Does our genetics determine our preference for tea or coffee?

Why do some people prefer tea rather than coffee??

What does it matter if people prefer coffee or tea? Researchers now looked at how genetic factors affect taste. They found that when people genetically prefer a more bitter taste, they usually choose coffee because of the higher caffeine content.

The researchers from the University of Queensland found in their recent research that genetic factors determine whether people prefer to consume coffee or tea. The experts published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Scientific Reports".

That's why some people prefer to drink coffee

Why do some people prefer tea rather than drink while others prefer coffee? Does genetics play an important role in this decision? After considering the results of the new study, the authors support this assumption. If people are genetically predisposed to prefer a bitter taste, they prefer to drink coffee instead of tea.

Bitterness should normally warn against dangers

In the course of their development, humans have developed the ability to recognize bitterness as a natural warning system to protect the body from harmful substances. From an evolutionary point of view, people should not actually drink coffee. Normally one would expect that people who are particularly sensitive to the bitter taste of caffeine drink less coffee, say the authors of the study. However, the researchers found that study participants who were more genetically sensitive to the bitter taste of caffeine preferred coffee rather than tea. The results of the study suggest that coffee consumers are also more likely to prefer coffee because of the learned positive enhancement caused by caffeine. Such people are virtually genetically programmed to like the bitterness of coffee and associate it with good things.

More than 400,000 subjects participated in the study

More than 400,000 men and women from the UK participated in the study. In the study, the researchers found that people who are sensitive to the bitter taste of quinine and a taste associated with botanicals, prefer tea rather than coffee. The fact that some people still prefer coffee shows that everyday experiences can override the genetic tendencies of taste. Bitter taste perception is not only influenced by genetics, but also by environmental factors. Even though people do not like bitterness by nature, they can learn to like or even enjoy bitter-tasting food after being exposed to certain environmental factors. Coffee drinkers have the advantage that they are less likely to dislike other bitter-tasting foods, such as green vegetables. (As)