By Emma Rumney and Jessica Dinapoli
(Reuters) -s -Voedingsichihichtlines are expected to eliminate the long -term recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks a day, according to three sources that are familiar with the case, in what could be a big victory for an industry threatened by an increased control of the health effects of alcohol.
The updated food guidelines for Americans, which can be released in this month, is expected to include a brief explanation that encourages Americans to limit drinking in moderation or alcohol intake due to associated health risks, according to the sources.
The guidelines are still developing and subject to change, two of the sources and a fourth person who is familiar with the process.
Currently, the recommendations to limit drinking to one portion or less per day for women and two or less for men, generally as a moderate level.
Similar guidelines exist in countries such as the United Kingdom, which advises to limit drinking to 14 units per week, while Canada has taken a more cautious position, warning that health risks start to rise after just two drinks a week.
Even moderate drinking is linked to some health risks, such as a higher risk of breast cancer, although some studies have also found a connection with possible health benefits, such as a lower risk of stroke.
The fourth source said that the scientific basis for recommending specific daily limits is limited, and the goal is to ensure that the guidelines only reflect the most robust evidence.
The new guidelines, developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture, are closely monitored and influence the policy of school lunch programs to medical advice. Neither of the department responded to requests for comments.
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well -known teetotaler, has largely stopped about alcohol, but the emphasis has been placed on a focus on entire foods in the coming guidelines.
Some alcohol managers were feared for a step to stricter recommendations about alcohol intake, because the authorities such as the World Health Organization increased their warnings about the health risks of alcohol.
Former American surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer and called on warning labels on alcoholic beverages.
Large players in the industry, including Demono and Anheuser-Busch Inbev, lobbyed in legislators during the assessment process. Senate reports show that each company has spent millions on lobby efforts with regard to the guidelines and a series of other issues such as tax and trade in 2024 and 2025. Both companies refused to comment.
The new guidelines have been set to move from suggesting consumers who limit alcohol consumption to a specific number of daily portions, according to the three sources, which asked not to be mentioned for free.
One person said that the new alcohol -related recommendation will probably be limited to one or two sentence. Another said that the existing songs that are linked to moderate drinks could still appear in a longer attachment.
While representatives of the industry legislators have lobbyed the guidelines or how to decide, some officials and researchers argued for stricter limitations.
Reports that are intended to inform the guidelines have meanwhile drawn various conclusions about the health effects of alcohol and the science around it.
'Useless'
The guidelines, which are assessed every five years, have advised to drink in moderation and defined that no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two for men since 1990.
Eva Greenthal, a senior policy scientist from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit focused on nutrition, health and food safety, said that the more general language expected in the guidelines was “so vague to not be useful”.
Under such a change, the message that even moderate drinking could increase risks, especially for breast cancer, will be lost, she continued.
Two studies were produced to inform the development of the guidelines. The first discovered that moderate drinks were associated with an increased risk of some cancers, but a reduced risk of dying of any cause and some cardiovascular problems such as a stroke.
The evidence for some other health effects was insufficient to draw conclusions, it turned out.
The other report was reversed the risk of dying from alcohol consumption, including an increased risk for seven cancers, starts with any or low levels of alcohol consumption and increases with a higher consumption.
(Reporting by Emma Rumney in London and Jessica Di'napoli in New York; adaptation by Caroline Humer and Louise Heavens)
