Alcohol and Alcoholism Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 386-395, 1999
© 1999 Medical Council on Alcoholism
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PREFERENCE FOR SWEETS AND EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL INTAKE: A REVIEW OF ANIMAL AND HUMAN STUDIES
1 Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, CB# 7178; Thurston-Bowles Building, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178 and
2 Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7175, USA
Received 2 November 1998; accepted 29 December 1998
ABSTRACT
This report reviews a series of studies demonstrating a relationship between the consumption of sweets and alcohol consumption. There is consistent evidence linking the consumption of sweets to alcohol intake in both animals and humans, and there are indications that this relationship may be at least partially genetic in nature. Alcohol-preferring rats have a tendency to consume sucrose and saccharin solutions far beyond the limits of their normal fluid intake and this has been proposed to be a model of the clinical phenomenon known as loss of control. Furthermore, rats and mice, genetically bred to prefer alcohol, tend to choose more concentrated sweet solutions, compared to animals which do not prefer alcohol. Similar tendencies to prefer ultra-sweet solutions have been noted in studies of alcoholic subjects, with most alcoholics preferring sweeter sucrose solutions than do controls. Evidence also exists that those alcoholics who prefer sweeter solutions may represent a familial form of alcoholism. Finally, consumption of sweets and/or sweet solutions may significantly suppress alcohol intake in both animals and in alcoholics. Carbohydrate structure and sweet taste may contribute to this effect through different physiological mechanisms involving serotonergic, opioid, and dopaminergic functions. The possibility that there is concordance between sweet liking and alcohol consumption and/or alcoholism has theoretical, biological, and diagnostic/practical implications.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. WRONSKI, D. SKROK-WOLSKA, J. SAMOCHOWIEC, M. ZIOLKOWSKI, L. SWIECICKI, P. BIENKOWSKI, A. KORKOSZ, P. ZATORSKI, W. KUKWA, and A. SCINSKA PERCEIVED INTENSITY AND PLEASANTNESS OF SUCROSE TASTE IN MALE ALCOHOLICS Alcohol Alcohol., March 1, 2007; 42(2): 75 - 79. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. D. Le, Z. Li, D. Funk, M. Shram, T. K. Li, and Y. Shaham Increased Vulnerability to Nicotine Self-Administration and Relapse in Alcohol-Naive Offspring of Rats Selectively Bred for High Alcohol Intake J. Neurosci., February 8, 2006; 26(6): 1872 - 1879. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Lu, A. H. McDaniel, M. G. Tordoff, X. Li, G. K. Beauchamp, A. A. Bachmanov, D. A. VanderWeele, C. D. Chapman, N. K. Dess, L. Huang, et al. No Relationship between Sequence Variation in Protein Coding Regions of the Tas1r3 Gene and Saccharin Preference in Rats Chem Senses, March 1, 2005; 30(3): 231 - 240. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Mormede, A. Colas, and B. C. Jones HIGH ETHANOL PREFERRING RATS FAIL TO SHOW DEPENDENCE FOLLOWING SHORT- OR LONG-TERM ETHANOL EXPOSURE Alcohol Alcohol., May 1, 2004; 39(3): 183 - 189. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Rogowski, D. Rokicki, W. Kostowski, and P. Bienkowski RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DOPAMINE D2 RECEPTOR-ASSOCIATED RESPONSES AND OPERANT ETHANOL SELF-ADMINISTRATION IN THE RAT: A FACTOR ANALYSIS Alcohol Alcohol., July 1, 2003; 38(4): 305 - 309. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. S. Levine, C. M. Kotz, and B. A. Gosnell Sugars and Fats: The Neurobiology of Preference J. Nutr., March 1, 2003; 133(3): 831S - 834. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. C. Umhau, S. G. Petrulis, R. Diaz, P. A. Riggs, J. R. Biddison, and D. T. George LONG-TERM ABSTINENT ALCOHOLICS HAVE A BLUNTED BLOOD GLUCOSE RESPONSE TO 2-DEOXY-D-GLUCOSE Alcohol Alcohol., November 1, 2002; 37(6): 586 - 590. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Rogowski, W. Kostowski, and P. Bienkowski SUCROSE SELF-ADMINISTRATION PREDICTS ONLY INITIAL PHASE OF ETHANOL-REINFORCED BEHAVIOUR IN WISTAR RATS Alcohol Alcohol., September 1, 2002; 37(5): 436 - 440. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. A. Bachmanov, D. R. Reed, X. Li, S. Li, G. K. Beauchamp, and M. G. Tordoff Voluntary Ethanol Consumption by Mice: Genome-Wide Analysis of Quantitative Trait Loci and Their Interactions in a C57BL/6ByJ x 129P3/J F2 Intercross Genome Res., August 1, 2002; 12(8): 1257 - 1268. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. G. Tordoff, D. M. Pilchak, J. A. Williams, A. H. McDaniel, and A. A. Bachmanov The Maintenance Diets of C57BL/6J and 129X1/SvJ Mice Influence Their Taste Solution Preferences: Implications for Large-Scale Phenotyping Projects J. Nutr., August 1, 2002; 132(8): 2288 - 2297. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Bogucka-Bonikowska, A. Scinska, E. Koros, E. Polanowska, B. Habrat, B. Woronowicz, A. Kukwa, W. Kostowski, and P. Bienkowski TASTE RESPONSES IN ALCOHOL-DEPENDENT MEN Alcohol Alcohol., November 1, 2001; 36(6): 516 - 519. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. R. Kranzler, K. A. Sandstrom, and J. Van Kirk Sweet Taste Preference as a Risk Factor for Alcohol Dependence Am J Psychiatry, May 1, 2001; 158(5): 813 - 815. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. B. Kampov-Polevoy, M. V. Tsoi, E. E. Zvartau, N. G. Neznanov, and E. Khalitov Sweet liking and family history of alcoholism in hospitalized alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients Alcohol Alcohol., March 1, 2001; 36(2): 165 - 170. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Scinska, A. Bogucka-Bonikowska, E. Koros, E. Polanowska, B. Habrat, A. Kukwa, W. Kostowski, and P. Bienkowski Taste responses in sons of male alcoholics Alcohol Alcohol., January 1, 2001; 36(1): 79 - 84. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|