There's a genetic reason behind why you drink so much coffee

Who knew?

Ever wondered why you need so much coffee to get through the day, while others are bright and breezy with barely an ounce of caffeine in their systems? It's all down to genetics.

A recent study, published on nature.com, has found that the gene variation PDSS2 causes some people to metabolise coffee slower, and therefore need less of it. The gene is responsible for lowering caffeine cravings and the length of time it stays in your system for. Therefore, if you have it, you need less coffee than everyone else because the caffeine 'buzz' lasts longer.

Those without the gene variation metabolise coffee at a normal (and fairly quick) pace, meaning that you've barely finished your first cup of the day before reaching for a second.

Science never ceases to amaze us.

On 30th August, we wrote...

We have a lot to thank coffee for – the majority of us rely heavily on it to wake us up in the morning or give us a boost throughout the day. We’ve previously reported on the health benefits of coffee drinking, such as how it could save your liver from booze, or even reduce your risk of developing MS.

Some people, however, don’t react well to coffee drinking, and it gives them the shakes or really bad headaches when they drink it. Sound familiar?

Well if this is you, then it’s likely that your metabolism is to blame, according to author and wellness expert, Dr Michael Roizen of the Cleveland Clinic. Speaking to WJHG, he explained some of the side affects people experience if they’re more sensitive to caffeine.

'If you have a normal cup of coffee that’s filtered, eight ounces, so you drink it within an hour, and you don’t get a headache, you don’t get abnormal heartbeats, you don’t get anxiety, you don’t get gastric upset, you’re most likely a fast metaboliser' he said.

So, if you're one of those people who react badly when you drink a cup of coffee, however, it’s likely that you have a slow metabolism.

Almost nine out of ten of us are 'fast metabolisers', and so get all the benefits of caffeine when we grab a Starbucks in the morning. It’s thought that caffeine can decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes and even some forms of cancer. If you have bad reactions to coffee, though, the negative effects pretty much outweigh any possible long-term benefits. And so, it’s not really worth it.

But most of us can keep happily drinking our Starbucks knowing that we have a fast metabolism and that we’re benefiting in the health department, too. Win-win.