The science is clear that heavy drinking is bad for you. It raises the risk for many conditions including heart and liver disease and over half a dozen types of cancer, resulting in some 178,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. The more a person drinks, the greater the risk. But what about moderate drinking? Is a drink or two a day good or bad for you?

According to a recent study from the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking, having as little as one drink a day is linked with an increased risk of liver cirrhosis, esophageal cancer and oral cancer. The study supports the notion that "the evidence increasingly shows that even low levels of alcohol can contribute to serious conditions.” But the National Academies' review, published in December 2024, concluded that adults who drank moderately—up to two drinks a day for men and one drink for women—had a 16% lower risk of dying from any cause compared with never-drinkers, and a lower risk of cardiovascular death.

So, which body of science is right? The Health and Human Services and Agriculture departments will consider both these reports, as well as federal input and public comment, for the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines that are coming out later this year. It will be interesting to see if the Guidelines adopt one body of science over the other and if they do, what the justification will be for doing so. Stay tuned.