Two recent analyses are being used to shape the upcoming U.S. Dietary Guidelines regarding alcohol consumption. The first analysis, conducted by an outside scientific review panel under the Department of Health and Human Services, found that drinking just one alcoholic beverage a day increases the risk of liver cirrhosis, esophageal cancer, oral cancer, and various types of injuries among both men and women. Women face a higher risk of liver cancer at this level of drinking, but a lower risk of diabetes. The report also found that even occasional heavy drinking negates the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption.
The second analysis, conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, supported the current recommendation of limiting alcohol consumption to two standard drinks per day for men and one for women. This analysis found that moderate drinking was linked to fewer heart attack and stroke deaths, as well as fewer deaths overall, compared to no drinking. However, some experts believe that the harms of moderate drinking, particularly the risk of cancer, have been understated.
The U.S. Surgeon General recently called for labeling alcohol with cancer warnings similar to those on cigarettes, citing mounting scientific evidence. The report issued on Tuesday found that any amount of alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of seven types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, and liver cancer.
Both men and women are vulnerable to the health risks associated with alcohol consumption, but women are more likely to develop alcohol-related cancers. The report emphasized that the risk of dying from alcohol use begins at low levels of average consumption and increases with higher levels of drinking.
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It is important to note that these analyses will be used to inform the upcoming U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which are set to be updated this year. The final guidelines will ultimately determine the recommended limits for alcohol consumption for both men and women.
