A new research by the Penn State University says that genetic factors influence people's alcohol consumption.
Researchers found that alcohol drinking stirred up sensations that differed among people based on their genetic makeup. This might explain why certain people avoid alcohol. The study is the first to determine whether variation in the burn receptor gene TRPV1 might influence alcohol sensations.
Past research done by the university showed that some people had more bitterness and got less sweetness from alcoholic beverages such as beer.
"In general, greater bitterness relates to lower liking and because we generally tend to avoid eating or drinking things we do not like, lower liking for alcohol beverages associates with lower intake," John E. Hayes, an assistant professor of food science at the Pennsylvania State University, said in a press release.
For the study, the researchers examined the association between variation in alcohol-related sensations and polymorphisms in bitter taste receptor genes previously linked to alcohol intake.
The team picked the two bitter receptor genes as both were previously associated to differential alcohol intake. "In contrast, variation in the burn receptor gene has not previously been linked to differences in intake but we reasoned that this gene might be important as alcohol causes burning sensations in addition to bitterness," Hayes said.
The findings of the study showed that genetic variations in taste receptors influence intensity perceptions.
"This is the first study to show that the sensations from alcohol vary as a function of genetics," Hayes noted.
The findings are published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
