Scientists have discovered what many people may already suspect, drinking alcohol does make us feel good. Apparently it releases endorphins into the the brain producing feelings of pleasure and reward. Researchers used something called PET imaging to observe the effects of alcohol in the brains of 13 heavy drinkers and compared these to 12 control subjects who were not heavy drinkers. It found that drinking alcohol led to a release of endorphins in all of those taking part with the heavy drinkers having greater feelings of pleasure. it is thought the greater feeling of reward felt by the heavy drinkers ultimately encourage them to drink more and may cause them to drink too much.
