Why we are addicted to coffee

Can you absolutely not function if you haven't downed some coffee? You're certainly not alone; I would honestly rather die than never be able to drink coffee again. And did you know that we actually can't do anything about being so addicted to this delicious drink? New research shows that an addiction to coffee is partly due to our genes. 

The scientists who conducted this research found two genes that influence the amount of coffee we drink. Both genes are involved in the breakdown of caffeine in the liver. It turns out that your liver, or rather your brain, determines how much coffee you drink. Scientist Neil Caporaso says the following about this: ‘You might think: I drink caffeine to feel good or to not feel bad, but that is made possible by the speed at which your liver breaks down the caffeine. If your liver breaks it down very quickly, you drink more.’

Previous research has already shown that the amount of coffee you drink is partly genetically determined. The scientists of this study examined 47,000 people and their coffee-drinking behavior. The genes ‘CYP1A2’ and ‘AHR’ turned out to be closely related to coffee consumption. I have honestly never heard of these genes, but apparently we all have these genes; for some, they are just a bit more active than for others. People with the most active variant drink up to 40 milligrams more caffeine than those with the least active variant.

Yes, you read that right: our DNA is to blame, and there's nothing we can do about it. I just have very active CYP1A2 and AHR genes, and that's why I'm addicted to coffee. By the way, there's nothing wrong with that, because it has also been scientifically proven that coffee is good for us. eens wetenschappelijk bewezen.