Equality Comes To Alcohol Consumption

The Yakima Valley produces some of the best wines in the world and our hops flavor micro brews and major brands everywhere.  So when the guidelines for alcohol consumption change, ears in the valley perk up.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for American have said, for the past 30 years, that men should limit themselves to two alcoholic drinks per day, while women should limit themselves to one alcoholic drink per day.  On average, men are a lot bigger than women so it made sense from a body weight per alcohol content consideration.

But Yahoo News covered a new report showing there isn’t adequate evidence to support different alcohol recommendations for men and women.  (Raise a glass to equality?)

The science supports tightening up the drink limit for American men. (Put down a glass for equality?)  One of the experts on the committee that decided men should be limited to one drink per day.  One drink is defined as about one 12-ounce can of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or a shot of liquor.

Guidelines committee member Dr. Timothy Naimi, says, “As a nation, our collective health would be better if people generally drank less.”

He adds that the proposed advice, which hasn’t officially been changed yet, shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that not having a drink on Thursday means you can have two on Friday.