Genes determine how you look and act. You’re most likely aware that eye and hair color, complexion, height, dominant hand, and body type come from your parents. However, the previous generations’ influence on your physical makeup goes well beyond your appearance.
Human cells have 46 chromosomes, each one containing strands of DNA that determine your genetics. The composition of these chromosomes is heavily influenced by your parents. You inherit positive attributes, but you also get negative ones, like health issues.
Hereditary traits are strong enough that doctors typically ask you to list family health issues so that they can screen for them. According to the American Medical Association, non-nuclear family still reflect your genes — even second- and third-degree relatives (such as cousins, aunts, uncles and great-grandparents) display hereditary traits that could affect you.
Here are the most surprising ways inherited traits affect your mental and physical health.
Physical hereditary traits
According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, all physical and mental diseases have a hereditary component. Habits, activities and environments where you live also play a role in lowering or raising your risk of developing these ailments yourself.
Doctors understand that people with a family history of heart disease or cancer have an elevated risk of developing the same problems. They often recommend screening for these diseases for early detection.
However, genetics affects less obvious areas, such as sensitivities to certain foods, oral health and even how you experience pain.
Weak enamel
Enamel is a thin, transparent layer on the outside of each tooth. It is a hard substance and protects the inside of the tooth from damage. This protection allows you to chew foods and drink cold liquids without pain.
Problems occur when the enamel wears away. Without protection, chewing becomes painful, and you experience discomfort from liquids and cold air. Recently, researchers discovered a link between enamel health and genetics. The layer is thinner for some people, and it may wear away more quickly.
Luckily, environmental and lifestyle factors also affect enamel health. Good oral hygiene, such as regular flossing and brushing, can reduce the risk of enamel wear. You can also avoid sugary, acidic or overly hard foods and find alternatives to tooth-whitening products that wear the outer layer of the tooth.
Regular dental visits are also essential. If your dentist finds evidence of enamel wear, they can offer steps to address the issue before pain materializes.
Height and weight variations
Scientists suggest that 80% of a person’s height depends on inherited DNA. Parental and early childhood nutrition can also play a role in how tall a child will be in adulthood.
Genetics does not play as large a role in weight variations, but it does affect a person’s weight. For example, many people inherit metabolic traits from their parents, affecting how efficiently they store and use energy from food.
However, environmental factors and lifestyle choices influence weight gain and loss. With a proper diet and exercise regimen, you can counteract metabolic issues inherited from previous generations.
Pain tolerance
Pain tolerance is the amount of discomfort you can handle before you begin to perceive it as painful. Many factors affect your ability to tolerate pain, including age, nerve health, mental and emotional states, environment, previous pain experiences, and even culture.
Studies have found that genes play a part in pain tolerance. For example, people with the DRD1 gene, a dopamine receptor, are less likely to experience high levels of pain compared to those with different genes.
Even people with higher tolerances are not immune to pain. In addition to medications and medical procedures, you can address chronic pain with physical therapy, exercise, stretching, meditation and improved mental health.
Caffeine sensitivity and consumption
Caffeine, present in coffee, tea, and many sodas, is the world’s most widely used stimulant. Everyone will encounter caffeine at some time in life, but whether they use it habitually often depends on how their body responds to it.
Caffeine reduces feelings of tiredness because it blocks the hormone adenosine, which is responsible for feelings of tiredness. Genes can affect how quickly and effectively your organs, namely your liver, break down caffeine-containing substances.
Some people process coffee and tea quickly, enjoying an elevated mood and alertness. Others process caffeinated substances more slowly, experiencing more negative effects that make coffee and tea less enjoyable.
Mental hereditary traits
Scientists have found variations in certain genes in people with bipolar disorder, clinical depression, ADHD and schizophrenia. Social and environmental factors also played a role in the development of these conditions, so the illnesses are not solely based on genetics.
Mental traits not requiring a clinical diagnosis also have a genetic component. For example, your genes may affect the production of specific hormones that in turn affect behavior, habits and even preferences for certain foods.
Here are four surprising ways genetics may affect your behaviors and mental health.
Love of sweets
Could you blame something as simple as a love of candy on genetics? At least one study showed a link between food preferences and genes. People with mutations of a specific gene (called FGF21) or a lack of the hormone associated with its genetic code had a stronger preference for sweet candy than others.
The hypothesis is that the link to cravings could extend to other genes and foods. However, there are also other factors, such as culture, availability and familiarity with certain flavors that can affect your preference for sweets.
Aversion to risk
Extensive research has led to the discovery of a link between genes and risk tolerance. A team of international scientists found 124 gene variants linked with specific risky behaviors. Many of the genetic markers are involved in the production and regulation of neurochemicals in the brain.
Other studies have shown a small variance in risk-taking behaviors that you could easily mitigate by pausing and assessing the risk and potential consequences before acting.
Sleep patterns
People need approximately eight hours of sleep per night, but the exact amount can vary from six to nine hours, depending on the person.
Sleep is governed by circadian rhythms, which manage the production of hormones that induce sleep and wakefulness.
Environmental factors, such as time zone changes, light, noise and stimulants like caffeine or sugar, can also affect your sleeping cycle. People with inherited sleep disorders do not produce hormones at appropriate times, or they have other genetic factors, such as metabolism issues, that lead to sleeplessness.
Sleep disorders can lead to more significant health issues, such as stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Aggression and anxiety levels
Researchers have linked certain genetic sequences with anxiety disorders. The neurochemicals and the region of the brain affected by anxiety also manage aggression and impulsivity.
Certain genes and genetic mutations can predispose someone to either of these behaviors. However, environmental factors can also play a role in developing behaviors and coping skills. Even in adulthood, people with anxiety and behavioral issues can seek treatment from a medical professional to learn how to change their reactions to situations.
How to mitigate the risks
While you can inherit increased risks for certain diseases, genes do not guarantee that you will develop problems. For example, even if genes elevate your risk for cancer, you may live your whole life without a diagnosis.
If you’re aware of these genetic risks, you can take specific steps to mitigate them.
For example, if you inherit genes predisposing you to high blood pressure, a low-sodium, low-fat diet can reduce this danger even before you have any symptoms. Preventative steps require careful work with your doctor and dentist. They can monitor you for hereditary conditions, advise you on steps to take and perform preventative services, such as dental cleaning.
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