Diabetes and Beer
Q: You mentioned that you use a GLP-1 drug. What has your experience been with beer consumption while taking it?
David Hernandez • Springfield, Missouri
Mr. Wizard says…
A. I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in the spring of 2023 during a routine check-up. For those of you not well-versed in this subject, here’s a brief overview. Type 2 — sometimes called adult-onset — diabetes is the form that emerges later in life. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 treatment these days does not typically include insulin injections.
At first, I was a bit shocked because this wasn’t something I had spent much time thinking about. But soon enough, it was time to follow my doctor’s advice. I responded well to the two prescribed drugs, and my A1C level — a measure of hemoglobin-bound glucose and an indicator of average blood glucose concentration over the roughly three-month lifespan of a red blood cell — quickly fell into the normal range. I dodged a bullet and my eyes were opened to GLP-1 drugs, and soon I was able to get a prescription for Mounjaro.
Mounjaro, unlike other GLP-1 drugs on the market, is a combination of GLP-1 and GIP agonists. These compounds mimic hormones related to glucose metabolism, increasing insulin release after eating or drinking while often decreasing glucagon (which raises blood sugar), slowing digestion, and reducing cravings. One key to my journey through all of this has been my use of a continuous blood glucose monitor, or CGM. Although I could have stopped using one long ago because of my successful treatment, I continue to wear a CGM. They’re inexpensive when covered by insurance, and they provide incredible, continuous, real-time data.
I quickly discovered that I was my own walking test subject. Eat this, drink that, take a walk, sit on my tail — and check out the results! The first thing that became apparent was that consuming starchy foods like bread and rice caused a quick spike in blood glucose. Not a huge surprise, but it hits differently when you see the data streaming live on your phone. Interestingly, my spikes were reduced when I ate veggies and/or protein along with bread or rice. Another quick discovery: Walking after eating has a big effect on how long those spikes last. Even a relatively short walk is effective in reducing the intensity and duration of post-meal glucose spikes. Nothing too shocking so far — but what about beer and other alcoholic beverages?
Alcohol consumption was where things got surprising for this formerly ignorant guy with Type 2 diabetes. Alcohol often lowers blood glucose levels. Because I use a CGM, I quickly discovered that low-glucose alarms coincided with having a beer on an empty stomach. Interesting! I also found that certain types of beer were worse than eating a big chunk of bread or a small portion of rice. These included beers with high finishing gravities — often not obviously sweet — massive imperial stouts, and even some non-alcoholic (NA) beers. Seeing spikes after drinking NAs was a surprise and opened my eyes to different types of NAs in the market.
The last major realization was the powerful effect Mounjaro has on my appetite. At first, the effect wasn’t noticeable. The dosage of these drugs is slowly increased over several months because jumping straight to a high dose can cause nausea. Even low doses don’t sit well with some people, and not everyone can tolerate these drugs. Luckily for me, I’ve never had an issue. As my dosage was gradually increased, I discovered that overindulgence in almost anything resulted in an extreme sensation of fullness.
I know this is a major departure from my usual brewing discussions, but the sad truth is that my story is all too common these days. My experience may become yours one day. See that as a good thing, because my disease was spotted before it became a serious problem. You asked about my experience with beer consumption, and I’ve finally built up to the crux of your question.
Beer makes me feel full. In my world, that just sucks because beer is at the center of my profession. I still love it, but drinking something like a liter of festbier takes a bit of planning. And here we are — threading the needle of being on a wonder drug like Mounjaro, with all its benefits, while still wanting to drink beer like a rockstar.
Listen up, folks who are in the same boat: Start brewing beers with lower OGs, because those big, burly beasts we all know and love push all the wrong buttons in the “feeling way too full” department. Highly hopped beers — especially hazies — also fill me up. What doesn’t seem to make me feel full includes wine, dry beers (even those with big malty flavors), moderately hopped beers, and beers with balanced flavor profiles. That last one’s a bit of a shocker. In the past, I could muscle through unbalanced beers, but not these days. Lucky for me, most German-style, balanced IPAs, and nitro beers remain easy for me to enjoy without being bloated.
