Sweet taste preference as a risk factor for alcohol dependence.

Abstract

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. 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. 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. 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.