fruit juice, be it the packaged ones or freshly squeezed, is best avoided because of the concentrated sugar content they have.

While eating fruits might not necessarily have any side effects whatsoever, it is always best to avoid drinking juices because the concentrated sugar content has the potential to spike sugar levels in the blood and cause problems because of the high glycemic index.

4. Energy Drinks

Energy drinks can seem enticing but are not that much of a good option, especially if you are suffering from diabetes. They have a high level of sugar, carbs, and have a good amount of caffeine (R), which is not necessarily the best option for your body.

A study (R) has shown the impacts of the consumption of energy drinks on insulin resistance in the body.

5. Ginger Ale

Even though this might be a good option for digestion and avoiding acidity, it is one of the worst drinks for diabetes.

The main reason behind this is the high carb content. A standard 20-ounce bottle of ginger ale consists of 60 grams of carbs, which is a lot for any person, and especially so for a diabetic.

Conclusion

When it comes to assessing drinks suitable for diabetes, there are many restrictions. If you have unstable blood glucose levels, keeping track of the calorie count and carbs you put into your body is always best. Don’t overwhelm your body, and ensure to keep portions in check.

• Feb 2019
  Written by Somapika D
• Oct 2024
  Edited by Ankita