Sweet taste preference as a risk factor for alcohol dependence |
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Authors: | Kranzler H R Sandstrom K A Van Kirk J |
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Institution: | Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030-2103, USA. kranzler@psychiatry.uchc.edu |
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Abstract: | OBJECTIVE: Previous research has found that alcoholics have a greater preference for sweet solutions than comparison subjects. This study tested the hypothesis that preference for sweet solutions is a marker for alcoholism risk. METHOD: A total of 122 nonalcoholic subjects (59 men) participated. Fifty-eight subjects had a paternal history of alcoholism, and 64 did not. Each subject rated a series of sucrose solutions for intensity of sweetness and degree of preference. RESULTS: Subjects were able to rate accurately the relative intensity of sweetness in the sucrose solutions. Both subjects with and those without a paternal history of alcoholism preferred a 0.42-M sucrose solution, irrespective of gender. CONCLUSIONS: This study failed to support the hypothesis that sweet preference is a marker of alcoholism risk. The sweet preference observed previously among alcoholics may be a consequence of chronic alcohol consumption or other factors associated with heavy drinking. |
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