What Can Diabetics Drink Besides Water?

Dr Jedha, Host

Hello there and welcome to another episode filled with practical insights, tips and tricks to drink well. That’s right, what we drink is just as important as what we eat and while water is our best drink option—it’s zero calories, has no sugar, and is great for hydration, have you ever caught yourself staring at your water bottle thinking, “I just can’t drink another glass of plain water today”? We hear this a lot. Water is great, but it can get boring. And let’s be real, some people just don’t enjoy drinking plain water, no matter how good the benefits may be. 

If that sounds like you but you need to meet your daily hydration needs, you need something else, but may not know your options. That’s exactly what we’re talking about today – ways to add beverage variety without compromising your blood sugar levels. Drinks that are safe, enjoyable, and can even offer added health benefits. Plus, we’ll look at some common mistakes to avoid so you don’t accidentally spike your blood sugar with the wrong choices. By the end of this episode, you’ll have plenty of ideas for new drinks to add to your daily routine. 

02:15

When it comes to diabetes treatment, foods get a lot of attention, but what you drink is just as important as what you eat. Many drinks, even those that seem healthy on the surface, can be packed with hidden sugars and simple carbohydrates that quickly spike blood glucose levels. For example, a single glass of orange juice—just one cup—contains 25 grams of carbs and 20 grams of sugar, which is about the same as a can of regular cola. And that’s 100% juice with no added sugar. Fruit juices, sports drinks, flavored waters, iced teas, bottled smoothies—even some plant-based milks—can all have more sugar than you might expect.

These “liquid carbs” can be especially tricky because they don’t leave you feeling full, yet they can dramatically raise blood sugar. And because they’re in liquid form, your body absorbs them very quickly. That fast absorption means a quick spike in glucose, which is the exact opposite of what we want when eating to treat diabetes.

That’s why being mindful of your beverage choices can make a big difference in your blood sugar control.

For you, it’s important to realize that hydration plays a big role in blood sugar management. When your blood sugar levels run high, your body tries to flush out excess sugar through urine, which can lead to dehydration. If you’ve ever had high blood sugar and felt thirsty all the time, that’s why—your body is trying to rebalance itself. Staying hydrated can actually help lower blood sugar. 

Let’s get into some of the best options to include when you’re not feeling like water or simply don’t like it. For our members, head to the members library for more detailed members-only resources on drinks that can help you optimize your blood sugar.

04:15

Okay, so the first drink you can enjoy is herbal teas.

Herbal teas are an amazing way to stay hydrated without adding sugar or calories. They come in a variety of flavors—peppermint, chamomile, cinnamon, hibiscus, ginger, rooibos, and more. Not only do many of these taste great, but they also offer health benefits.

For example:

• Chamomile tea is known for its calming effects and can help with relaxation and sleep. Research has even shown that chamomile may help lower A1c levels.
• Cinnamon tea is fantastic for people with diabetes because cinnamon has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and help regulate blood sugar.
• Hibiscus tea is rich in antioxidants and can help lower blood pressure—another important factor for diabetes management.
• Rooibus tea is a superstar when it comes to decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress, which is very important for everyone, but even more so when living with diabetes.
• Lemongrass tea contains antioxidant properties that protect blood vessels, which can help counteract oxidative damage that results from high glucose levels. 

There are also some fantastic herbals that are readily available in the store, such as blackcurrent, raspberry, ginger, lime, lemon, apple, pear, peach, and so forth – all of which are low in sugar but have a naturally sweet flavor.

There are many different herbal teas that can be enjoyed hot or cold. As a replacement or alternative to water, you can make a big batch. Steep a strong concoction in a jug and chill it in the fridge, and have a refreshing iced tea ready whenever you want. Or instead of taking water in your bottle, fill it with a cooled herbal tea infusion. 

Teas such as oolong and green tea are also fantastic options for replacing water. Green tea can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, supports heart health, aids in weight management, and has been linked to improved cholesterol levels. 

Oolong tea is incredibly powerful in terms of lowering blood sugar, fasting blood sugar in particular. As we explored in episode 53, when people drank about 53 ounces, 1500mls or 6.34 cups of tea a day, it can help lower fasting blood sugar by 67 mg/dL or 3.7 mmol/L, along with contributing to lower A1c levels and anti-inflammatory and anti-heart disease properties. You could fill a water bottle with this tea and drink it throughout the day, as a replacement to water, and you’ll also get the blood sugar lowering benefits. 

Just remember to drink these drinks unsweetened. If you want to add flavor, a squeeze of lemon or lime works well and adds extra antioxidants without affecting your blood sugar. Or you can add a touch of sweetener, using safe sweeteners, which we talked about in episode 49. 

Of course, normal tea and coffee are fine to drink too. But again, the key with these drinks is how you drink them. The things people often add to tea and coffee—sugar, flavored syrups, or high-carb creamers—can turn it into a blood sugar disaster.

