From Your Taste in Herbs to Your Sun-Induced Sneezes: 10 Surprising Traits Your DNA Can Reveal

When you hear the word DNA, you probably picture a science lab or, if you're African (or a Nollywood fan), you might immediately think of dramatic family secrets and paternity tests. But modern genetics is far more fascinating and way more fun. Thanks to new discoveries, scientists are learning that everything from your love for sweets to the way you sneeze in sunlight might be written in your genes!

Here are 10 surprising things your DNA can reveal about you, backed by real science:

1. Are You a Morning Person or a Night Owl?

   Your body’s sleep pattern known as your chronotype is partly inherited. About 50% of whether you are a "morning person" or a "night owl" is significantly influenced by your genes. Genes like PER2 play a crucial role in regulating your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm. This internal clock dictates sleep and wake times and governs the timing of many biological processes, including the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Variations in these genes can lead to different natural sleep and wake times.

   
   

2. Cilantro: Fresh or Soapy?
   

   For some, cilantro (coriander) tastes fresh and citrusy. For others, it's a mouthful of soap. This dramatic difference is strongly linked to a group of olfactory (smell) receptor genes, most notably one known as OR6A2. In other words, if you have a specific variant of this gene, you are highly sensitive to the aldehyde chemicals in cilantro. And these same aldehyde chemicals are byproducts of soap-making, which is why your brain makes that unfortunate connection.

   
   

3. Sunlight Sneezes? You Might Have ACHOO Syndrome

   Do you sneeze when stepping into bright sunlight? That could be Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst syndrome aka ACHOO. It sounds silly, but it's real and affects up to 35% of people. It's inherited, so if you do it, chances are someone in your family does too. While the exact cause is still being investigated, it's thought to be due to "crossed wires" in the nervous system. The signal from your optic nerve, suddenly inundated by bright light, may trigger the nearby nerve that controls sneezing.

   
   

4. Caffeine: Fast Burner or Slow Sipper?

   How you react to coffee is largely controlled by the CYP1A2 gene. This gene provides instructions for a liver enzyme that is responsible for breaking down about 90-95% of the caffeine you consume. There are "fast" and "slow" versions of this gene. If you inherit two copies of the "fast" variant, your body processes caffeine quickly. Conversely, those with two "slow" copies will find that caffeine lingers in their system longer, making them more susceptible to its stimulating effects like jitters and sleeplessness. So yes, it’s totally valid if coffee doesn't work the way it's "supposed to" for you.

   
   

5. Sweet Tooth? It Might Be Genetic

   Your craving for sweets might come from your DNA. Genes like TAS1R2 and TAS1R3 help determine how strongly you taste sugar. Some people naturally have less sensitivity to sweetness, which may make them reach for sugary snacks more often. Another gene, FGF21, has also been linked to sugar cravings.

   
   

6. Lactose Tolerance into Adulthood

   The ability to digest lactose, the sugar in milk, into adulthood is a relatively recent evolutionary adaptation. All human infants produce the enzyme lactase, which is necessary to break down lactose. For most of the world's population, the activity of the LCT gene, which produces lactase, significantly decreases after weaning. However, in populations with a long history of dairy farming, a mutation in a nearby regulatory gene called MCM6 allows the LCT gene to remain active, leading to lactase persistence. So, If you can still enjoy dairy without any issues, you probably have a special version of a nearby gene (MCM6) that keeps lactase production going thanks to a long history of dairy farming in your ancestry!

   
   

7. Wet or Dry Earwax? It Says More Than You Think

   A gene called ABCC11 determines if your earwax is wet (sticky and yellow) or dry (flaky and gray). But that's not all, it also affects how much body odor you produce! People with the "dry" version of the gene tend to have less underarm odor. This variant is most common in East Asian and Native American populations.

   
   

8. Athletic Strength: Sprint vs. Endurance

   While training is crucial, your genes can give you a natural predisposition for certain types of athletic activities. The ACTN3 gene, often called the "gene for speed," provides instructions for a protein found in fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for powerful, explosive movements like sprinting. Some individuals have a gene variant that prevents them from producing this protein, which may give them an advantage in endurance sports that rely more on slow-twitch muscle fibers. 

   
   

9.  How You Handle Stress

   Your genetic makeup can influence how you respond to stress. Variations in genes that regulate hormones and neurotransmitters like cortisol and dopamine can affect your emotional reactivity and resilience. While the environment plays a significant role in shaping your response to stress, your genes can create a biological predisposition towards being more of a "worrier" or a "warrior."

   
   

10. Mosquito Magnetism

    If you feel like mosquitoes are always singling you out, you might be right. Studies suggest that a significant portion of what makes someone attractive to mosquitoes is hereditary. This is thought to be linked to genetically influenced body odors. The mix of chemicals on your skin, which is partly determined by your DNA, can make you more or less appealing to these insects. Some research points to the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes, which are involved in immune response and body odor, as potential players in this phenomenon.

    
    

    Which of these 10 surprising DNA traits do you have? Were any of them a surprise? Share with us in the comments below!