A study commissioned by the United States government in the Joe Biden administration that concluded that even moderate alcohol consumption offers no health benefits and increases the risk of death from causes attributable to alcohol was finally published this Tuesday in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, after President Donald Trump's administration decided not to incorporate it into federal dietary guidelines.

According to the researchers, after years of work they were informed in 2025 that the administration did not plan to publish the results. Various project participants indicated that the influence of the alcohol industry would have contributed to this decision, although the government rejects that the report has been “archived.”

The study concluded that “no protective effect of alcohol consumption was observed, even at low levels” and estimated that a risk of one alcohol-attributable death per thousand people is achieved with approximately seven drinks per week in both men and women. In addition, he warned that the risk increases sharply as consumption grows.

The authors also noted that when intake rises to 14 drinks per week the lifetime risk of alcohol-attributable mortality increases to approximately one in 25 people.

In a statement related to the research, the scientists said: “The results also support modifying the US Dietary Guidelines to recommend that adults who currently consume alcohol limit their intake to one drink or less per day.”

The publication coincides with growing scientific evidence that questions the supposed cardiovascular benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. In 2023, the World Health Organization maintained that “there is no safe amount of alcohol consumption,” arguing that even levels considered light or moderate contribute significantly to illnesses and deaths related to this substance.

However, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rejected reports that the study had been hidden. Spokeswoman Emily Hilliard stated: "Any characterization that the study was 'shelved' is inaccurate. HHS and USDA reviewed the study along with the broadest body of scientific evidence available and followed the established process to develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030. The guidelines are based on the entire scientific record, not a single report or analysis."

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, released earlier this year, eliminated specific daily limits on alcohol consumption and simply recommended that people “consume less alcohol to improve their overall health,” while also reminding that certain groups, such as pregnant women or people taking medications incompatible with alcohol, should avoid it altogether.

This change represented a less specific stance compared to previous versions, which advised a maximum of two drinks a day for men and one for women. The update was the subject of debate among specialists and medical organizations.

The alcoholic beverage industry responded with strong criticism. Amanda Berger, vice president of science and research at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, said that “this study was the subject of a Congressional investigation that concluded that it was the product of a flawed, opaque and biased process, with researchers pursuing a predetermined outcome based on personal ideologies and not objective science.”

Berger was referring to a report promoted by Republican Congressman James Comer, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in which the study's methodology was questioned and it was argued that it sought to support in advance the conclusion that no amount of alcohol is safe.

The publication of the report is important because it reopens the debate on the formulation of public health and nutrition policies in the United States, as well as on the role that scientific evidence and pressures from different economic sectors play in the development of official recommendations.

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