Objective: Previous research has found that alcoholics have a greater prefe
rence for sweet solutions than comparison subjects. This study tested the h
ypothesis that preference for sweet solutions is a marker for alcoholism ri
sk.
Method: A total of 122 nonalcoholic subjects (59 men) participated. Fifty-e
ight subjects had a paternal history of alcoholism, and 64 did not. Each su
bject rated a series of sucrose solutions for intensity of sweetness and de
gree of preference.
Results: Subjects were able to rate accurately the relative intensity of sw
eetness in the sucrose solutions. Both subjects with and those without a pa
ternal history of alcoholism preferred a 0.42-M sucrose solution, irrespect
ive of gender.
Conclusions: This study failed to support the hypothesis that sweet prefere
nce is a marker of alcoholism risk. The sweet preference observed previousl
y among alcoholics may be a consequence of chronic alcohol consumption or o
ther factors associated with heavy drinking.