You are viewing Lehnanne Kidd's 23andMe Wellness report.

Caffeine Consumption

What makes some people caffeine fanatics, while others go easy on the java? Genetic factors help explain how much caffeine people tend to consume.

Genetics and Caffeine

Genetics

This report is based on genetic variants near two genes that play a role in how your body handles caffeine. The first gene, CYP1A2, contains instructions for an enzyme that breaks down 95% of the caffeine you consume. The second gene, AHR, contains instructions for a protein that ramps up production of the CYP1A2 enzyme. Variants in these genes may affect how quickly the body breaks down and clears away caffeine.

How does caffeine keep you awake?

Caffeine interferes with the brain system that causes sleepiness. A molecule called adenosine acts as a signal between brain cells to bring on sleepiness. Caffeine blocks adenosine's signals, making you feel more alert. This is also why caffeine can make it hard to fall asleep and interfere with deep sleep.

Does caffeine enhance performance?

It can feel like coffee makes you smarter, but some research suggests this may be an illusion. People with a daily caffeine habit may actually perform worse than other people on mental and physical tasks — that is, until they get their morning fix. As caffeine is cleared from the body overnight, daily caffeine drinkers start to experience caffeine withdrawal. This leads to worse performance until they have their morning coffee or tea, which reverses the withdrawal. Meanwhile, for people who aren't used to consuming caffeine every day, caffeine may not improve performance much, if at all.

How much is too much?

Moderate levels of daily caffeine consumption aren't associated with increased health risks and may even lower the risk for some diseases. If you consume caffeine regularly, current guidelines recommend that healthy adults limit themselves to 400 mg of caffeine per day or less. That's the equivalent of about three 12-oz cups of coffee or eight 8-oz cups of black tea. Keep in mind the exact amount of caffeine in coffee and tea — even decaf — can vary widely depending on how they're made.

Other factors that affect caffeine consumption

The genetic variants in this report are associated with a difference of up to about two thirds of a cup of coffee per day. But there are other factors that also affect how much and what types of caffeine people choose to drink:

Other genetic factors: Scientists are still discovering genetic variants that may help account for differences in caffeine consumption.

Culture and history: Caffeine has been consumed for thousands of years in the form of coffee, tea, chocolate, and mate. Coffee originally became popular in Africa and the Middle East, tea in China, and chocolate drinks and mate in Central and South America.

This report does not diagnose any health conditions or provide medical advice. Consult with a healthcare professional before making any major lifestyle changes or if you have any other concerns about your results.
Read Scientific Details

Caffeine consumption and metabolism are influenced by genetic markers near the CYP1A2 and AHR genes.

CYP1A2

AHR

The CYP1A2 gene contains instructions for an enzyme that breaks down many substances, including caffeine. This enzyme is a member of a large family of enzymes called cytochrome P450.

Chromosome 15
Gene: CYP1A2

The AHR gene contains instructions for a protein that helps regulate how certain other proteins are made. One of the proteins that AHR regulates is CYP1A2, the enzyme involved in breaking down caffeine.

Chromosome 7
Gene: AHR

You have two variants associated with consuming more caffeine.

Variants Detected
View All Tested Markers
Marker Tested
Genotype*
Additional Information

rs2472297

Gene: Near CYP1A2
Marker: rs2472297

C

Typical copy from one of your parents

T

Variant copy from your other parent
See all information
See all information
Marker Tested
Your Genotype*
  • Biological explanation
    The genetic marker we tested near CYP1A2 comes in two versions, the C variant and the T variant. The T variant is associated with consuming more caffeine. This genetic marker is located in a region of DNA that may help control how much CYP1A2 enzyme is made from the CYP1A2 gene. This marker has been studied the most in people of European descent.
  • Typical vs. variant DNA sequence(s)

    C

    Typical Sequence
    Substitution

    T

    Variant Sequence
  • Percent of 23andMe customers with variant
    Variant: T
    European 41.6%
    African American 13.4%
    Ashkenazi Jewish 14.0%
    East Asian 0.1%
    Hispanic or Latino 26.6%
    South Asian 6.6%
    Middle Eastern 6.9%
  • References [ 1, 7 ]

rs4410790

Gene: Near AHR
Marker: rs4410790

C

Variant copy from one of your parents

T

Typical copy from your other parent
See all information
See all information
Marker Tested
Your Genotype*
  • Biological explanation
    The genetic marker we tested near AHR comes in two versions, the C variant and the T variant. The C variant is associated with consuming more caffeine. This marker has been studied the most in people of European descent.
  • Typical vs. variant DNA sequence(s)

