Guidance on Alcoholic Beverages in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

  • What does the Dietary Guidelines say about alcoholic beverages?

    The most recent edition of the Dietary Guidelines says that drinking less alcohol is better for health than drinking more. Individuals who do not drink alcohol should not start drinking for any reason.

    If adults ages 21+ consume alcohol, it should be limited to:

    Line drawing of man
    		2 drinks or fewer in a day for a man
    line drawing icon of a woman
    		1 drink or less in a day for a woman

    How does the Dietary Guidelines define one drink?

    line drawing icon of a bottle of beer
    		12 oz of beer (5% alcohol)
    line drawing icon of a glass of wine
    		5 oz of wine (12% alcohol)
    line drawing icon of a mixed drink
    		1.5 oz of distilled spirits (40% alcohol)

    Should some people not drink alcohol?

    Yes. There are some adults who should not drink alcohol, such as:

    • People who are pregnant
    • Anyone younger than the legal drinking age
    • People who have certain medical conditions
    • People who are taking certain medications that can interact with alcohol
    • People who are recovering from an alcohol use disorder or are unable to control the amount they drink 

    Get more details at DietaryGuidelines.gov and read the alcohol recommendations in the current edition. 

  • How and when will alcohol guidance in the Dietary Guidelines be updated?

    The Dietary Guidelines is updated every five years, as required by law. Each update provides advice about healthy eating patterns to promote health and prevent disease.

    Since when?

    Guidance on the consumption of alcoholic beverages has been included in the Dietary Guidelines since the first edition in 1980. 

    By whom?

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

    Informed by what?

    Science. Independent panels of scientists review the full body of evidence and current research to inform updates. 

    When is the next update?

    The next edition of the Dietary Guidelines will be released in 2025.

  • What stage is the process in now?

    To inform the guidance on alcoholic beverages in the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines, two expert groups used two distinct approaches to review the body of research on alcohol consumption. Each scientific review resulted in a report with findings, not recommendations, on alcohol consumption. The reports are available on their respective study pages:

    At the same time, the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reviewed the scientific evidence on a broad range of nutrition and health topics outside of alcohol. You can read its report on the Scientific Report page.

    Why did two expert groups review alcohol?

    Alcoholic beverages and health is a high priority topic area and the studies were complementary. One expert group was supported by a federal workgroup and the other by a non-federal group.

    HHS and USDA have a long history of collaborating across the federal government to avoid duplication of efforts and leverage scientific expertise to inform the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Congress funded the study that was carried out by the expert group external to the federal government.

    What’s next?

    The public was invited to provide input on the two reports from January 15 to February 14, 2025. These reports, federal input, and the public comments received will be considered by HHS and USDA as the two departments work together to develop guidance on alcoholic beverages in the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

  • How can I get involved?

    The two complementary reports on the relationship between alcohol and health will help to inform HHS and USDA as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030. The public was invited to provide comments on these report findings for HHS and USDA to consider along with the report findings and federal input as they work together to develop the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines. The comment period is now closed. You can read the comments submitted to the departments by visiting our page on regulations.gov. You can also sign up to receive email updates to stay up to date with information related to the Dietary Guidelines.

    How long was comment period open?

    A 30-day public comment period was open from January 15 to February 14, 2025.

    Where can I find the two reports on alcoholic beverages and health?

    The reports are available on their respective study pages: