A recent study, summarized in ScienceDaily for July 10, 2013, and to be published in the December 2013 issue of the Journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research,
suggests that pathways in the brain that respond to ingestion of sweets
may be the same as those activated by ingestion of alcohol. The study
found that individuals with binge drinking patterns (drank more than
just a few) have an intense brain response to sweets. One of the authors
of the study explained the background important to understanding the
implications of the current study:
"It
has long-been known that animals bred to prefer alcohol also drink
considerably greater quantities of sweetened water than do animals
without this selective breeding for alcohol preference. More recently,
it has become clear that animals bred to prefer the artificial
sweetener, saccharin, also drink more alcohol. Although the data in
humans are somewhat more variable, some studies do show that alcoholics,
or even non-alcoholics with a family history of alcoholism, have a
preference for unusually sweet tastes. Thus, while the precise reasons
remain unclear, there does seem to be significant evidence suggesting
some link between the rewarding properties of both sweet tastes and
alcohol. This is the first study to examine the extent to which regions
of the brain's reward system, as they respond to an intensely sweet
taste, are related to human drinking patterns.”
The
researchers summarized: "In a more practical sense, the findings are
compelling evidence that the brain response to an intensely sweet taste
may be used in future research to test for differences in the reward
circuits of those at risk for alcoholism.”
As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 06/10/2013.
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