According to an article titled "Coffee or Tea? The Answer Might Be In Your Genes" written by Nicola Davis, a genetic predisposition to perceiving the bitterness of particular substances is key in our selection of beverages. This study involves two sets of data. The first study shows that particular genetic variants are linked to the strength of perception of different tastes: one specific variant was associated with slightly higher ratings of bitterness for caffeine and another to great bitterness for quinine and a third to greater bitterness for a drug known as propylthiouracil, or prop. The team found people with a greater genetic predisposition to perceiving the bitterness of caffeine drank a little more coffee but an increase perception of the bitterness of quinine and prop were linked to a small reduction in coffee drinking. The team also found that greater perception of the bitterness of prop was linked to a lower chance of being a heavy drinker of alcohol. Their findings also lead to the conclusion that people who prefer to drink tea, drink it as it contains a lower concentration of bitter substances meaning that it might prove more acceptable than coffee to those with a heightened perception of bitterness. It has also been reported that the preference towards tea can be seen as a consequence of abstaining from coffee because our genes might have made coffee a little bitter for our palates to handle.

Nana Evison