Caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world and used by roughly 9 out of 10 adults.
If you happen to be one of the many who can't live without a daily dose of caffeine in your diet, then you probably inherited two specific genes from your parents that are now understood to be the reason behind a person's caffeine cravings.
The results of a recent study were just published in the journal, PLoS Genetics, where researchers isolated two genes in the liver (CYP1A2 and AHR) that are responsible for the breakdown of certain chemicals including caffeine. Of the 47,341 American men and women involved in the study, those with the highest caffeine consumption were most likely to have the two genes present.
Scientists have long thought that caffeine addiction may have an inherited genetic component, but until now they were unable to isolate the genes responsible for some people's ability and desire to consume large doses of caffeine daily. In a recent interview with ABC News Dr. Neil Caporaso, a senior investigator in the study, said;
"Genetic studies have identified many associations with diseases, but very few for diet agents. It turns out that your liver, more than your brain, determines daily caffeine intake."
People who crave and consume the most caffeine do so because their bodies are able to process caffeine more efficiently. If you would like to see how much caffeine you consume daily, you can figure out your daily consumption using this extensive caffeine content database. If you consume over 300mg of caffeine a day, you most likely have inherited the two genes. It looks like we have yet another thing to blame our parents for.
Are you a caffeine addict? How much do you consume daily?
