The new federal guidelines on alcohol announced on Wednesday have dropped specific recommendations on alcohol consumption, stating that instead, people should drink in moderation.

The guidelines, which are updated every five years, provide language on alcohol moderation rather than specific drink limits, as have been included in the past.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, summed up the new alcohol advice by saying "There is alcohol on the dietary guidelines but the implication is, don’t have it for breakfast.”  

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans say to "limit alcoholic beverages," a change from previous guidance that suggested U.S. adults limit consumption to two drinks or fewer per day for men and one drink or less per day for women.

Oz points out the social value of gathering for a drink, saying that building social relationships is healthy.

“Alcohol is a social lubricant that brings people together. In the best-case scenario, I don’t think you should drink alcohol, but it does allow people an excuse to bond and socialize, and there’s probably nothing healthier than having a good time with friends in a safe way,” Oz said at a White House briefing.

The new guidelines do recommend that people who are pregnant, using certain medications or have a family history of addiction should abstain from alcohol and emphasizes that consuming less booze leads to better health.

But experts including the National Cancer Institute warn that even light drinkers have an increased risk of certain cancers, including cancers of the throat and mouth, breast, liver, and colorectal cancer to name a few. Heavy alcohol drinking has been well documented to impact the heart and liver.

The American Institute for Cancer Research charges that the new guidelines ignore evidence that drinking even less than one drink a day elevates the risk of several cancers.

But Oz said that people in the Blue Zones known for their extraordinary longevity, also enjoy a drink or two with meals.  

“You look at the Blue Zones, for example, around the world, where people live the longest. Alcohol is sometimes part of their diet,” Oz said. “Again, small amounts.”

He defended the new dietary guidelines, saying that alcohol has been addressed correctly according to scientific research.

 “The general move away from two glasses for men, one glass for women — there was never really good data to support that quantity of alcohol consumption,” said Oz.