Drinking alcohol leads to the release of natural brain opioids in humans

Drinking alcohol leads to the release of natural opioids in areas of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward, according to a study led by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The finding marks the first time that release of these natural opioids in response to alcohol consumption has been directly observed in humans. “This is something that we’ve speculated about for 30 years, based on animal studies, but haven’t observed in humans until now,“ said lead author Jennifer Mitchell, PhD.