Alcohol, coffee and tea: the genetic reason why they might taste bitter



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To know if you are genetically connected to love the taste of alcohol, you must ask yourself a question: do you think that Brussels sprouts have a bitter taste?

An author of a new study, which links our genes to our perception of bitter substances, explains that your answer to the question about Brussels sprouts will determine whether you find that the taste of alcohol is naturally – and genetically – bitter.

The Australian study, published in Scientific reports today, demonstrates that people genetically predisposed to the bitter-propylthiouracil (PROP) taste receptor – will have increased sensitivity to bitterness.

Thus, when they taste Brussels sprouts, dark leafy vegetables and alcohol, they will have an extremely bitter taste and will probably hate the original taste.

"From this study, we showed that if you had the PROP receptor, you would perceive that the alcohol was more bitter and you ended up drinking less alcohol."

The study revealed that a greater intensity of perception of PROP resulted in reduced alcohol consumption.

"After this study, we showed that if you had the PROP receptor, you would perceive that the alcohol was more bitter and you ended up drinking less alcohol," says Dr. Daniel Liang. -Dar Hwang, co-author of the newspaper, at SBS.

"It also means that you will taste the bitterness of Brussels sprouts. But if you do not have the PROP taste receiver, you will not find the bitter Brussels sprouts. "

Dr. Liang-Dar Hwang explains that culture can play a role in determining our genetic ability to own PROP receptors.

"The PROP gene, if you have some and think that Brussels sprouts have a bitter taste, has a similar prevalence in Europe and Asia.

"Overall, about 30% of people [in these regions] do not have this bitter taste receiver and 70 percent of people can have it. "

Increased sensitivity to caffeine was also linked to an increased risk of becoming a heavy drinker of coffee, consuming more than four cups of coffee a day.

The reason you prefer coffee or tea

The study, led by the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, also looked at quinine and caffeine receptors, as well as their genetic link to how we taste coffee and tea.

The researchers badyzed a genetic sample of data containing more than 1,700 Queensland residents of European origin and a second set of genetic data from 502,650 participants living in the United Kingdom, aged 37 to 73 years.

Overall, they concluded that a greater sensitivity to the bitterness of caffeine was badociated with increased coffee consumption.

Increased sensitivity to caffeine was also linked to an increased risk of becoming a heavy drinker of coffee, consuming more than four cups of coffee a day.

"Basically, if you have the genes of quinine and PROP, you have a stronger feeling of bitter taste and this is related to how you taste tea and alcohol."

The opposite was observed for tea: those who were sensitive to caffeine drank less tea. Heavy tea drinkers were also more sensitive to quinine and PROP.

"Basically, if you have the genes for quinine and PROP, you have a stronger feeling of bitter taste and this is related to how you taste tea and alcohol," says Dr. Liang. -Dar Hwang.

The findings suggest that differences in bitter taste perception resulting from genetic differences may help explain why some people choose coffee, tea or alcohol.

"Our findings reveal that bitter perception is causally badociated with the consumption of coffee, tea and alcohol, suggesting a role of bitter taste in the development of bitter drink consumption," says the author. study.

However, says Dr. Liang-Dar Hwang, a person born with a preference for coffee or a bitter aversion to alcohol can always learn to like certain tastes by being exposed to it several times.

"Do not blame your genes if you do not like coffee," he says. "Even though we have shown that there is a genetic connection between loving coffee, tea and alcohol, that's not all. Even if you have these genes, you can still learn to love different foods or drinks.

"Our tastes change over time and you can learn to love certain drinks and foods, even if your genes tell you that you hate them."

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