Scientists explain why beer improves mood

One sip of beer causes the release of the "happy hormone" in the body. This is the conclusion of American scientists.

A group of experts from Indiana University conducted a study that showed that just one sip of beer causes the release of dopamine into the bloodstream. The results of the experiment are published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

The study involved 49 adult men:

• those who drink from time to time;
• those who abuse alcohol;
• those whose parents were alcoholics;
• those whose distant relatives drank;
• those whose families did not drink.

The scientists used an automatic device that poured 15 ml of liquid into the mouths of the participants: beer, water, or an energy drink. Before and after the fluid was delivered, the participants' brains were scanned using MRI and PET.

The study found that drinking beer for a few minutes produces much more dopamine than drinking water or an energy drink. However, since the volume of beer was small, scientists did not attribute the release of the pleasure hormone to alcohol intoxication.

They also found that the amount of dopamine was higher in those participants who had a family history of alcoholism. Those who did not have alcoholics in their families had lower dopamine levels, even if they abused alcohol.

Scientists suggest that their findings may explain why people with a hereditary predisposition to alcoholism may find it more difficult to stop drinking. In their opinion, the tendency to feel pleasure from just one sip may be genetically determined.