THE taste of beer releases a chemical in the brain which makes people want to drink more and take other drugs, research claims.
Beer's taste, without any effect from alcohol, can trigger the production of dopamine in the brain, the study by researchers from Indiana University found.
Those with a family history of alcoholism also showed higher levels of dopamine – a neurotransmitter associated with the brain's reward and pleasure centres.
Dr David Kareken, of the Indiana Alcohol Research Center, said: "We believe this is the first experiment in humans to show the taste of an alcoholic drink alone, without any intoxicating effect from the alcohol, can elicit this dopamine activity in the brain's reward centres."
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