About Coffee

If you struggle to get through the day without a constant supply of coffee or tea, it may be down to more than just personal taste. Research shows some of us inherit genes which make us more reliant on caffeine. 　　rnThose with the ‘caffeine addict’ genes need to drink more coffee or tea to get the same buzz. This could also help to explain why chocolate is more irresistible to some than others. 　　rnThe intriguing finding comes from a U.S. study scrutinising the DNA and diets of 45,000 people, one of the first to examine links between foods and genes. This flagged up two genes associated with the high intake of tea, coffee, chocolate and caffeinated soft drinks such as colas. One – CYP1A2 – is key to the breakdown of caffeine in the liver. The other, called AHR regulates the first. Researcher Neil Caporaso said: ‘It’s been known for decades that this CYP1A2 gene is what metabolized caffeine. ‘But using new technology, what we showed for the first time is that it appears responsible for the inherited differences in how people drink coffee. 　 ‘The point is that the way we drink caffeine is not just random – it’s related to the genetic hand of cards you were dealt. ‘If you break it down more quickly, you requires more caffeine to achieve the same “buzz” or to avoid withdrawal after stopping all caffeine.’ Those who are tipped towards higher consumption drink about 40mg of caffeine more a day than others. This equates to around a third of a cup of coffee or one can of cola, the journal PLoS Genetics reports. Britons get through 70million cups of coffee a day and 165million cups of tea. Those who drink more coffee are more likely to have a gene that helps their livers break it down If you struggle to get through the day without a constant supply of coffee or tea, it may be down to more than just personal taste. Research shows some of us inherit genes which make us more reliant on caffeine. Those with the ‘caffeine addict’ genes need to drink more coffee or tea to get the same buzz. This could also help to explain why chocolate is more irresistible to some than others. The intriguing finding comes from a U.S. study scrutinising the DNA and diets of 45,000 people, one of the first to examine links between foods and genes. This flagged up two genes associated with the high intake of tea, coffee, chocolate and caffeinated soft drinks such as colas. One – CYP1A2 – is key to the breakdown of caffeine in the liver. The other, called AHR regulates the first. 　rnResearcher Neil Caporaso said: ‘It’s been known for decades that this CYP1A2 gene is what metabolized caffeine. ‘But using new technology, what we showed for the first time is that it appears responsible for the inherited differences in how people drink coffee. ‘The point is that the way we drink caffeine is not just random – it’s related to the genetic hand of cards you were dealt. ‘If you break it down more quickly, you requires more caffeine to achieve the same “buzz” or to avoid withdrawal after stopping all caffeine.’ 　 rnA cup of coffee is what millions of us rely on to kick-start the day. But new research shows that morning pick-me-up has a much more potent effect on the brain if it is taken with sugar. Scientists at the University of Barcelona in Spain found taking caffeine and sugar at the same time boosted the brain’s performance more than taking them on their own.Researchers now believe each one boosts the effect of the other on brain functions such as attention span and working memory. The findings come from brain scans carried out on 40 volunteers who were tested after they had coffee with sugar, coffee without sugar, sugar on its own or just plain water. The results, published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, suggest sugar-sweetened coffee may be the best way to prepare the brain for a busy day ahead. But it’s likely that coffee lovers who do not take sugar will get the same benefits from enjoying a sugary snack with their drink. rnPrevious studies have even suggested three cups of a coffee a day can significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, possibly by triggering a chain reaction in the brain that prevents the damage done by the disease. It’s also well known that glucose, a type of sugar, is the main fuel which brain cells need to function properly.