You may not only enjoy beer because of the alcohol. German research has shown that the compound hordenine activates dopamine receptors, stimulating the reward center in the brain.
Dopamine and Happiness
Some things make us happy. Certain foods can give us a sense of happiness even though we know we’d rather avoid them. Scientists call this hedonistic hunger, eating for pleasure rather than nourishment. This pleasurable feeling is caused by the neurotransmitter dopamine, which interacts with dopamine D2 receptors in the brain’s reward center. Researchers at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg examined 13,000 food ingredients to find out if other substances can activate these dopamine receptors like dopamine does. The compound hordenine, found in beer and malted barley, turned out to be the most successful candidate.
The fact that German researchers conducted the study takes into account potential conflicts of interest, but let’s still take the research seriously.
Virtual Nutrition
The researchers didn’t go to Oktoberfest to discover this effect of beer. To study the effects of as many substances as possible, they used the Computer Chemistry Centre of the university. This allows them to analyze a large number of nutrients using ‘virtual screening’, far more than would be possible in a lab. In fact, any known substance and its potential effects in certain conditions can be analyzed in this way.
In this manner, the researchers tested 13,000 substances to see if they fit the dopamine receptors. It’s like trying to find a key in a pile of 13,000 keys that fits the lock of your front door. Then they looked at how capable they would be in activating the dopamine receptors. Only 17 out of the 13,000 substances passed the initial screening and were further analyzed.
The most promising candidate turned out to be the compound hordenine, which is found in beer and malted barley. The fact that the sought-after substance would be found in beer was a surprise to the researchers. They weren’t specifically looking at stimulating foods at all.
Happiness through Beer
The hordenine in beer may work even better in activating dopamine receptors than dopamine itself. It activates them via a different pathway, only through the so-called G proteins. This could potentially lead to a longer-lasting effect in the brain’s reward center.
So, that could be a possible reason why beer is so appealing to some. It could also explain why some find a dad bod attractive. Perhaps it’s an indication of a happier person and a more pleasant partner. Of course, it also provides a convenient excuse to ‘have’ to go to the pub.
Before we can draw those conclusions, however, the researchers need to do some more work. It’s still not known if the amount of hordenine in beer is enough to activate the reward center. That’s what they want to find out in further research.
References
- Thomas Sommer, Harald Hübner, Ahmed El Kerdawy, Peter Gmeiner, Monika Pischetsrieder, Timothy Clark. Identification of the Beer Component Hordenine as Food-Derived Dopamine D2 Receptor Agonist by Virtual Screening a 3D Compound Database. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7: 44201 DOI: 10.1038/srep44201
