Coffee, Tea And 23andMe

For many of us, every day is “Coffee Day.”

We need no excuse to celebrate a steaming cuppa joe. But someone out there made it official several years ago, so in the spirit of International Coffee Day – September 29th—23andMe broke down the genetics behind why some of us are always jonesing for java.

People are simply genetically wired to react differently to their morning coffee. Genetics affect how you metabolize coffee and are associated with how much you consume. Genetic differences can explain why some people can chug a Venti without problem, while a few sips are enough to perk up someone else all day long.

There are health implications, but those are pretty hotly debated. Some studies show that coffee can lower risks for type 2 diabetes and some cancers. And it appears that caffeine rather than coffee may help protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

23andMe looks at a variant that affects how quickly a person metabolizes caffeine.

Research shows that slow caffeine metabolizers who also drank at least two to three cups of coffee per day had a significantly increased risk of a non-fatal heart attack. In contrast, other studies show that fast metabolizers could actually reduce their heart attack risk by drinking coffee.

Take a look at our “Genetically Wired” infographic to learn a little more about why people respond differently. If you’re a 23andMe customer, find out what your genetics say about whether you’re a fast or slow caffeine metablolizer.