The next time you need to run out for your second, third or maybe even fourth coffee run of the day, know that your coffee obsession may not have started with you. Craving a cup of joe (or two) can be hereditary, according to findings from new research.
Recent University of Edinburgh research finds that the amount of coffee we consume could be a genetically passed down habit.
Their study found that the need to satisfy a caffeine kick brews in a gene called PDSS2 which has the ability to break down caffeine, causing it to stay in the body longer.
Those with this specific DNA variation tend to consume fewer cups of coffee than people without it and the people who carried the variation on average have around one more cup of coffee per day than those who do not.
WANT MORE FROM ESSENCE? Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest in hair, beauty, style and celebrity news.
To test out the theory, scientists used 1,200 people living in Italy and 1,700 people in Netherlands in a study group and discovered similar findings.
Even though people in Italy tend to drink small cups of espresso which ensures a more intense consumption of coffee, versus people in the Netherlands who drink larger cups in a day, the answer to their addiction is embedded in their genes.
Hmm…