Alcohol limit likely to be dropped from U.S. nutrition advice
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. government is preparing to revise its influential dietary advice, with a significant shift: dropping the long-standing recommendation that adults limit themselves to one or two alcoholic drinks per day, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans, expected as early as this month, are likely to offer instead a brief caution urging moderation due to health risks, without prescribing specific daily limits.
Currently, the guidelines advise no more than one drink per day for women and two for men—a standard in place since 1990. However, officials involved in the update say the scientific basis for fixed limits is weak, and the goal is to reflect only the most robust evidence.
Two of the sources said the new language is still under discussion and could change, and a fourth individual is familiar with the process.
The shift would be closely watched, as the guidelines—jointly developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture—guide policies ranging from school meals to clinical advice and carry international influence. Neither department responded to requests for comment.
Some countries have taken a more conservative approach: Canada recently warned that health risks rise after just two drinks per week. The UK recommends no more than 14 units per week.
Even moderate alcohol consumption has been linked to higher risks of conditions such as breast cancer. But some studies have pointed to potential cardiovascular benefits, including a reduced risk of stroke. Two scientific reports commissioned for the guidelines came to differing conclusions, underscoring the ongoing debate.
One source said the new recommendation may be as short as a sentence or two, while existing numeric guidelines may still be included in an appendix.
The alcohol industry, including giants like Diageo and Anheuser-Busch InBev, had feared tighter rules. Senate records show both firms lobbied lawmakers heavily in 2024 and 2025, though neither commented on the guidelines.
Some experts voiced concern that eliminating daily limits could weaken public awareness of alcohol's risks.
"The more general language is so vague as to be unhelpful," said Eva Greenthal, a senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "The message that even moderate drinking can increase risks, especially for breast cancer, would get lost."
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known teetotaler, has focused on promoting whole foods in his messaging. While he hasn't spoken much about alcohol specifically, his department's shift in tone could be seen as an unexpected reprieve for alcohol producers, at least for now.
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Canada News.Net
6 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Alcohol limit likely to be dropped from U.S. nutrition advice
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. government is preparing to revise its influential dietary advice, with a significant shift: dropping the long-standing recommendation that adults limit themselves to one or two alcoholic drinks per day, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans, expected as early as this month, are likely to offer instead a brief caution urging moderation due to health risks, without prescribing specific daily limits. Currently, the guidelines advise no more than one drink per day for women and two for men—a standard in place since 1990. However, officials involved in the update say the scientific basis for fixed limits is weak, and the goal is to reflect only the most robust evidence. Two of the sources said the new language is still under discussion and could change, and a fourth individual is familiar with the process. The shift would be closely watched, as the guidelines—jointly developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture—guide policies ranging from school meals to clinical advice and carry international influence. Neither department responded to requests for comment. Some countries have taken a more conservative approach: Canada recently warned that health risks rise after just two drinks per week. The UK recommends no more than 14 units per week. Even moderate alcohol consumption has been linked to higher risks of conditions such as breast cancer. But some studies have pointed to potential cardiovascular benefits, including a reduced risk of stroke. Two scientific reports commissioned for the guidelines came to differing conclusions, underscoring the ongoing debate. One source said the new recommendation may be as short as a sentence or two, while existing numeric guidelines may still be included in an appendix. The alcohol industry, including giants like Diageo and Anheuser-Busch InBev, had feared tighter rules. Senate records show both firms lobbied lawmakers heavily in 2024 and 2025, though neither commented on the guidelines. Some experts voiced concern that eliminating daily limits could weaken public awareness of alcohol's risks. "The more general language is so vague as to be unhelpful," said Eva Greenthal, a senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "The message that even moderate drinking can increase risks, especially for breast cancer, would get lost." U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known teetotaler, has focused on promoting whole foods in his messaging. While he hasn't spoken much about alcohol specifically, his department's shift in tone could be seen as an unexpected reprieve for alcohol producers, at least for now.
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The U.S. logged fewer than 20 measles cases this week, though Iowa announced the state's first outbreak Thursday and Georgia confirmed its second Wednesday. There have been 1,214 confirmed measles cases this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Health officials in Texas, where the nation's biggest outbreak raged during the late winter and spring, confirmed six cases in the last week. There are three other major outbreaks in North America. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 2,179 cases from mid-October through June 17. The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions. Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened 996 as of Thursday. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 2,335 measles cases and four deaths as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry. 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Fifty-five percent of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 413 cases since late January — just under 2% of its residents. The April 3 death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of 'what the child's doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.' A unvaccinated child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6. How many measles cases are there in New Mexico? New Mexico held steady Friday with a total of 81 cases. Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state's cases are in Lea County. Sandoval County near Albuquerque has six cases, Eddy County has three, Doña Ana County has two. Chaves, Curry and San Juan counties have one each. An unvaccinated adult died of measles-related illness March 6. The person did not seek medical care. How many cases are there in Oklahoma? Oklahoma added one case Friday for a total of 17 confirmed and three probable cases. The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases. How many cases are there in Arizona? Arizona has four cases in Navajo County. They are linked to a single source, the county health department said June 9. All four were unvaccinated and had a history of recent international travel. How many cases are there in Colorado? Colorado has seen a total of 16 measles cases in 2025, which includes one outbreak of 10 related cases. The outbreak is linked to a Turkish Airlines flight that landed at Denver International Airport in mid-May. Four of the people were on the flight with the first case — an out-of-state traveler not included in the state count — while five got measles from exposure in the airport and one elsewhere. Health officials are also tracking an unrelated case in a Boulder County resident. The person was fully vaccinated but had 'recently traveled to Europe, where there are a large number of measles cases,' the state health department said. Other counties that have seen measles this year include Archuleta and Pueblo. How many cases are there in Georgia? Georgia has an outbreak of three cases in metro Atlanta, with the most recent infection confirmed Wednesday. The state has confirmed six total cases in 2025. The remaining three are part of an unrelated outbreak from January. How many cases are there in Illinois? Illinois health officials confirmed a four-case outbreak on May 5 in the far southern part of the state. It grew to eight cases as of June 6, but no new cases were reported in the following weeks, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The state's other two cases so far this year were in Cook County, and are unrelated to the southern Illinois outbreak. How many cases are there in Iowa? Iowa has had six total measles cases in 2025. Four are part of an outbreak in eastern Johnson County, among members of the same household. County health officials said the people are isolating at home, so they don't expect additional spread. How many cases are there in Kansas? Kansas has a total of 79 cases across 11 counties in the southwestern part of the state, with three hospitalizations. All but three of the cases are connected, and most are in Gray County. How many cases are there in Montana? Montana had 22 measles cases as of Friday. Fourteen were in Gallatin County, which is where the first cases showed up — Montana's first in 35 years. Flathead and Yellowstone counties had two cases each, and Hill County had four cases. There are outbreaks in neighboring North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. How many cases are there in North Dakota? North Dakota, which hadn't seen measles since 2011, was up to 34 cases as of June 6, but has held steady since. Two of the people have been hospitalized. All of the people with confirmed cases were not vaccinated. There were 16 cases in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border. On the eastern side of the state, there were 10 cases in Grand Forks County and seven cases in Cass County. Burke County, in northwest North Dakota on the border of Saskatchewan, Canada, had one case. Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.? Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Health officials declared earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania over after six weeks of no new cases. Tennessee's outbreak also appears to be over. Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year. Most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles. What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine? The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don't need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from 'killed' virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don't need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have 'presumptive immunity.' Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to 'herd immunity.' But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots. What are the symptoms of measles? Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash. The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death. How can you treat measles? There's no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
