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If a bottle of wine seems to disappear soon after you open it, your genes may be partly to blame.
A study shows that the amount of alcohol a person consumes in a week is strongly influenced by their genes.
This can add up to three drinks to someone’s average weekly consumption.
The researchers analyzed genetic data from nearly 3.4 million people, mostly of white European descent, including those from the United Kingdom, who were asked how many alcoholic drinks they consumed in an average week.
If a bottle of wine seems to disappear soon after you open it, your genes may be partly to blame.
For people of European descent, the 10 percent with the highest drinking-related genetic scores consumed more than seven drinks a week, on average.
The 10 percent with the lowest genetic scores drank fewer than four drinks per week, on average.
Study co-author Professor Dajiang Liu from Pennsylvania State University said: “How much you drink may not be entirely down to whether you had a stressful day or how good that bottle of wine tastes in the fridge.” play an important part.
These findings may also help explain why some people are always available to go to a bar to drink or open a bottle of wine.
“However, we cannot blame our genes entirely, as behavior is very important in drinking habits, and it is always possible that people decide to reduce their alcohol consumption and lead healthier lives.”
People have about 20,000 genes in almost every cell in their bodies, the “blueprint” for everything from eye color to intelligence and behavior.
Humans are 99.9 percent similar in their genetic makeup, sharing most of the same genes, but some of them have variations that may be linked to lifestyle choices.
The researchers were able to identify thousands of genetic variations that are commonly seen in people who drink the most alcohol in an average week.
The 10 percent of white men of European descent with the highest “scores” of these genetic variations were found to consume more than seven standard drinks a week, on average.
The 10 percent of white men of European descent with the highest “scores” of these genetic variations were found to consume more than seven standard drinks a week, on average.
A standard drink, as defined in the study, is a small 150 ml glass of wine at approximately 12% strength, a small 350 ml bottle of beer at 5% strength, or a drink of an alcoholic beverage such as gin. .
The new study, published in the journal Nature, found that people with a higher genetic likelihood of becoming smokers also consumed more alcoholic beverages per week.
People who drank more alcohol per week also had a higher genetic risk of developing an alcohol problem.
In total, the researchers found more than 2,300 genetic variations associated with alcohol and tobacco use.
Professor Liu said: “We have now found more than 1,900 additional genes associated with alcohol and tobacco use that were not previously identified.”
“The vast majority of these genetic variations are shared by people of different ethnic groups, but how people choose to live is more important than what is in their DNA.”
