If you're someone who likes to enjoy a daily cocktail, glass of wine, or beer that occasionally turns into a few glasses, I have some bad news for you. Experts are now recommending that the U.S. DietaryGuidelinesfor Americans be updated to reflect that men should limit theiralcohol consumptionto one drink a day, according toThe Associated Press.
This new recommendation, if implemented, would change the current guidelines which recommend that men should drink no more than two drinks a day (and that women should have no more than one). These recommendations have been in place for 30 years but a committee of experts is now asking for a change. The agency that issues the guidelines is not required to listen to this panel of experts, but the guidelines are scheduled to be updated this year.
Dr. Timothy Naimi, analcoholresearcher at Boston University and one of the experts on the committee convened by federal officials, told the AP that this updated advice is based on the findings that there is a modest increase in risk of death based on people who have two drinks a day versus one. Experts also didn't see evidence that they should continue to differ in their health recommendations for drinking as they pertain to men or women, according to a report on their findings.
However, Dr. Naimi told the AP that Americans generally drink way more than they are recommended to, and that hopefully recommendations like these “stimulating thought around behavior change.”
“As a nation, our collective health would be better if people generally drank less,” Naimi said.
Oh, and experts also that if you don't already drink regularly, this advice should not be interpreted as saying that you must drink one alcoholic drink per day to be healthy. Though wouldn't that be nice?