Why You're Genetically Wired to (Not) Like Coffee
Wake up and smell the coffee!
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It Might Be All In Your Genes
Though much is already known about our genetic makeup, there's still a lot to learn. For example, a few recent studies about genes and coffee habits revealed some surprising information.
The world can be separated into two categories: coffee drinkers and not coffee drinkers. Sometimes people make the switch from one group to the other and find they feel better, more at ease, more like themselves. Well, there's a reason for that, actually.
The answer is in your genes.
First, some people metabolize coffee more quickly than others. This is the difference between the person who only needs one cup of coffee to feel the effects of caffeine, versus the person who needs three or four to feel truly awake and ready to attack the day. According to Marilyn Cornelis, a researcher at Northwestern University, if you metabolize caffeine quickly, it doesn't stay in your body long enough for you to feel the effects, so you need more of it. People who metabolize caffeine slowly often get the undesirable side effects like anxiety and insomnia, and are less likely to consume coffee. All this information lies in just one nucleotide of your DNA.
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The second reason you may or not like coffee is your ability to perceive bitterness. Here's the shocking part: people who are more sensitive to the bitter taste of caffeine actually drink more coffee. This is likely because their brains associate the bitterness of coffee with the caffeine buzz.
It's a classic Pavlov's dogs situation.
Bitterness perception is an inherited trait, and you guessed it—it's in our genes. So, the next time you reach for a hot cup of Joe, you'll know why you just can't get enough.
Still hungry? Check out The Best Cities for Coffee Across the USA.
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