To keep your tea and coffee diabetes-friendly:

• Drink them black or with a splash of milk or unsweetened plant-based milk like unsweetened soy or almond milk.
• Avoid flavored creamers that contain hidden sugars. Members, we have a full guide on coffee creamers so we’ll  add that alongside this episode in the members library.
• Use natural sugar substitutes if you need a bit of sweetness, which again, we talked about in episode 49. 

09:15

Some vegetable juices can be a great option, but fruit juice is a different story – you have to exercise caution here so as not to push up the sugars too much. Take that single glass of orange juice we shared at the beginning of the episode—one cup—contains 25 grams of carbs and 20 grams of sugar—that’s 100% orange juice with no added sugar. A lot of people assume fruit juice is a healthy choice, but for blood sugar control, that much sugar in liquid form is far from ideal and is not going to support good blood sugar control. A lot of fruit juices are going to have a similar nutrition profile, we’re looking at around 20-25 g carbs, and 20-25g sugars, per cup. As mentioned earlier, coca cola contains 27 grams of sugar per cup. When you look at it this way, there’s really not much of a difference between drinking fruit juice or having coke. Sugar is sugar—whether it comes from cane, corn syrup, or fruit— your body responds to it in much the same way, blood sugar goes up!

Now, when it comes to vegetables, the story changes. Most vegetables are naturally low in sugar, and they’re packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds. But even among vegetables, there are better and worse choices when it comes to juicing.

If you’re going to make vegetable juice at home, it’s best to focus on non-starchy vegetables—things like spinach, kale, cucumber, and celery. These add volume and nutrients without contributing many carbohydrates. They’re refreshing, hydrating, and give you a nutrient boost without impacting blood sugar much at all.

On the flip side, you want to be cautious with vegetables that have a higher natural sugar content, like carrots and beets. While they’re full of antioxidants and definitely healthy in many ways, they’re also sweeter and more carb-dense. They are fine in small portions but when it comes to juicing it can be easy to put more serves than we need, and in large amounts—the sugar content of vegetables can add up quickly too. Just something to consider. 

Also keep in mind that when you juice vegetables, you’re removing the fiber, which plays an important role in slowing the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream. That means even natural sugars in vegetable juice can hit your system faster than they would if you ate the whole vegetable.

If you enjoy vegetable juice, go for it—just be mindful of the ingredients. Stick with low-carb veggies, go easy on the sweet ones, and keep your portion sizes reasonable.

There are also some store-bought vegetable juices that are okay. The most commonly known one is V8 juice. Out of all the V8 juices, V8 Original is the best choice. A cup of V8 Original contains about 9 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams sugars, and 2 grams fiber. Compare this to one of the V8 fruit juice varieties and you could be consuming 22 grams of carbs, 19 grams of sugars with zero fiber. Remember, always read the ingredients and nutrition facts so you really know what you’re taking into your body.  

13:17

Milk is another drink option that can provide good nutrition. Regular cow’s milk contains calcium and protein, which are all important for overall health. However, regular cow’s milk does contain natural sugars, around 12g per cup, so you don’t want to go overboard when consuming it. Unsweetened plant-based alternatives can be a useful alternative. For example, unsweetened almond milk is naturally low in carbs at around 2-3g per cup. Or unsweetened soy milk contains protein and low in carbs at around 3g per cup. Just make sure you choose the unsweetened versions to avoid unnecessary carbs and sugars.

14:01

For those who love carbonation but want to avoid sugary sodas, sparkling water is a great alternative.

It gives you that fizzy satisfaction without added sugar or artificial sweeteners. There are also several brands available now that make flavored carbonated water with zero sugar, zero carbs, and no artificial sweeteners. We’ll leave a few of those options in the show notes alongside this episode. But even adding something as simple as a squeeze of lemon or lime to sparkling water can be enjoyable. 

If you like a hint of natural flavor, infused water is a great way to make plain water more interesting; or you can also use this same process with sparkling water. 

Simply add slices of:

• Lemon or lime for a refreshing citrus taste.
• Cucumber and mint for a spa-like drink.
• Or sliced berries and fresh herbs for natural sweetness.

Let it sit for a few hours or overnight, and you’ll have a delicious, sugar-free drink. You can also use a strong herbal tea infusion blended with sparkling water or soda water for a refreshing drink. There are lots of natural ways to flavor water that can be very satisfying. 

There are also some sparkling waters on the market that are suitable. Just check the ingredients and avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame. You can also get sugar-free flavorings to add to water, but again, it comes down to the types of sweeteners they contain and whether they contain artificial additives – so go for choices that contain natural ingredients and safe sweeteners, which we talked about in episode 49.

So we’ve covered herbal teas, tea or coffee, vegetable juice, milk, sparkling water, and various ideas for infusing water to make it refreshing and tasty. Of course, we haven’t covered every possible drink but hopefully you’ve now got some more ideas to explore. 

You can find more details in the show notes on our website and if you’re one of our members, check out the members library for lots more info on drink options, recipes and lists of the best store-bought options as well. 

That’s all for today—until next time, keep making great choices for your health!

Dr Jedha, over and out.