How your DNA influences your caffeine habits
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There are three specific genes which influence caffeine dependence, caffeine metabolism and caffeine tolerance.
Caffeine dependence: The CLOCK gene encodes our inherent circadian rhythm and the different variants of this gene separate us into ‘early birds’ or ‘night owls’.
Night owls are innately inclined to fall asleep much later at night and rise later in the day. These individuals are therefore more likely to depend on coffee for an early morning energy boost.
Your unique 3X4 blueprint will convey whether it is indeed coded into your DNA, or just a mental crutch which makes your body demand coffee at dawn.
Early birds will experience relatively less morning fatigue, but they may crave caffeine in the afternoon and struggle to work at night.
Caffeine metabolism: The CYP1A2 gene divides us into fast, moderate, or slow metabolisers of caffeine.
Fast metabolisers can casually order an espresso after dinner and still fall asleep within minutes, whilst slow metabolisers may experience insomnia if they dare to consider a sip of coffee past noon.
Caffeine clearance can vary by up to 40-fold between individuals with different gene variants!1
Although many people work out their genetic response to caffeine for themselves, there is more to this gene than just falling asleep…
Science shows that a high caffeine intake is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and high blood pressure in slow metabolisers.2 Thus, individuals with this genetic variant should limit their coffee consumption to one cup per day, regardless of the time of day.
Caffeine tolerance: The COMT gene may be to blame when two consecutive cups of coffee trigger heart palpitations, shakiness or nausea. This is the result of genetically inefficient adrenalin metabolism and may even occur in individuals who are fast metabolisers of caffeine.
Seeing that a high caffeine intake may increase levels of circulating adrenalin throughout the body, individuals with reduced COMT enzyme efficiency will be more sensitive to the adrenalin effect of caffeine.
Your genes dictate your daily caffeine limit
If your genetic profile points towards slow metabolism of caffeine or adrenalin, then restricting your intake or switching to decaf will allow you to achieve much greater levels of well-being.
On the contrary, if your gene variants are favourable on both counts, then rigid caffeine restriction would be an unnecessary health target.
Information supplied by 3X4 Genetics (distributed by Next Biosciences)
Reference:
(1) https://dna.3x4genetics.com/clinic/clinical-guide/result?url=snps%2Frs762551.html
(2) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16522833/