What the 2025-2026 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Should Have Said About Alcohol Use and Women

Abstract

Barbara Gottlieb

Guidelines that ignore scientific evidence and promote unproven practices, such as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy’s opposition to a mandate for the measles vaccine and promotion of unproven strategies for prevention and treatment, have an immediate impact on the public’s health. The harm from other recommendations will be measurable over time. The US dietary guidelines released January 2026 by Robert F Kennedy and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins advise people in the United States to “consume less alcohol for better overall health.” Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, conceded that while it is generally better not to consume any alcohol, he recommended that Americans consume alcohol in moderation. Making light of a serious topic, he quipped, “don’t have it for breakfast,” and highlighted alcohol’s positive role as a “social lubricant.” This vague guidance replaces the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that provide specific limits for adults of legal drinking age, defining moderation as up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men, with specific definitions for a standard drink of beer, wine, and spirits. Dr Oz rejected strict guidelines, claiming that there was “never really good data.” This retrenchment in guidelines comes at a time when US data show disturbing trends in alcohol use, especially by women. Mortality from excessive alcohol use among US women increased by 34.7% from 2016-17 to 2020-2021, while the increase for men was 26.8%. Females 12 and older are the fastest-growing consumers of alcohol in the US, with a 16% increase in alcohol use over 12 months from 2010 to 2020 and a 58% increase in high-risk drinking (>3/day and/or > 7/week). The fastest growth in alcohol- induced mortality among women was among those 25-34 – which increased 255% from 1999 to 2024.

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