The 'u'se command could serve as a unifying command for reading, eating, etc. So using an item would try to use it in the most appropriate way. This would not remove the more direct keybindings but instead supplement them.
The biggest benefit would be that newbies only need to learn one command for all kind of item interactions (and expert players can memorize the additional commands to save time).
Be careful with items that currently can be both 'U'sed and interacted by with other commands.
Examples (spoilers):
Holy water - it can be 'D'runk or 'u'sed to pour on the ground.
Beeswax - it can be 'e'aten or 'u'sed to plug them in the PC's ears.
Several herbs, e.g. moss of mareilon - can be 'e'aten or 'u'sed for various uses.
Those are the ones that come to my head right now but there might be more.
Right now, if you try to 'U'se say, a scroll of a piece of armor, the game gives messages like "try to read that scroll" or "try to equip those clothes". Why not add a hint to use the corresponding command there instead?
Right now, if you try to 'U'se say, a scroll of a piece of armor, the game gives messages like "try to read that scroll" or "try to equip those clothes". Why not add a hint to use the corresponding command there instead?