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How come we’re not surprised by this?
A recent study led by David Kraken of Indiana University is suggesting what we at American Craft Beer.com have long suspected: that even the slightest taste of beer can trigger a rush of chemical pleasure in the brain.
Many of us may have already experienced the phenomenon detailed by Joseph Stromberg for Smithsonian.com. You’re out having an afternoon beer with friends and even before the alcohol hits your stomach, you’re struck by a pleasurable sensation. It’s way too soon to attribute this change to oncoming intoxication. If anything, this pleasant feeling is a precursor to that. And if David Kraken’s study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology is true, that distinct feeling of pleasure that you’re feeling may be due to tangible changes in your brain chemistry brought on by increased levels of dopamine being released.
Dopamine is a common neurotransmitter that we make and release. Lots of things, including drugs, sex, and sleep can cause dopamine levels to rise and bring on feelings of distinct pleasure. Stromberg writes that scientists “have long known that part of the reason alcohol induces pleasure is that intoxication leads to the release of dopamine,” and he goes on to report that “new research suggests that, for some people, intoxication isn’t necessary; Simply the taste of beer alone can provoke a release of the neurotransmitter within minutes.”
(ACB’s antioxident depleted Tom Bobak at the 2018 CBC)
Again, we’re not surprised.
The Indiana University study that led to these findings monitored 49 men who were all given tiny amounts of beer and tracked for changes in their brain chemistry using a PET scanner. The participants varied as to the degree of their alcohol consumption. Some had a history as heavy drinkers, while others drank only occasionally. And because the beer was served using an automated spray administered to the participants’ tongue over a 15-minute period, researchers could be sure that any changes in brain chemistry weren’t due to intoxication.
Stromberg goes on to detail what happened next:
The effect was significant. When the men tasted the beer, their brains released much higher levels of dopamine within minutes, compared to when the same test was conducted on the subjects at other times with both water and Gatorade. They were also asked to rate how much they “craved” a beer at several points during the experiment, and perhaps less surprisingly, their cravings were generally much higher after tasting beer than Gatorade or water.
“The amount of dopamine released per person wasn’t random,” Stromberg writes. The study also found that people “who had a family history of alcoholism showed notably higher dopamine levels after tasting beer as compared to others.” Stromberg believes these differing dopamine levels are significant, as they may be a clue to why some people are predisposed towards alcoholism.
