Researchers have long known that your genetics influence the amount of coffee you consume. Is it just one cup or do you prefer to take eight or none at all?

A genome-wide meta-analysis of 91,462 coffee consumers was recently published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. The huge study identified some genes that may play a role in more or less coffee consumption.

Researchers found eight variants, four of which were involved with caffeine. Two genes were previously already known to be linked to coffee consumption. However, two newly implicated genes were a surprise to researchers as they had no biological link to caffeine; rather they were involved with cholesterol levels and blood sugar.

Researchers believe that identifying genes related to coffee consumption may one day help doctors identify people who need to cut down on coffee if recommended and will serve as a preventative screening for other health conditions.

 

Source: Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies six novel loci associated with habitual coffee consumption. Molecular Psychiatry. 7 October 2014.