Alcohol limit likely to be dropped from U.S. nutrition advice
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Mayors, doctor groups sue over Trump's efforts to restrict Obamacare enrollment
WASHINGTON (AP) — New Trump administration rules that give millions of people a shorter timeframe to sign up for the Affordable Care Act's health care coverage are facing a legal challenge from Democratic mayors around the country. The rules, rolled out last month, reverse a Biden-era effort to expand access to the Affordable Care Act's health insurance, commonly called 'Obamacare' or the ACA. The previous Democratic administration expanded the enrollment window for the coverage, which led to record enrollment. The Department of Health and Human Services rolled out a series of new restrictions for Obamacare late last month, just as Congress was weighing a major bill that will decrease enrollment in the health care program that Republican President Donald Trump has scorned for years. As many as 2 million people — nearly 10% — are expected to lose coverage from the health department's new rules. The mayors of Baltimore, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio sued the federal health department on Tuesday over the rules, saying they will result in more uninsured residents and overburden city services. 'Cloaked in the pretense of government efficiency and fraud prevention, the 2025 Rule creates numerous barriers to affordable insurance coverage, negating the purpose of the ACA to extend affordable health coverage to all Americans, and instead increasing the population of underinsured and uninsured Americans,' the filing alleges. Two liberal advocacy groups — Doctors for America and Main Street Alliance — joined in on the complaint. The federal health department announced a series of changes late last month to the ACA. It will shorten the enrollment period for the federal marketplace by a month, limiting it to Nov. 1 to Dec. 15 in 2026. Income verification checks will become more stringent and a $5 fee will be tacked on for some people who automatically re-enroll in a free plan. Insurers will also be able to deny coverage to people who have not paid their premiums on past plans. The rules also bar roughly 100,000 immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children from signing up for the coverage. HHS said in a statement that the polices 'are temporary measures to immediately tamp down on improper enrollments and the improper flow of federal funds.' Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. The mayors — all Democrats — argue that the polices were introduced without an adequate public comment period on the policies. 'This unlawful rule will force families off their health insurance and raise costs on millions of Americans. This does nothing to help people and instead harms Americans' health and safety across our country,' said Skye Perryman, the president of Democracy Forward, which is representing the coalition of plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The lawsuit does not challenge the Trump administration's restriction on immigrants signing up for the coverage. The Biden administration saw gains in Obamacare enrollment as a major success of the Democratic president's term, noting that a record 24 million people signed up for the coverage, thanks to generous tax breaks offered through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. But the program has been a target of Trump, who has said it is riddled with problems that make the coverage unaffordable for many without large subsidies. Enrollment in the program dipped during his first term in office.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted, US judge says
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation's health workforce. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose granted the preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in early May. DuBose said the states had shown 'irreparable harm,' from the cuts and were likely to prevail in their claims that 'HHS's action was both arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to law.' 'The executive branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress,' DuBose wrote in a 58-page order handed down in U.S. district court in Providence. Her order blocks the Trump administration from finalizing layoffs announced in March or issuing any further firings. HHS is directed to file a status report by July 11. The ruling applies to terminated employees in four different divisions of HHS: the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Center for Tobacco Products within the Food and Drug Administration; the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families and employees of regional offices who work on Head Start matters; and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. eliminated more than 10,000 employees in late March and consolidated 28 agencies to 15. Since then, agencies including the CDC have repeatedly rescinded layoffs affecting hundreds of employees, including in branches that monitor HIV, hepatitis and other diseases. The attorneys general argued that the massive restructuring was arbitrary and outside of the scope of the agency's authority. The lawsuit also says the action decimated essential programs and pushed burdensome costs onto states. 'The intended effect … was the wholesale elimination of many HHS programs that are critical to public health and safety,' the lawsuit argued. The cuts are part of a federal 'Make America Healthy Again' directive to streamline costly agencies and reduce redundancies. Kennedy told senators at a May 14 hearing that there is 'so much chaos and disorganization' at HHS. But the restructuring had eliminated key teams that regulate food safety and drugs, as well as support a wide range of programs for tobacco, HIV prevention and maternal and infant health. Kennedy has since said that because of mistakes, 20% of people fired might be reinstated. The states who joined the lawsuit have Democratic governors, and many of the same states — plus a few others — also sued the Trump administration over $11 billion in cuts to public health funding. A preliminary injunction was granted in that case in mid-May. ___ 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.
