The connection between sucrose and alcohol is somewhat unclear. Some evidence suggests that persons with a strong preference for sugar are more likely to become addicted to alcohol. Some research also links sugar consumption to a family history of alcoholism. But science about the connection between sucrose and alcohol remains uncertain. Excess sucrose or alcohol consumption may increase your risk for heart attacks and strokes.
Alcohol and Sucrose Study
A. B. Kampov-Polevoy, a researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, led a study that found a connection between an enhanced preference for sucrose and a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. The study, published in the March 2001 issue of "Alcohol and Alcoholism," compared a preference for sucrose among 32 patients admitted for in-patient treatment for alcoholism and 25 non-alcoholic persons. Those dependent on alcohol showed a stronger preference for sucrose, with the strongest preference among the children of alcoholics.
Genetic Predisposition
Another study found little connection between alcoholism and increased preference for sucrose. Michal Wronski, a researcher at the Department of Psychiatry at the Pomeranian Medical Academy in Poland, found that alcoholics proved about as likely as non-alcoholics to prefer the taste of sucrose-sweetened water to plain water -- 62.2 percent compared to 57.6 percent. But the link proved stronger among alcoholics whose fathers were dependent on alcohol. More than 77 percent of the alcoholics with a paternal history of alcoholism preferred sweet to plain water, compared to 47.8 percent of alcoholics with no family history, according to the report published in "Alcohol and Alcoholism" in March 2007.
Sucrose and Alcohol Intoxication
If you drink alcohol with sucrose-filled mixers such as regular soda, it may slow your level of intoxication compared to mixing alcohol with diet soda or sugar-free drinks that contain caffeine. M.E. Rossheim, a researcher in the Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health at the University of Florida, led a study that compared the effects of regular soda, diet soda and caffeinated diet soda on intoxication among bar patrons. Diet cola drinks that contained caffeine were associated with the highest levels of intoxication, and sweetened mixers that contained no caffeine were associated with the lowest, according to the report published in "Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research" in May 2011.
Alcohol, Sucrose and Triglycerides
Excess alcohol and sucrose consumption may raise your triglycerides, a type of fat that tends to clog your arteries, increasing your risk for developing cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association recommends that women and men older than 50 consume no more than two alcoholic beverages daily. Men under 50 should drink no more than two. You should also limit your consumption of foods and beverages that contain added sugar to 5 percent to 10 percent of your daily calories, which is about 100 to 200 calories, based on a diet of 2,000 calories a day.
References
- "Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research"; Artificial Sweeteners, Caffeine, and Alcohol Intoxication in Bar Patrons; M.E. Rossheim and D.L.Thombs; May 2011
- "Circulation"; Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association; Michael Miller, MD, FAHA, et al.; April2011
- "Alcohol and Alcoholism"; Perceived Intensity and Pleasantness of Sucrose Taste in Male Alcoholics; Michal Wronski, et al.; March 2007
- "Alcohol and Alcoholism"; Sweet Liking and Family History of Alcoholism in Hospitalized Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Patients; A. B. Kampov-Polevoy, et al.; March 2001
