Coffee is a beloved beverage for many, but its impact on health has been a topic of debate. A new study sheds light on the genetic factors influencing coffee consumption and their potential links to various health outcomes. However, the results are not as straightforward as one might expect.
Genetics Play a Role in Coffee Consumption
Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and other institutions analyzed genetic data and self-reported coffee consumption from two large databases: 23andMe, with 130,153 U.S. participants, and the UK Biobank, with 334,649 British participants. They found that the genes inherited from parents do influence how much coffee a person is likely to drink.
“We had good reason to suspect from earlier papers that there were genes that influence how much coffee someone consumes,” said Abraham Palmer, Ph.D., a professor in the UC San Diego School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and one of the lead researchers on the paper. “And so, we weren’t surprised to find that in both of the cohorts we examined there was statistical evidence that this is a heritable trait.”
Health Outcomes: A Complex Picture
The second question the researchers aimed to answer was whether drinking coffee is associated with positive or negative health outcomes. The results were not definitive and varied between the two populations studied.
The U.S.-based 23andMe data showed positive genetic associations between coffee and harmful health outcomes like obesity and substance use. However, when it came to psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, and depression, the results differed between the two databases.
“Look at the genetics of anxiety, for instance, or bipolar and depression: In the 23andMe data set, they tend to be positively genetically correlated with coffee intake genetics,” said Hayley H. A. Thorpe, Ph.D., lead author on the paper from Western University in Ontario. “But then, in the UK Biobank, you see the opposite pattern, where they’re negatively genetically correlated. This is not what we expected.”
The researchers believe these discrepancies may be due to differences in how the surveys were conducted, serving sizes, and cultural norms surrounding coffee consumption in the U.S. and U.K.
“Genetics influences lots of things. For instance, it influences how tall you might be,” Palmer said. “And those kinds of things probably would play out very similarly, whether you lived in the U.S. or the U.K. But coffee is a decision that people make.”
The collaborators emphasized the need for further research to better understand the interplay between genetics and environment when it comes to coffee consumption and its potential health effects.
Additional Resources on Coffee and Genetics
Here are three additional resources you might find interesting, following up on the article you just read about coffee, genetics, and health:
- 23andMe Research Page: Learn more about the genetics research project discussed in the article, including details on participant recruitment and findings beyond coffee. (https://www.23andme.com/research/)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information: This resource by the National Institutes of Health provides a wealth of information on caffeine and its health effects, including how it interacts with the body and ongoing research . (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
- Coffee & Health: This website by the Specialty Coffee Association offers a balanced perspective on coffee consumption and health, including potential benefits and drawbacks. (https://sca.coffee/)