Canada News.Net
13 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Unapproved and underground: The rise of DIY obesity treatments
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Across the U.S., a growing number of people are taking obesity treatment into their own hands — literally. From kitchen countertops to online forums, users like Missouri's Amy Spencer are part of a fast-expanding community turning to the "gray market" for weight-loss drugs. These are not FDA-approved medications, nor are they part of clinical trials. But for many, they've become the only affordable path to a treatment they believe works. Spencer, 50, injects herself weekly with self-mixed cocktails of weight-loss drugs, including some still in clinical trials. One contains tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's Zepbound. She's not part of any sanctioned study, and yet has lost 24 pounds — all for about $50 a month, a fraction of the official cost. The ingredients for her homemade doses are shipped from China and ordered online. She stores them in her fridge, measures sterile water, dissolves the powder, and injects it into her thigh or belly. "This is working so well for me. It's so easy. It's cheap," said Spencer. "I don't know what I would do without this medicine." She's one of many Americans sidestepping high pharmaceutical prices by importing active ingredients labeled "for research purposes only." Forums on Reddit and Telegram offer step-by-step guidance on sourcing, dosing, and testing. One such group, StairwayToGray, has over 21,000 Telegram members and recently gained nearly 1,000 members weekly. The appeal is clear: nearly 75 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, yet only 8 percent report having used weight-loss medications, according to KFF. Insurance coverage is still limited and typically only applies to branded drugs. The gray market filled a growing gap, especially after the FDA ordered compounding pharmacies to halt sales of cheaper, customized weight-loss meds. Imports of Chinese-made weight-loss drug ingredients surged by 44 percent in January, according to the Partnership for Safe Medicines. The group warns that it's likely an undercount, as many parcels are labeled in ways that avoid detection. Big pharma firms like Lilly and Novo Nordisk — maker of Wegovy — say the trend is both dangerous and illegal. "You're playing the role of your doctor, pharmacist, and FDA inspector," said Shabbir Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines. That danger became real for Spencer when she overdosed on a batch of a new drug combo, cagri-tirz — a mixture of tirzepatide and cagrilintide — after miscalculating the dose. She suffered days of severe vomiting and weakness. "I was an idiot," she said. "I didn't do my math." Still, she isn't deterred. A healthcare provider does not monitor her but describes the results — weight loss, improved blood pressure, reduced joint pain — as life-changing. Others like Marie, a 41-year-old "soccer mom" from the Midwest, have built community-led systems for quality control. After buying Chinese-sourced tirzepatide through Telegram, she joined a group of 52 users who pooled funds to have the batch tested. A Tennessee lab confirmed its purity. Marie even gave her husband instructions in case something went wrong. "It's an honor system," she said. "These groups are very supportive." In March, Marie helped organize testing for another batch from a different vendor. This time, 38 users shared the US$1,300 cost to verify the product. Janoshik Analytical, a Czech lab run by a former amateur weightlifter, confirmed the samples were 99.78 percent to 99.85 percent pure. Janoshik's CEO, Peter Magic, said obesity drug testing at his lab has surged, from just over 650 samples in 2023 to over 3,000 in 2024. The FDA, meanwhile, says it continues to intercept illegal shipments at ports and warns consumers against using unverified substances. U.S. lawmakers have called on the agency to take more decisive action, especially against imports labeled as "research chemicals." Yet, the movement shows no sign of slowing. Many of those involved know the risks but feel they have few options. "You shouldn't have to choose between your health and your wallet," reads the mission statement on one gray-market group's site. For now, the gray market remains a self-policed ecosystem, driven by frustration, fueled by online solidarity, and operating far outside the reach of traditional medicine.
