Recently, we have learned that chips are addictive, and now scientists have prepared another blow. Researchers found out that the taste of beer itself causes chemical reactions in the brain which can lead to addiction. This effect is particularly strong on people with an inherited predisposition to alcoholism.
This has been discovered after a study conducted by a team of scientists from the Indiana University School of Medicine led by David Kerekena. They found out that even a small amount of beer in the brain causes the release of dopamine responsible for the feeling of pleasure.
The study involved 49 male volunteers, who were allowed to taste their favorite beer for 15 minutes. The amount of the alcohol drunk was so small that it could not cause a change in the level of alcohol in the blood. However, having scanned the brains of the subjects, the researchers noticed a significant increase in the amount of dopamine compared to that after drinking plain water or soda.
The lead author of the study David Kerekena comments that this is the first experiment on humans, which showed that the taste of alcoholic beverages could cause dopamine activity in the centers of the brain responsible for feelings of reward and pleasure.
