The passion for coffee is written in the DNA. Research involving as many as 400,000 people, led by the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia and published in the journal Scientific Reports, found that although man is programmed to associate the taste of bitterness with a potential danger, some genes make us more or less sensitive to this taste and change our preferences for coffee, tea and alcohol. We talked about it with Professor Daniela Lucini, Head of Medicine at Humanitas.
Research
The researchers, led by Jue-Sheng Ong and Liang-Dar Hwang, analyzed the genetic variants associated with the perception of three different bitter substances: propylthiouracil or Prop, also used as an antithyroid drug, quinine, which has antimalarial, antipyretic and analgesic properties, and caffeine. To assess the effects of the different perception of bitterness on the consumption of coffee, tea and alcohol, more than 400,000 people were involved thanks to the UK Biobank, a UK biobank.
Coffee or tea? The choice is made by the geniuses
Researchers found that the higher sensitivity to Prop and Quinine leads to more tea and less coffee, while a higher sensitivity to the bitterness of caffeine, due to the presence of specific genes, is associated with a greater consumption of coffee and a greater likelihood of being passionate drinkers of this drink.
As far as alcohol is concerned, instead, the research has clarified that the higher perception of Prop is associated with lower consumption, while the other two substances do not seem to have particular influences.
