The U.S. government is preparing to eliminate its longstanding daily alcohol consumption limits from federal dietary guidelines, marking a significant shift in health policy that could deliver substantial benefits to the alcohol industry after years of mounting pressure.
The updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, potentially released this month, will replace specific daily drinking limits with general advice to consume alcohol in moderation.
This is according to three sources with direct knowledge of the matter.Â
The expected move represents a dramatic departure from decades of precise numerical recommendations that have shaped public health messaging.
Current federal recommendations advise women to limit consumption to one alcoholic drink per day and men to consume no more than two drinks daily.Â
These specific numerical limits have guided American health policy and influenced medical advice nationwide since their introduction in 1990.Â
The existing guidelines define moderate drinking levels that health professionals have used as benchmarks for patient counseling.
The new guidelines will feature brief statements encouraging Americans to drink moderately or limit alcohol intake due to associated health risks, sources reported.Â
The recommendations remain under active development and could still undergo changes before their final release, according to two original sources and a fourth individual familiar with the comprehensive review process.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture jointly develop these highly influential guidelines through an extensive multi-year process.Â
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who maintains a well-known abstinence from alcohol, has remained notably silent on the alcohol recommendations throughout the review process.Â
Kennedy has instead emphasized his commitment to promoting whole foods and natural nutrition in the forthcoming guidelines, focusing his public statements on agricultural policy and food production standards.
International approaches to alcohol recommendations demonstrate significant variation in government health policies.Â
The United Kingdom advises limiting consumption to 14 units weekly, providing citizens with specific weekly targets rather than daily limits.Â
Canada has adopted considerably stricter guidelines, issuing warnings that health risks begin to increase after consuming just two drinks per week, representing one of the most conservative positions among developed nations.
Scientific evidence regarding moderate drinking continues to present conflicting findings that complicate policy development.Â
Some research studies link even moderate alcohol consumption to increased breast cancer risk among women, while other peer-reviewed research suggests potential cardiovascular benefits including reduced stroke risk.Â
These contradictory findings have contributed to ongoing debates within the medical community about appropriate consumption levels, Reuters reported.
One source familiar with the guideline development process indicated that scientific support for establishing specific daily limits remains fundamentally limited.Â
Federal officials have prioritized ensuring that final guidelines reflect only the most robust and well-established available evidence, rather than recommendations based on incomplete or contradictory research findings.
The outlet noted that stock markets responded positively to news of the potential changes.Â
Shares in major alcohol companies rose following the announcement, with both AB InBev and Diageo reaching intraday highs.
The revised recommendations will likely consist of just one or two sentences regarding alcohol consumption, according to sources speaking anonymously.Â
One study found moderate drinking associated with increased cancer risk but decreased risk of death from any cause and certain cardiovascular problems like stroke.Â
Evidence for other health impacts proved insufficient for definitive conclusions.
The post U.S. to Scrap Decades-Old Daily Alcohol Drinking Limits in Surprise Policy Reversal, Sources Say appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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