The U.S. government is considering a proposal to redefine the definition of moderate alcohol consumption in its federal Dietary Guidelines. It may sound like a small change, but it's an important marker.
Every five years, the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services review the U.S. Dietary Guidelines under congressional mandate. The goal is to update the national nutritional guidelines according to the latest scientific research. Such guidelines can have important effects on federal programs. Before the formal guidelines are published, a committee of appointed external experts gathers to draft recommendations for any changes. The 13-member committee that reviewed the 2010 guidelines released their report June 15.
The basic upper threshold for moderate alcohol intake hasn't changed since the third version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was published in 1990: Up to one drink per day for women and two for men. But one of the suggestions by the advisory committee for the 2010 version, du
e out later this year, is to define moderation as an average daily intake of up to one drink for women and two for men, with no more than three drinks for women on a single day and four for men.
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