Coffee Cravings Found a Link to Genetics: Inherited Taste or Environmental Influence?

Many people worldwide drink coffee every morning, which makes people wonder if their love for coffee comes from their genes or the places they live.

A recent study gives us new information about this. It shows that genetics and the environment both play significant roles.

Genetic Influence on Coffee Consumption

A thorough study by researchers from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry sheds light on the hereditary variables influencing coffee consumption. The group combined genetic data with information on coffee consumption reported by participants in a genome-wide association study (GWAS). GWAS identifies DNA variants and biological processes associated with certain behaviors, such as coffee consumption.

Hayley Thorpe, principal researcher and graduate researcher at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, stated that the data was utilized to identify regions of the genome associated with coffee use. She also said their goal was to identify the genes and biological mechanisms that could explain why people consume varied amounts of coffee.

Neuropsychopharmacology released the study's results, which showed a genetic predisposition to coffee consumption. This means gene variants passed down from parents affect how much coffee a person drinks.

READ ALSO: Can Coffee Prevent Weight Gain? New Research Suggests a Modest Link

Effects of the Environment on Health and Further Impacts

Researchers looked at coffee-drinking information from 23andMe in the U.S. and a bigger set of information from the U.K. Biobank. This comparison showed consistent genetic links between drinking coffee and bad health effects like being overweight and abusing drugs.

This doesn't mean that drinking coffee causes these conditions, though. Instead, they think that shared genes cause these traits.

Thorpe pointed out how complicated the results were, especially when it came to mental illnesses. In the 23andMe data set, she said there were usually positive genetic links between conditions like anxiety, bipolar disorder, and depression and how much coffee a person drank.

She did say that in the U.K. Biobank, they saw the opposite trend, where these genetic correlations were terrible. She also said, "This is not what we expected." These differences could be because people in the U.S. and the U.K. drink coffee differently. In the U.K., tea might be more popular.

A senior author from UCSD, Dr. Sandra Sanchez-Roige, voiced her interest in coffee consumption, saying that drinking too much can be harmful. She said that they wanted to learn more about why people might overdo other drugs by finding genetic variants linked to drinking too much coffee. The study also found that DNA variations that affect how much coffee a person drinks are connected to how caffeine is broken down and how it affects the body.

The study's results show that more research is needed to fully understand how coffee, drug use, and health problems in different settings are connected. A professor at UCSD named Dr. Abraham Palmer stressed that genes and surroundings significantly affect how much coffee people drink.

He said that genes have different effects on coffee drinking in the U.S. and the U.K., which shows how vital both factors are. Dr. Palmer said that changing surroundings can affect how genes affect behavior. This shows how genetic predispositions and outside factors constantly interact with each other.

The study also reveals that those with genes that increase their likelihood of drinking coffee may also be more inclined to consume other drugs, such as alcohol and nicotine. Palmer stated that the results demonstrate that the genetic variations that increase the likelihood of drug usage in some individuals also increase their likelihood of drinking coffee.

Even though these results were positive, the researchers warned against making firm health suggestions based only on genetic factors. Sanchez-Roige said their study didn't prove that drinking coffee caused these conditions, but it did show that these conditions and drinking coffee may share some biological links.

Finally, whether you consume one cup, four cups, or none, your coffee preferences are likely influenced by your genes and surroundings. This study reveals a lot about how genetics and behavior interact, opening the door to more tailored methods of understanding and controlling coffee use.

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