Sidelined US research on alcohol's health effects published in independent journal

LONDON — A study finding that even low levels of alcohol consumption can increase health risks was published in full Tuesday in an independent journal, after a draft version was sidelined by the Trump administration, which chose not to use the federally commissioned research in shaping new U.S. drinking guidelines issued earlier this year.

The study found that the lifetime risk of dying from an alcohol-related cause was at least 1 in 1,000 for Americans who drink one alcoholic beverage per day. The risk increased significantly with higher consumption, reaching 1 in 25 for American men who consume two drinks daily.

The alcohol industry, which had lobbied against the findings, criticized the study’s methodology and argued that it was conducted by researchers biased against alcohol. On Tuesday, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said a congressional investigation concluded the research was “irretrievably flawed” and should not be used to inform dietary guidelines. The inquiry was led by Republican Representative James Comer of Kentucky, a major bourbon-producing state.

The Trump administration instead relied on a separate study from the nonprofit National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) in developing its updated alcohol guidance. That report found that moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of death from any cause.

According to a scientific report accompanying the new guidelines, a recommendation from nutrition scientists urging the government to consider both the federally commissioned study and the NASEM analysis was not adopted. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it was inaccurate to claim the study was sidelined, noting that it had been reviewed.

In early 2025, a group of six U.S. health officials had drafted a proposal to tighten alcohol consumption recommendations to one drink per day for all genders, compared with the previous guidance of up to two drinks per day for men and one for women under the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines. The Trump administration ultimately issued updated advice encouraging Americans to drink less for better health, but without specifying serving limits.

The Alcohol Intake and Health Study was commissioned during the Biden administration by the Department of Health and Human Services to inform the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A draft version was released in January 2025, with the final study published Tuesday in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

-Reporting by Emma Rumney; Editing by David Holmes and Nick Zieminski/Reuters