© flickr & three little cupcakes
甘い味とアルコールは脳の同じ回路を活発に働かせるという。また，甘い味には痛みや抑うつ症状を軽減する効果があると報告されている。そこで，遺伝的にアルコール依存症になりやすい子供300人について，どの程度の甘さを好むか調べる研究が行われた。その結果，家族にアルコール依存症患者がいて，しかも抑うつ症状がある子供が最も強い甘さを好むことが明らかになった。研究者らは，極端に甘い味が好きな子供が成長してからアルコール依存症になりやすいかどうかについては，さらに研究が必要だとしている。（吉田素子）
New research from the Monell Center reports that children’s response to intense(1) sweet taste is related to both a family history(2) of alcoholism(3) and the child’s own self-reports(4) of depression(5).
The findings illustrate(6) how liking for(7) sweets differs among children based on underlying(8) familial(9) and biological(10) factors.
“We know that sweet taste is rewarding(11) to all kids and makes them feel good,” said study lead author(12) Julie A. Mennella, PhD(13), a developmental psychobiologist(14) at Monell. “In addition, certain groups of children may be especially attracted to intense sweetness(15) due to(16) their underlying biology(17).”
Because sweet taste and alcohol activate(18) many of the same reward circuits(19) in the brain, the researchers(20) examined the sweet preferences(21) of children with a genetic predisposition(22) to alcoholism. They also studied the influence of depression, hypothesizing(23) that children with depressive symptoms(24) might have a greater affinity for(25) sweets because sweets make them feel better.
In the study, published online(26) in the journal Addiction(27), 300 children between 5 and 12 years of age tasted five levels of sucrose (table sugar)(28) in water to determine their most preferred level of sweetness. The children also were asked questions to assess(29) the presence of depressive symptoms, while their mothers reported information on family alcohol use(30).
Nearly half (49 percent) of the children had a family history of alcoholism, based on having a parent, sibling(31), grandparent, aunt or uncle who had received a diagnosis of(32) alcohol dependence(33). Approximately(34) one-quarter were classified as(35) exhibiting depressive symptoms.
Liking for intense sweetness was greatest in the 37 children having both a positive family history of alcoholism and also reporting depressive symptoms.
(1) 強烈な (2)家族歴 (3) アルコール依存症 (4) 自己申告 (5) うつ状態 (6) 明らかにする
(7) ～に対する嗜好 (8) 根底にある (9) 家族性の (10) 生物学的 (11) 満足感がある
(12) 筆頭著者 (13) 博士 (14) 発達心理生物学者 (15) 甘さ (16) ～により (17) 生態（体質）
(18) 活性化する (19) 報酬回路 (20) 研究者 (21) 好み (22) 遺伝的素因 (23) ～という仮説を立てて
(24) 抑うつ症状 (25) ～をより強く好む (26) オンラインで発表された (27) 依存症（雑誌名）
(28) ショ糖（いわゆる砂糖） (29) 評価する (30) 摂取 (31) 兄弟姉妹（男女とも含む）
(32) ～の診断を受けた (33) アルコール依存症 (34) 約 (35) ～に分類された
