Glycemic

 Taking out the recyclable garbage, I happened to glance at the Seltzer cardboard

box. Ended up having this interesting conversation with Copilot:

Coors Malt Seltzer; the nutrition label lists zero for everything, yet there are 90 calories per can. Where do the calories come from??

Those “mystery” calories come almost entirely from the alcohol itself. Hard seltzers like Coors Seltzer are brewed from fermented sugar, and alcohol contributes calories even when carbs, fat, and protein all show as 0 g on the label. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, which is why a can still lands around 90 calories.

🍺 Why the Label Shows “0” for Everything

Canadian and U.S. labeling rules allow rounding down:

Carbs under 0.5 g can be shown as 0 g

Sugars under 0.5 g can be shown as 0 g

Protein and fat are genuinely zero

Alcohol grams are not required to be listed on nutrition labels

So the label can legally show zeros even though the drink contains alcohol calories.

🔬 Where the Calories Actually Come From

1. Alcohol (ethanol)

Alcohol provides 7 kcal per gram

A typical 4.5–5% ABV hard seltzer contains ~12–14 g of alcohol, which equals ~84–98 calories

That matches the 90 calories listed for Coors Seltzer

2. Trace sugars

Some sources list 2 g of sugar per can, others list 0 g due to rounding.

Either way, that’s only 8 calories at most — the alcohol is doing all the heavy lifting.

                                                                                         

🧠 Why this feels confusing

Hard seltzers are marketed like “zero everything” drinks, but alcohol calories are invisible on the label. So it looks like a 0‑calorie drink, but the alcohol still counts.

If you want, I can also break down how this compares to White Claw, Truly, or Quebec‑market seltzers.

I'm concerned how this is broken down; how it affects the glycemia readings for someone with diabetes 1!!

You’re asking exactly the right question, Louise — because the nutrition label on hard seltzers is almost useless for someone managing Type 1 diabetes. The key is understanding how alcohol behaves in the body, especially when carbs are essentially zero.

Below is a clear, physiology‑based breakdown that fits the way you like to reason through systems.

🍺 How a “zero‑carb” hard seltzer affects glycemia in Type 1 diabetes

🔥 1. Alcohol has calories, but not carbs

Those 90 calories come from ethanol, not sugar.

Ethanol = 7 kcal/g, but 0 g carbohydrate.

So the drink does not raise blood glucose directly the way beer, cider, or sugary coolers do.

🧬 2. Alcohol suppresses the liver’s glucose output

This is the part that matters for Type 1 diabetes.

The liver normally releases glucose steadily (hepatic glucose output).

When alcohol is present, the liver prioritizes metabolizing ethanol and temporarily stops releasing glucose.

For someone with Type 1 diabetes, this can cause:

➡️ A delayed drop in blood glucose (1–6 hours later)

Especially if:

You have rapid‑acting insulin still active

You haven’t eaten carbs

You’re active or walking around

You drink on an empty stomach

This is why alcohol is notorious for late‑onset hypoglycemia in T1D.

📉 3. Hard seltzers behave more like spirits than beer

Because they’re:

Low carb

Low sugar

Low residual maltose

Mostly ethanol + water + flavoring

So the glycemic effect is:

No spike → possible delayed drop

This is the opposite of beer, which contains maltose and can spike glucose.

🧪 4. What to expect in real‑world CGM readings

Most T1D adults see something like:

0–60 minutes:

Flat line (no carb load)

1–4 hours:

Gradual downward drift

More pronounced if basal insulin is strong or if you’re active

4–6 hours:

Risk of hypoglycemia, especially overnight

This is why diabetes educators often recommend:

Eating a small carb snack with alcohol

Reducing bolus insulin if drinking with a meal

Being cautious with bedtime corrections

🧠 5. Why the label is misleading

Nutrition labels don’t list alcohol grams, so it looks like a “zero everything” drink.

But for diabetes, the carb content is what matters — and that’s genuinely close to zero.

The risk isn’t hyperglycemia — it’s hypoglycemia.

Would it be the same situation for someone having Gin and zero-calorie Tonic!?

Absolutely — gin with a zero‑calorie tonic produces almost the same glycemic pattern as a hard seltzer, and for the same physiological reasons. The details shift slightly depending on the tonic, but the core mechanism is identical.

Let’s break it down cleanly and in the way you like: physiology first, then real‑world CGM behavior.

🍸 1. Gin contains alcohol calories, not carbs

Gin is a distilled spirit.

0 g carbs

0 g sugar

0 g protein/fat

Calories come from ethanol (7 kcal/g)

So just like the Coors seltzer, gin does not raise blood glucose.

🥤 2. Zero‑calorie tonic = no glycemic load

If the tonic is:

Diet tonic

Zero‑sugar tonic

Club soda

Sparkling water

…then there are no digestible carbohydrates.

So the drink is essentially:

Ethanol + water + flavoring

Exactly the same metabolic profile as a hard seltzer.

🧬 3. The liver effect is identical

This is the part that matters for Type 1 diabetes.

