The US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services may redefine the moderate alcohol consumption in its federal Dietary Guidelines as an average daily intake of up to one drink for women and two for men, with no more than three drinks for women in one day and four for men and though the change is not significant it is important marker for future research.
U.S. Dietary Guidelines are changed every 5 years based on the scientific research and are carried out under a mandate from the US Congress. Before issuing the formal guidelines, a committee of outside experts meets to discuss the changes that have taken place during the previous five years and recommends any changes accordingly. The 13-member committee reviewed the guidelines and released their report on June 15. Any comments from public till July 15 will be considered according to the news story and the modified Guidelines will be issued by the year-end.
The upper limited of defining moderate level of alcohol intake hasn't changed since 1990- two glasses of wine or other alcohol per day for men and one for women. But the advisory committee for the 2010 guidelines recommends defining 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.
That word average to be inserted in the Guidelines is significant since it has the potential to influence the focus of future research on the ways and patterns of alcohol consumption.
The Guidelines issued in 1990 version included a statement that alcohol had no net health benefit. However in 1995, the guidelines refrained from labeling alcohol as no-health benefit since the research during this period indicated that alcohol caused reduced risk of heart disease. Subsequent versions have confirmed the earlier findings but have also cautioned against the increase risk of breast and colon cancers.
The panel took note of the fact that most people don’t drink regularly one or two drinks a day. A drink a day might mean to be taken as seven in a week-all taken on day and that would be dangerous. An average of one drink a day might mean seven on Friday. That can complicate data to make a recommendation for a responsible daily use of alcohol. Therefore, the proposed new wording of the recommendation is meant to reflect an average over a week or month.
delWine continues to recommend two glasses of wine for men and one glass for women in India-as before, preferably red wine with food. A controversial study conducted by AIIMS had indicated that alcohol had negatives for Indians even with a glass of alcohol. It is our reasoning that the study was done on people drinking alcohol and wine was not segregated. Hence, only wine should be fine. Editor
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