Scientists have discovered a 'booze gene' that makes some of us drink more than others, according to new research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
And it looks like heavier drinkers are in the majority, with 60% of British people having the DNA variant for boozing. (What a surprise...) The other 40% of the population is apparently less likely to indulge in a tipple (or three).
While the difference in drinking habits is pretty small – those with the variant have around 15 pints more per year – it's the first time science has identified a marker for being drawn to alcohol or not.
The gene, which is also less-catchily known as 'Beta-Klotho', apparently becomes activated by a hormone produced in our livers.
Scientists at King's College London had previously found a link between the gene and sugar consumption.
Professor Gunter Schumann from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London said: 'Our study reveals a previously unrecognised liver-brain pathway which regulates alcohol consumption in humans, and which could one day be targeted therapeutically to suppress consumption in problem drinkers.'
So, there you have it, if you're a little boozier than your mates, it turns out drinking might actually be in your blood...
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