Bán sữa tách kem và các chất làm ngọt nhân tạo như aspartame có thể giúp bệnh nhân đối với sữa tách kem và chất ngọt không có (hoặc thậm chí là đen trà hoặc cà phê). Đồ uống có ga, chế độ ăn uống "có chứa chất làm ngọt nhân tạo có thể được uống điều độ. | 46 I EATING AND DRINKING quantities of sugar. Semi-skimmed milk and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame can help the patient towards skimmed milk and no sweetener or even black tea or coffee . Aerated diet drinks containing artificial sweeteners can be drunk in moderation. Care is needed in reading the labels of some products marked sugar-free which may contain other refined carbohydrates for example glucose. Savoury drinks used to be encouraged but most of these are very salty. Alcohol Moderation in all things. The recommended amount is 14 units a week for a woman and 21 units a week for a man. A unit is half a pint of beer lager or cider a single pub measure of spirits or a glass of wine. So 21 units is pints each night. Alcohol is highly calorific ranging from 285 calories per unit for sweet cider to 50 calories per unit for spirits. Much confusion is generated by the carbohydrate content of alcoholic drinks. Very sweet drinks should be avoided but otherwise there is no particular benefit in using low-carbohydrate products . beers as the carbohydrate has been turned to alcohol by further brewing. Although the total calorie content should be considered if the patient needs to lose weight it is better to ignore the carbohydrate contribution of alcoholic drinks. Alcohol impedes glucose release from liver glycogen stores and may precipitate or worsen hypoglycaemia. I advise people with diabetes never to drink on an empty stomach. A packet of crisps or preferably another lower-fat snack if available should be consumed if alcohol is drunk outside mealtimes. Diabetic products Diabetes UK has now banned advertising of these products from its magazine. They are sweets biscuits and cakes in which glucose and sucrose have been replaced by fructose or sorbitol. There is no evidence that fructose is any better for diabetics than sucrose and it may be metabolically worse. Sorbitol which is the other commonly used sweetener causes abdominal griping and diarrhoea .
