Introduction: The relationship between alcohol consumption and diabetes is still not well defined. In some studies, alcohol consumption is introduced as a factor that improves insulin sensitivity, and in others as a factor that increases insulin resistance. But long-term alcohol consumption increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Since alcohol produces a lot of calories in the body, drinking alcohol in diabetics can increase blood sugar and also cause obesity .
Methods: In this systematic review, all qualitative articles related to the study objectives, published from 2008 to January 2024, were reviewed. Search in Magiran, Irandoc, IranMedex, SID, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed/Medline Embase with keywords: alcohol, insulin, insulin resistance, and diabetes. The entry criteria were articles in English or Farsi, qualitative articles related to the objectives of the study. Exclusion criteria were articles that were in the form of posters, speeches, letters to the editor, and quantitative studies.
Results: The findings from the review of 20 qualitative studies showed that Alcohol can disrupt the body's blood sugar control mechanism and lead to a severe drop in sugar in diabetics .
Conclusion: There is an inverse and non-significant relationship between the amount of alcohol consumption and the beneficial effects on people with type 2.