Katharina Buczek
Are you someone who prefers sweeter coffee with a touch of sugar and creamer? Or, do you like your cup of joe straight from the pot?
Over the years, the medical benefits of consuming black coffee have taken center stage– and you may have even felt guilty for despising the way it tastes.
Well, a new study conducted by Northwestern Medicine has found that your coffee preference actually lies in your genetic makeup.
Using food and dietary preference data from U.S. and U.K. cohorts, the researchers found that people who prefer dark and bitter coffee have a genetic variant. This variant suggests they metabolize caffeine faster.
Interestingly, this same genetic variant is also common among people who favor dark chocolate compared to milk or white chocolate.
In addition, these people do not necessarily love dark coffee because of its taste. Instead, their body associates the strong flavor of plain coffee with higher mental alertness.
Marilyn Cornelis, the study’s lead author, said, “This is interesting because these gene variants are related to a faster metabolism and not related to taste. These individuals metabolize caffeine faster, so the stimulating effects wear off faster as well.”
In turn, black coffee-drinkers feel the need to drink more.
“Our interpretation is that these people equate caffeine’s natural bitterness with a psycho-stimulation effect. They learn to associate bitterness with caffeine and the boost they feel,” Cornelis continued.
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