Ethanol forces the liver to:

Stop gluconeogenesis

Stop releasing stored glucose

Prioritize metabolizing alcohol

This creates the classic pattern:

No spike → delayed drop

This is true whether the alcohol came from:

Gin

Vodka

Rum

Hard seltzer

Wine (if dry)

Any low‑carb spirit

The source of the ethanol doesn’t matter — the liver responds the same way.

📉 4. Expected CGM pattern with gin + zero‑cal tonic

0–60 minutes:

Flat line

No carb load → no rise

1–4 hours:

Slow downward drift

More pronounced if basal is strong or you’re active

4–6 hours:

Risk of hypoglycemia

Especially overnight if consumed in the evening

This is the same pattern you’d see with:

Vodka soda

Rum + diet cola

Tequila + sparkling water

Hard seltzers with 0–2 g carbs

⚠️ 5. The only difference: serving size

A typical gin pour (1.5 oz / 44 mL) has more alcohol than a 4.5% seltzer can.

So the liver suppression effect can be:

Stronger

Longer

More likely to cause overnight lows

But the direction of the effect is the same.

What is the alcohol content of each...

Coors Seltzer is about 4–4.5% ABV, while gin is typically 40% ABV.  

So even though both “feel light” when mixed with zero‑calorie mixers, the alcohol load is dramatically different — and that changes how strongly the liver’s glucose output is suppressed.

Below is a clean, evidence‑based breakdown using the search results you triggered.

🍺 Alcohol Content Comparison

Coors Seltzer

Search results show:

4% ABV

Some brand sheets list 4.5% ABV

So depending on the flavour/market, Coors Seltzer is 4.0–4.5% ABV.

What that means in practice

A 355 mL can at 4.5% ABV contains roughly:

~12–13 g of ethanol

This is why it has ~90 calories — almost all from alcohol.

Gin

Gin is a distilled spirit. Standard gin is:

40% ABV (typical in Canada and the U.S.)

Some brands go 42–47% ABV, but 40% is the norm.

What that means in practice

A standard 1.5 oz (44 mL) shot of 40% gin contains:

~14 g of ethanol

So one shot of gin = roughly the same alcohol as one Coors Seltzer, but in a much smaller volume.

🧬 For Type 1 Diabetes: Why This Matters

Even though the grams of alcohol are similar per serving, the liver suppression effect is stronger and longer with spirits, because:

The alcohol is absorbed faster

The concentration is higher

There’s no dilution with water like in seltzers

So the glycemic pattern is:

Coors Seltzer

Flat glucose

Mild delayed drop (2–6 hours)

Gin + zero‑cal tonic

Flat glucose

Stronger delayed drop

Higher risk of overnight lows if consumed in the evening

What happens if a diabetic person eats a light meal with the Seltzer drink?

A light meal changes the physiology in a very predictable way — and it actually makes the situation safer for someone with Type 1 diabetes, but with a few important nuances.

Let’s walk through it step by step, using the same system‑level reasoning you like.

🍽️ 1. The meal provides glucose the liver doesn’t have to supply

When alcohol is present, the liver stops releasing glucose because it prioritizes metabolizing ethanol.

If the person eats no food, the body depends entirely on:

Basal insulin

Residual bolus insulin

Liver glucose output

Since alcohol shuts down that last one, the risk of a delayed low increases.

But if they eat a light meal, the meal provides:

Digestible carbs → immediate glucose

Protein → slow glucose release over hours

Fat → slows digestion

This gives the body an external glucose source, reducing the risk of a late crash.

🧬 2. The meal blunts the alcohol‑induced hypoglycemia

With food on board, the pattern usually becomes:

0–1 hour

Meal carbs cause a small rise

Seltzer does not add carbs

Bolus insulin covers the meal

1–4 hours

Alcohol begins suppressing liver glucose output

But the meal’s carbs/protein are still digesting

Glucose stays more stable

4–6 hours

The meal’s effect tapers off

Alcohol is still being metabolized

This is where a drop can still happen, but it’s usually:

Later

Smaller

More predictable

🍺 3. Hard seltzer + light meal = similar to wine with dinner

This combination behaves like:

A low‑carb alcoholic drink

Paired with a modest carb load

With insulin on board

The liver suppression still happens, but the meal buffers it.

📉 4. The remaining risk: insulin stacking

If the person:

Boluses for the meal

Drinks the seltzer

Then corrects a mild post‑meal rise

…that correction can become dangerous later because the liver won’t rescue them.

This is the classic “I corrected a 9.5 and ended up at 3.2 at 2 a.m.” scenario.

🧠 6. The key variable is the meal’s carb/protein content

A “light meal” can mean:

A salad with chicken (low carb → less protection)

A sandwich (moderate carb → more protection)

A small pasta portion (high carb → strong protection but needs insulin)

If you want, we can also compare:

Seltzer + meal

Gin + meal

Wine + meal

Beer + meal

…because each has a different glycemic signature.