U.S. Dietary Guidelines are expected to drop the long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol to one drink per day for women and two for men, according to three sources. Instead, the revised guidelines—due as early as this month—are likely to include a more general suggestion to consume alcohol in moderation or limit intake because of known health risks.
The draft is still under development and may change, according to two of the sources and a fourth individual familiar with the process. Presently, the guidelines advise one or fewer drinks daily for women and two or fewer for men—a level generally considered moderate.
Other countries use similar guidelines: the U.K. recommends up to fourteen units per week, while Canada advises caution, noting health risks can begin after just two drinks weekly. Scientific evidence linking any level of drinking to health issues—such as increased breast cancer risk—exists, even as some studies point to possible benefits like reduced stroke risk.
One source noted that evidence tying specific daily limits to health outcomes is limited, and the revised guidelines aim to include only the strongest, most reliable data.
Jointly developed by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, the Dietary Guidelines are highly influential worldwide, shaping everything from school meal programs to clinical recommendations. Neither department commented on the pending changes.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a teetotaler, has emphasized a focus on whole foods in the updated guidelines. Some alcohol industry leaders had anticipated tighter restrictions as organizations such as the World Health Organization warn more about alcohol’s health effects. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has noted that alcohol raises the risk for at least seven types of cancer and called for mandatory warning labels.
Major producers like Diageo and Anheuser-Busch InBev have spent several million dollars lobbying lawmakers on the guideline review process and other policy areas, although they declined to comment.
Under the draft revisions, the specific daily drink limits are likely to be removed, replaced by a short, general statement. However, the former numeric recommendations could still appear in an appendix.
Some public health experts view the change as problematic. Eva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, described the shift as “so vague as to be unhelpful,” arguing that it could obscure the message that even moderate alcohol consumption carries health risks, particularly for breast cancer.
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