For decades, U.S. Dietary Guidelines have recommended that adults limit alcohol consumption to two drinks per day. Now, reports indicate that guidance – developed in part by the Health and Human Services Department now led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – will become a bit vaguer.
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According to three sources familiar with the matter cited by Reuters, the longstanding guidelines are expected to be eliminated and replaced with “a brief statement encouraging Americans to drink in moderation or limit alcohol intake due to associated health risks.” These guidelines could be updated as early as this month, said the outlet.
However, it also noted that the guidelines were still under development by the HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture as of Wednesday, citing two of its sources and a fourth person.
These guidelines are updated every five years. Since 1990, they have defined moderate drinking as no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two for men. Currently, drinks are defined as follows: 12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol), 5 ounces of wine (12% alcohol) and 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits (40% alcohol).
“Similar guidelines exist in countries such as the United Kingdom, which advises limiting drinking to 14 units per week, while Canada, however, has adopted a more cautious stance, warning that health risks begin to increase after just two drinks per week,” according to Reuters.
Audacy has reported in the past on the risks associated with alcohol consumption, including data that indicates approximately 20 people die from excessive alcohol use every hour in the U.S. Dr. Patricia Molina from LSU Health New Orleans joined WWL this April to discuss the dangers of chronic alcohol use.
“Chronic consumption of alcohol throughout the lifetime is what ends up hitting all the different organs in our body and producing changes that are chronic changes,” she said.
Furthermore, a growing body of research links alcohol consumption to various forms of cancer. Research has shown that just two drinks a week can reduce life expectancy. This year, a federal review from the Department of Health and Human Services showed that risk of premature death skyrockets among those who have at least one alcoholic drink a day.
Reuters said its fourth source explained that those developing the updated guidelines believe the “scientific basis for recommending specific daily limits is limited, and the goal is to ensure the guidelines reflect only the most robust evidence.” Neither the HHS nor the USDA responded to Reuters requests for comment.
While Kennedy has been outspoken about some issues, including artificial food dyes, Reuters said that he has been “largely silent” about alcohol. It also noted that Kennedy is a “known teetotaler.”
Health experts are concerned about potentially vaguer recommendations, but Reuters said it could be a big win for alcohol industry lobbyists. It said Senate records show that some companies that sell alcoholic beverages have spent millions on lobbying efforts related to the guidelines, along with a range of other issues.
Still, the two-drink recommendation may still exist in the updated guidelines, just buried in an appendix.
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