I’ve written about the risks of consuming alcohol several times now. Despite the fact that we have been told for decades that a little bit of alcohol can lower the risk of heart disease, there is mounting evidence that you’re better off staying away from alcohol altogether. Isabelle Cueto reports for StatNews on past government alcohol consumption guidelines tainted by the influence of the alcohol industry and new independent guidelines to be released next year.
Bottom line, the people preparing the research findings on alcohol consumption in the 1990’s were allowed to design the studies, collect the evidence and disseminate the results, allowing for alcohol-industry bias. Now, the guidelines are being updated. And, notwithstanding claims of fewer heart attacks among French people than Americans because they drank wine every day—broadcast on 60 Minutes in the 1990’s—it appears that the research was flawed; the alcohol industry was involved.
The earlier research did not take account of the people who did not drink because of an illness and other considerations. There was no reason to connect alcohol consumption with better health.
Cueto explains the tight link between politics and money, which affected the guidelines on alcohol consumption. Congress had created an independent advisory committee in the 1990’s as a result of questions about the alcohol guidelines in the 1980’s. But, it appears that the committee was far from independent. Members had ties to different food industries.
As recently as 2020, a scientific panel tried to recommend limiting sugar and alcohol intake and federal officials wouldn’t allow it. The US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture share responsibility for overseeing the recommendations on an alternating basis.
This time, a new set of committees are overseeing the process, doing independent reviews. Their results will be released in 2025. The belief among independent experts is that the committee members looking at the evidence will recognize the risk of certain cancers and other chronic diseases from any amount of alcohol consumption and likely recommend against consuming any alcohol.
Here’s more from Just Care:
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