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DNA could decide whether you like coffee or tea

Coffee or Tea - Level 0

Our DNA affects whether we like coffee or tea. Researchers studied how our DNA did this. The researchers said people who like bitter tastes are more likely to drink coffee. People who are sensitive to the bitter taste of caffeine will drink coffee. They will also drink more coffee than people who are not sensitive to caffeine.

Researchers looked at data on more than 400,000 people. They said other things can also affect our taste, not just DNA. A researcher said our environment, social factors or medicine can change our taste. He said we can even learn to like or enjoy bitter-tasting food and drink.

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Coffee or Tea - Level 1

Research says our DNA affects whether we prefer coffee or tea. Researchers studied how our DNA did this, and why we like some things more than others. The researchers said people who like bitter tastes are more likely to drink coffee. People who are more sensitive to the bitter taste of caffeine are more likely to prefer coffee. They were also more likely to drink more coffee than people who were not so sensitive to caffeine.

Researchers looked at data on more than 400,000 people. They also looked at the tastes of 1,757 twins and their brothers and sisters. They said other things can also affect our taste, like our environment, social factors or medicine. One researcher said: "Bitter taste...is shaped not only by [DNA], but also environmental factors. Even though humans naturally dislike bitterness, we can learn to like or enjoy bitter-tasting food."

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Coffee or Tea - Level 2

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New research says that DNA helps decide whether we prefer coffee or tea. Researchers from a university in Australia studied how our DNA affected our taste and why we like some things more than others. The researchers think they know why some of us prefer coffee while others like tea. People who like bitter tastes are more likely to drink coffee. People who are more sensitive to the bitter taste of caffeine are more likely to prefer coffee to tea. They were also more likely to drink more coffee than those who were not so sensitive to caffeine.

Researchers looked at data on more than 400,000 people. They also looked at a study that compared the tastes of 1,757 twins with their siblings. DNA is not the only thing affecting people's tastes. Other things like our environment, social factors or the effects of medicine can also affect our taste. One researcher said we can learn to like coffee. He said: "Bitter taste...is shaped not only by [DNA], but also environmental factors. Even though humans naturally dislike bitterness, we can learn to like or enjoy bitter-tasting food after being exposed to environmental factors."

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Coffee or Tea - Level 3

New research suggests that our DNA helps us to decide whether we prefer coffee or tea. Researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia studied how our genes affected our taste and why we like some tastes more than others. Following the research, researchers believe they know why some of us prefer coffee while others like tea more. The researchers found that people who like more bitter tastes are more likely to drink coffee. The researchers said they found something strange in their research. People who were more sensitive to the bitter taste of caffeine were more likely to prefer coffee to tea. They were also more likely to drink more coffee than those who were not so sensitive to caffeine.

Researchers looked at data on more than 400,000 men and women in the United Kingdom. They also looked at an Australian study that compared the tastes of 1,757 twins with their siblings. The researchers said genes aren't the only factors affecting people's tastes. Other things like our changing environment, social factors or the effects of taking medicine can also turn us on or off coffee or tea. The researchers said we can learn to like coffee. Dr Liang-Dar Hwang said: "Bitter taste perception is shaped not only by genetics, but also environmental factors. Even though humans naturally dislike bitterness, we can learn to like or enjoy bitter-tasting food after being exposed to environmental factors."

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