What Happens to Your Blood Sugar When You Pair Pizza With Wine

A trend making the rounds on social media claims that pairing pizza with wine won’t cause a blood sugar spike in people with diabetes. Health experts say there’s a grain of truth to that idea, but the benefits of this combo may be overstated.

Why the Fat and Protein In Pizza May Prevent Spikes

The idea that pairing pizza with wine may prevent blood sugar spikes likely relates to the combination of fat and protein in pizza, said Lauri Wright, PhD, RDN, LDN, director of Nutrition Programs and associate professor at USF College of Public Health.

Research shows that both fat and protein can slow down the body’s processing of carbohydrates, which may reduce the impact on blood sugar levels after meals.

“Fat and protein in pizza slow gastric emptying, delaying carbohydrate absorption,” Wright said. However, she emphasized that this delay doesn’t prevent blood sugar from increasing altogether.

Does Wine Help Blunt Blood Sugar Spikes?

The other part of this claim involves the addition of wine and how alcohol can affect blood sugar levels, especially in people with diabetes.

“Alcohol is technically a toxin, and your liver, which helps detox, prioritizes getting rid of the alcohol,” said Amanda Sauceda, MS, RD, a nutrition lecturer at California State University, Long Beach, and owner of The Mindful Gut.

Sauceda explained that when this detox process happens at the same time as a meal, your liver focuses on processing the alcohol rather than managing your glucose levels.

Because of this, people with diabetes might notice less of a blood sugar spike when eating their pizza alongside a glass of wine.

“The result is often a delayed and prolonged glucose increase, rather than no spike at all,” Wright said.

Should You Drink Wine When You Eat Pizza?

Although people with diabetes may initially notice more stability in their blood sugar levels with this combination, experts don’t recommend relying on this technique to manage blood sugar.

Even if your blood sugar doesn’t spike initially, Wright said that it can still do so several hours after the meal is finished. “For people with type 1 diabetes, this delayed rise can actually make glucose management more challenging, not easier,” she added.

Wright said alcohol can also lead to delayed hypoglycemia, which can become a serious concern for people with diabetes when it happens overnight. “This combination can be risky if insulin dosing and monitoring are not carefully managed,” she said.