New dietary guidelines may finally address the unhealthy truth about alcohol.

In 1995, Marion Nestle was part of the committee responsible for drafting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Back then, experts like her handled all aspects of the process, from deciding on research questions to writing guidance on how Americans should eat. When it came time to write the guidelines, Nestle and two co-authors met at a bar, ordered glasses of wine, and got to work. At that time, the research suggested that small amounts of alcohol could reduce the risk of heart disease, and this was reflected in the guidelines.

The issue of alcohol consumption and how much Americans should consume is once again up for debate as the dietary guidelines are set to be updated and revised by 2025. There is already simmering debate over a growing body of research, conflicting interests, and controversy surrounding the report, which has been present since Nestle’s time on the committee.

The guidelines are a hot topic of discussion as experts and stakeholders prepare for the upcoming revisions. Controversial issues like alcohol consumption and its health impacts are being scrutinized as new research comes to light. The debate over how much alcohol is safe to consume remains unresolved, and it will be interesting to see how the guidelines address this issue in the upcoming revision.