Dr. Oz Defends Changes to Federal Guidelines on Alcohol

Dr. Oz is defending new federal guidelines on alcohol consumption ... he says it's best to limit the booze -- but if you must imbibe, at least drink with friends and be sociable.

The head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services joined us on "TMZ Live," and we challenged him over guardrails being removed from federal guidance on alcohol.

The government's new guidelines say to "limit alcoholic beverages" ... before, the feds said two drinks max per day for men, and one for women ... and now, there are no specifics.

Dr. Oz says the 2-to-1 distinction between men and women was more about marketing than anything ... and while he says it's best to avoid alcohol altogether if you want to be healthy, he says there's no denying there are health benefits to socializing ... and he sees alcohol as a "social lubricant."

Of course, Dr. Oz says that doesn't mean folks should make alcohol part of their complete breakfast ... if they're doing that, he thinks they should be going to meetings like the ones he says RFK Jr. attends daily.

Catch the full interview on "TMZ Live."