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. 2022 Sep 22;14(19):3925. doi: 10.3390/nu14193925

Table 1.

Summary of main conclusions.

Study Main Conclusions
Clinical and Experimental
Craving [10]
  • -

    Craving increased after offering NoLo drinks, with a significant correlation with severity of alcohol dependence.

  • -

    NoLo drinks were viewed as a good alternative to blend in at social events (used by 47% of the ex-patients after leaving treatment).

Autonomic reactivity to alcohol-related cues [11,12]
  • -

    Desire to drink: significantly higher in AUD patients receiving a real beer; significantly higher in patients with AUD receiving placebo beer vs. controls receiving placebo.

  • -
    Skin conductance level (SCL):
    • Higher in AUD vs. controls, only significant in AUD patients receiving a real beer
    • In AUD, correlation between SCL and the desire to drink
    • In AUD, a significant change in SCL was observed when they perceived an alcohol effect after the consumption.
Neuroendocrine activity [13,14]
  • -
    Participants with AUD dependence:
    • Depressed cortisol values
    • Significantly larger and more rapid glucose and insulin responses to the consumption of NoLo beer
    • Decreased plasma testosterone during the presentation of the real beer and increased after trying the placebo beer
    • Luteinizing hormone decreased during the presentation of the real beer.
Drinking restraint (particularly temptation to drink) [15]
  • -

    Consumption was positively related to the temptation to drink

  • -

    Interaction between restriction and the expected beverage: high restriction participants consumed more when they expected alcohol and less when a non-alcoholic beverage was expected, and vice versa for those on low restriction.

  • -

    The expectation of receiving an alcoholic beverage and the actual receipt of it were significantly related to subjective ratings of intoxication.

Epidemiological Studies
[7]
  • -

    Heavy drinkers tended to use NoLo drinks on top of the existing consumption of alcoholic drinks.

  • -

    HD were more likely to use NoLo drinks on specific occasions rather than as a way to cut back alcohol consumption.

Product Description/Labelling Studies
Product labeling [16,17,18]
  • -

    Significant linear trend whereby the ml of drink consumed increased as the label on the drink indicated lower alcohol strength.

  • -

    Consumption was greater when a numerical descriptor of alcohol strength was included.

  • -

    Product appeal decreased as the %ABV decreased. Products with the verbal descriptors “Low” and “Super low” had significantly lower appeal (especially if combined with no or 0% ABV).

ABV: Alcohol by volume; HD: Heavy drinkers.