United States: One drink per day for women, two for men okay, dietary guidelines say
Source: Palm Beach Post
January 7, 2016
Drink up. But do so in moderation, the federal government’s new dietary guidelines released today state.
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize that adults who choose to drink should do so in moderation; reaffirm the definition of a standard drink for beer, wine and distilled spirits; and adopt the new terminology “drink-equivalents.”
Dr. Sam Zakhari, Distilled Spirits Council Senior Vice President of Science and former Division Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism stated, “Moderate and responsible beverage alcohol consumption by adults can be part of a healthy lifestyle and diet choice. As with all things, moderation is the key, and the 2015 Dietary Guidelines also make this clear.”
The 2015 Guidelines define moderate drinking for adults of legal drinking age as up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. According to the Guidelines, if consumed in moderation, alcohol “can help individuals achieve healthy eating patterns.”
The Guidelines define a standard drink – or a one drink-equivalent – as 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits, 5 ounces of wine and 12 ounces of regular beer. The Guidelines point out that each of these standard drinks contain 14 grams (0.6 fluid ounces) of pure alcohol.
Also worth noting is that for the first time, the guidelines suggest putting a cap on sugar consumption. Sugar should make up no more than 10 percent of your daily calories.
Eggs and cholesterol are off the bad list, but the guidelines recommend limiting salt.
Eating plenty of lean protein, fruits and vegetables and drinking 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day can also be part of a healthy diet, the guidelines say.
By law, the Dietary Guidelines serve as the basis for federal nutrition policy.
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, which jointly released the Guidelines, encourage healthy eating patterns to prevent chronic diseases. The nutrition recommendations serve to provide the American public, policymakers and health professionals with the information they need to make healthy choices in their daily living, including moderate alcohol consumption.