    T

    Typical Sequence
    Substitution

    C

    Variant Sequence
  • Percent of 23andMe customers with variant
    Variant: C
    European 85.6%
    African American 73.4%
    Ashkenazi Jewish 70.3%
    East Asian 66.7%
    Hispanic or Latino 71.0%
    South Asian 67.1%
    Middle Eastern 77.9%
  • References [ 1, 7 ]
View All Tested Markers
Marker Tested
Your Genotype*
Additional Information

rs2472297

Gene: Near CYP1A2
Marker: rs2472297

C

Typical copy from one of your parents

T

Variant copy from your other parent
See all information
See all information
Marker Tested
Your Genotype*
  • Biological explanation
    The genetic marker we tested near CYP1A2 comes in two versions, the C variant and the T variant. The T variant is associated with consuming more caffeine. This genetic marker is located in a region of DNA that may help control how much CYP1A2 enzyme is made from the CYP1A2 gene. This marker has been studied the most in people of European descent.
  • Typical vs. variant DNA sequence(s)

    C

    Typical Sequence
    Substitution

    T

    Variant Sequence
  • Percent of 23andMe customers with variant
    Variant: T
    European 41.6%
    African American 13.4%
    Ashkenazi Jewish 14.0%
    East Asian 0.1%
    Hispanic or Latino 26.6%
    South Asian 6.6%
    Middle Eastern 6.9%
  • References [ 1, 7 ]

rs4410790

Gene: Near AHR
Marker: rs4410790

C

Variant copy from one of your parents

T

Typical copy from your other parent
See all information
See all information
Marker Tested
Your Genotype*
  • Biological explanation
    The genetic marker we tested near AHR comes in two versions, the C variant and the T variant. The C variant is associated with consuming more caffeine. This marker has been studied the most in people of European descent.
  • Typical vs. variant DNA sequence(s)

    T

    Typical Sequence
    Substitution

    C

    Variant Sequence
  • Percent of 23andMe customers with variant
    Variant: C
    European 85.6%
    African American 73.4%
    Ashkenazi Jewish 70.3%
    East Asian 66.7%
    Hispanic or Latino 71.0%
    South Asian 67.1%
    Middle Eastern 77.9%
  • References [ 1, 7 ]

*This test cannot distinguish which copy you received from which parent. This test also cannot determine whether multiple variants, if detected, were inherited from only one parent or from both parents. This may impact how these variants are passed down.

23andMe always reports genotypes based on the 'positive' strand of the human genome reference sequence (build 37). Other sources sometimes report genotypes using the opposite strand.

References

  1. Coffee and Caffeine Genetics Consortium et al. (2015). "Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies six novel loci associated with habitual coffee consumption." Mol Psychiatry. 20(5):647-56.
  2. Cornelis MC et al. (2016). "Genome-wide association study of caffeine metabolites provides new insights to caffeine metabolism and dietary caffeine-consumption behavior." Hum Mol Genet. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddw334.
  3. Fredholm BB. (2011). "Notes on the history of caffeine use." Handb Exp Pharmacol. (200):1-9.
  4. HHS and USDA. "Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Part D. Chapter 5: Food Sustainability and Safety - Continued."
  5. Huang ZL et al. (2005). "Adenosine A2A, but not A1, receptors mediate the arousal effect of caffeine." Nat Neurosci. 8(7):858-9.
  6. James JE and Rogers PJ. (2005). "Effects of caffeine on performance and mood: withdrawal reversal is the most plausible explanation." Psychopharmacology (Berl). 182(1):1-8.
  7. Zhou SF et al. (2009). "Insights into the substrate specificity, inhibitors, regulation, and polymorphisms and the clinical impact of human cytochrome P450 1A2." AAPS J. 11(3):481-94.
DNA influences on physical wellness

What does your DNA say about you?

What does your DNA say about you?

Learn about your ancestry, health and traits with 60+ genetic reports from 23andme.

get started

What does your DNA say about you?

get started