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| Poster #174 Genes to Glass: Role of Genetic Heritability in Alcohol Preferences and Sweetener Effectiveness |
| Ha Nguyen1, Cailu Lin1, Katherine Bell1, Amy Huang1, Alissa Nolden2, Paule Joseph3, Danielle Reed1 1Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States 2University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States 3National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States |
Sweeteners, including sucrose, are often used to reduce bitterness in alcoholic beverages, contributing to higher consumption of alcohol and sugars. However, not everyone perceives bitterness similarly, partly due to genetic variation. To better understand genetic influences on alcohol perception, intake and sweetener effectiveness, we tested genetically informative adults (twins/triplets N=219; singletons N=7) for their sensory perception (bitterness, sweetness, saltiness, burning) and liking of five ethanol concentrations (0%, 8%, 32%, 16% presented with and without 0.67M sucrose), questionnaires (AUDIT⎯Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, food liking) and saliva sample for genetic analysis. Most participants (91%) were low-risk drinkers, and AUDIT score correlated with liking of favorite alcoholic drink (R=0.38), vodka (0.38), scotch or whiskey (0.31), bitter beer (0.31), and spirit soda (0.29). Adding sucrose significantly decreased bitterness, increased sweetness, and shifted preference from dislike to like, though individual differences were large. Heritability analyses (structural equation modeling, SNP-based) showed significant heritability for the liking of 8% ethanol (h²=0.36;0.26), 16% ethanol + sucrose (0.31;0.39), and sucrose alone (0.19;0.27). Although no apparent heritability emerged for sucrose’s ability to reduce bitterness, SNP-based analysis suggested genetic influence (0.31) on sucrose effectiveness in ethanol liking. AUDIT score and reported liking of alcoholic beverages (spirits with soda, wine, margaritas/daiquiris, vodka, scotch or whiskey) were also heritable. These findings highlight that genetics partially influences the liking and intake of alcoholic drinks with and without sucrose, with potential implications for personalized dietary and intervention strategies. |