Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alcohol and Taste Intensity

  • Published:
Chemosensory Perception

Abstract

Introduction

Although most US adults drink alcoholic beverages, little is known about the association between drinking and taste. We hypothesized that the ability to distinguish differing intensities of bitter and salt solutions would be poorer among drinkers than nondrinkers.

Methods

We used cross-sectional data from 4990 participants aged 40+ from a large, national survey of the US population (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2012–2014). The validated generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) was used to rate participants’ perception of the intensities of a series of bitter (1 mM quinine) and salt (0.32 M and 1 M NaCl) solutions. Statistical analyses, weighted to produce nationally representative estimates, were adjusted for factors including race/ethnicity, education, marital status, income, body mass index (BMI), smoking, physical activity, self-reported health status, diabetes, depression, and use of medications known to affect taste.

Results

In adjusted analyses, ability to distinguish intensity of a salt solution (0.32 M) was poorer among older (aged 60+) female current drinkers than their nondrinking counterparts (p = 0.001). Ability was also poorer among drinkers who consumed wine in the past 24 h compared to drinkers who consumed no alcohol during that time (p = 0.016). Ability to distinguish different intensities of the bitter solution was poorer among more frequent wine consumers (p = 0.034).

Conclusions

We found few significant associations. However, the result for older women is potentially interesting given recent increases in drinking within that population.

Implications

Taste is a novel consideration in research on alcohol consumption. We encourage further exploration in this area.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen AL, McGeary JE, Hayes JE (2014) Polymorphisms in TRPV1 and TAS2R associate with sensations from sampled ethanol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 38:2550–2560

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bartoshuk LM, Duffy VB, Green BG, Hoffman HJ, Ko CW, Lucchina LA, Marks LE, Snyder DJ, Weiffenbach JM (2004) Valid across-group comparisons with labeled scales: the gLMS versus magnitude matching. Physiol Behav 82:109–114

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bartoshuk LM, Catalanotto F, Hoffman H, Logan H, Snyder DJ (2012) Taste damage (otitis media, tonsillectomy and head and neck cancer), oral sensations and BMI. Physiol Behav 107:516–526

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beckett EL, Duesing K, Boyd L, Yates Z, Veysey M, Lucock M (2017) A potential sex dimorphism in the relationship between bitter taste and alcohol consumption. Food Funct 8:1116–1123

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Breslow RA, Castle I-J, Chen C, Graubard B (2017) Trends in alcohol consumption among older americans: National Health Interview Surveys, 1997-2014. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 14:976–986

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2013) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, taste and smell examination component manual. National Center for Health Statistics. Available at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/2013-2014/manuals/Taste_Smell.pdf. Accessed 01 June 2017

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2014) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2012–2012 data documentation, codebook, and frequencies: taste & smell (CSX_G_R). National Center for Health Statistics. Available at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/Nchs/Nhanes/limited_access/CSX_G_R.htm. Accessed 01 June 2017

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016a) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013–2014 data documentation, codebook, and frequencies: taste & smell (CSX_H). National Center for Health Statistics. Available at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/Nchs/Nhanes/2013-2014/CSX_H.htm. Accessed 01 June 2017

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016b) NHANES 2012–2012 non-public data. National Center for Health Statistics. Available at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/Search/DataPage.aspx?Component=Non-Public&CycleBeginYear=2011. Accessed 23 June 2017

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2017) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. National Center for Health Statistics. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm. Accessed 01 June 2017

  • Coldwell SE, Mennella JA, Duffy VB, Pelchat ML, Griffith JW, Smutzer G, Cowart BJ, Breslin PA, Bartoshuk LM, Hastings L, Victorson D, Hoffman HJ (2013) Gustation assessment using the NIH toolbox. Neurology 80:S20–S24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duffy VB, Davidson AC, Kidd JR, Kidd KK, Speed WC, Pakstis AJ, Reed DR, Snyder DJ, Bartoshuk LM (2004a) Bitter receptor gene (TAS2R38), 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) bitterness and alcohol intake. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 28:1629–1637

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duffy VB, Peterson JM, Bartoshuk LM (2004b) Associations between taste genetics, oral sensation and alcohol intake. Physiol Behav 82:435–445

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer ME, Cruickshanks KJ, Schubert CR, Pinto A, Klein BE, Klein R, Nieto FJ, Pankow JS, Huang GH, Snyder DJ (2013) Taste intensity in the beaver dam offspring study. Laryngoscope 123:1399–1404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guinard JX, Zoumas-Morse C, Dietz J, Goldberg S, Holz M, Heck E, Amoros A (1996) Does consumption of beer, alcohol, and bitter substances affect bitterness perception? Physiol Behav 59:625–631

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman HJ, Rawal S, Li CM, Duffy VB (2016) New chemosensory component in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES): first-year results for measured olfactory dysfunction. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 17:221–240

