Beer Brain Study: Taste Alone Triggers Release Of Pleasure Chemical Dopamine

A new study suggests that the taste of beer alone is enough to trigger the release of dopamine in the brain, even without the effect of alcohol itself.

Beer Brain Study: Taste Of Beer Triggers Dopamine Release

Using a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, researchers at the Indiana University observed the chemical changes in the brains of 49 men after they drank 15ml of beer and again when they tasted Gatorade, the energy drink.

The scientists found that much more dopamine activity occurred after tasting beer than after tasting the sports drink. The effect was even greater among men who had a family history of alcoholism.

Dopamine is a brain chemical associated with the pleasurable experience of consuming alcohol and other drugs.

"We believe this is the first experiment in humans to show that the taste of an alcoholic drink alone, without any intoxicating effect from the alcohol, can elicit this dopamine activity in the brain's reward centers," said Dr. David Kareken, professor of neurology at the university's School of Medicine and the study's senior author.

Published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, the beer study also revealed that people often experienced greater cravings for beer after tasting the alcoholic beverage. This did not occur after tasting the sports drink, even though many thought this tasted better than beer.