Evaluating the association between alcohol sweetness preference, alcohol harm, and alcohol value.

Abstract

Alcohol use disorder is prevalent, and various risk factors inform drinking onset and drinking patterns. Existing data suggest that alcohol sweet taste preference may be associated with harmful levels of alcohol use and alcohol-related harm. The present exploratory study aimed to characterize people's first alcohol use experience, probe the association between sweet taste preferences and drinking patterns over time, and evaluate the relationship between sweet taste preferences and behavioral economic variables. Participants (N = 277) were recruited through Prolific and completed an assessment of first alcohol exposure, current and historic drinking patterns, alcohol demand, and delay discounting. Participants reporting preference for less sweet alcohol beverages consumed the most drinks per week both currently and during their period of the heaviest use. Trends emerged such that rank order decreases in alcohol consumption were observed from those reporting transitioning from sweet to less sweet preference, then less sweet to sweet preference, and finally consistent sweet taste preference reporting the lowest consumption. Similar associations were observed for alcohol use disorder symptoms counts and alcohol demand intensity. These data broadly suggest that sweet taste preferences in alcohol consumption may serve as an important factor modulating patterns of alcohol use across the lifespan. In terms of translational implications, these data suggest that commonly used sucrose fades in preclinical research may reflect the trend in taste preferences of the majority of the population but do not mirror the typical onset (or course) of chronic, maladaptive drinking behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).