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Intranuovo LR, Powers AS (1998) The perceived bitterness of beer and 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) taste sensitivity. Ann N Y Acad Sci 855:813–815

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keast RSJ, Roper J (2007) A complex relationship among chemical concentration, detection threshold, and suprathreshold intensity of bitter compounds. Chem Senses 32:245–253

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Korn EL, Graubard BI (1999) Analysis of health surveys. John Wiley & Sons inc, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lanier SA, Hayes JE, Duffy VB (2005) Sweet and bitter tastes of alcoholic beverages mediate alcohol intake in of-age undergraduates. Physiol Behav 83:821–831

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu G, Zong G, Doty RL, Sun Q (2016) Prevalence and risk factors of taste and smell impairment in a nationwide representative sample of the US population: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 6:e013246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livingston M, Callinan S (2015) Underreporting in alcohol surveys: whose drinking is underestimated? J Stud Alcohol Drugs 76:158–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin S, Pangborn RM (1970) Taste interaction of ethyl alcohol with sweet, salty, sour and bitter compounds. J Sci Food Agric 21:653–655

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller RG (1966) Simultaneous statistical inference. Springer

  • Murphy C, Withee J (1986) Age-related differences in the pleasantness of chemosensory stimuli. Psychol Aging 1:312–318

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nolden AA, Hayes JE (2015) Perceptual qualities of ethanol depend on concentration and variation in these percepts associates with drinking frequency. Chemosens Percept 8:149–157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nolden AA, McGeary JE, Hayes JE (2016) Differential bitterness in capsaicin, piperine, and ethanol associates with polymorphisms in multiple bitter taste receptor genes. Physiol Behav 156:117–127

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pickering GJ, Simunkova K, DiBattista D (2004) Intensity of taste and astringency sensations elicited by red wines is associated with sensitivity to PROP (6-n-propylthiouracil). Food Qual Prefer 15:147–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prescott J, Swain-Campbell N (2000) Responses to repeated oral irritation by capsaicin, cinnamaldehyde and ethanol in PROP tasters and non-tasters. Chem Senses 25:239–246

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rawal S, Hoffman HJ, Honda M, Huedo-Medin TB, Duffy VB (2015) The taste and smell protocol in the 2011-2014 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES): test-retest reliability and validity testing. Chemosens Percept 8:138–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schiffman SS (1997) Taste and smell losses in normal aging and disease. JAMA 278:1357–1362

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • StataCorp (2015) Stata Statistical Software: release. StataCorp LP, College Station, p 14

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. I-Jen P. Castle for her support during initial analyses. We would also like to thank the NCHS RDC staff for their assistance in accessing restricted NHANES data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Grace I. Ng & Rosalind A. Breslow

  2. CSR, Incorporated, 901 N. Stuart Street, Suite 904-A, Arlington, VA, 22203, USA

    Chiung M. Chen

  3. National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA

    Barry I. Graubard

  4. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Howard J. Hoffman

Author notes

  1. Rosalind A. Breslow: Retired, formerly with National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health.

    Authors
    1. Grace I. Ng
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    2. Chiung M. Chen
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    3. Barry I. Graubard
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    4. Howard J. Hoffman
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    5. Rosalind A. Breslow
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    Ethics declarations

    Data collection for NHANES is approved by the NCHS Research Ethics Review Board (ERB). Analysis of de-identified data from the survey is exempt from federal regulations for the protection of human research participants.

    Funding

    Computer programming and statistical support were provided through the Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System funded by contract HHSN275201300016C from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The NIAAA reviewed and approved this report before submission. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and not necessarily those of NIAAA. They also do not necessarily represent the views of the RDC, the NCHS, or the CDC.

    Conflict of Interest

    The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

    Ethical Approval

    All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Additionally, our study did not collect data. We performed secondary analyses of NHANES restricted data previously collected by and obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Research Data Center (RDC). To access the data, we were required to submit a detailed proposal, which required ethical approval by the RDC.

    Informed Consent

    Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants by NHANES. As stated by the NCHS, “Health information collected in the NHANES is kept in strictest confidence. During the informed consent process, survey participants are assured that data collected will be used only for stated purposes and will not be disclosed or released to others without the consent of the individual or the establishment in accordance with section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242 m)”.

    Additional information

    Publisher’s Note

    Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

    Electronic Supplementary Material

    ESM 1

    (DOCX 243 kb)

    Rights and permissions

    Reprints and permissions

    About this article

    Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

    Cite this article

    Ng, G.I., Chen, C.M., Graubard, B.I. et al. Alcohol and Taste Intensity. Chem. Percept. 12, 90–99 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12078-019-09262-y

    Download citation

    • Received:

    • Accepted:

    • Published:

    • Issue Date:

    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12078-019-09262-y

    Keywords

    Search

    Navigation