Here's Why Some People Have A Bigger Sweet Tooth Than Others

For some people, it's chips they can't eat "just one" of — for others, it's cakes and brownies. If you fall into the latter group, and you've ever tried stopping yourself at just one Krispy Kreme donut or just one Oreo, you know the struggle is real. There's that little voice in your head telling you that one is enough, but sometimes you can't help but be tempted into another bite, or two, or three. And, if you've ever found yourself wondering how your friend is able to stay away from sweet temptations without batting an eyelid while you are talking yourself out of buying a dozen, you may be happy to know that there is a legitimate explanation.

According to Today, the answer comes down to genetics. That's right, your sweet tooth is actually inherited. A study conducted by the Monell and the QIMR Berghofer Research Institute has found that our genetic makeup ends up controlling how we perceive sweet treats, with some of us finding desserts a lot more delicious than other people. Just one more thing you can blame on your parents!

The author of the study, Danielle Reed, lamented the fact that consuming sugar in excess is often perceived as a weakness and explained this shouldn't be the case. As she said, "Just as people born with a poor sense of hearing may need to turn up the volume to hear the radio, people born with weak sweet taste may need an extra teaspoon of sugar in their coffee to get the same sweet punch."

The study was quite extensive and focused on identical and fraternal twins as well other non-related participants, and the findings were quite interesting. Namely, our perception of sweet flavors can be attributed at least 30% by our genetic differences. Reed also said, "Our findings indicate that shared experiences, such as family meals, had no detectable ability to make twins more similar in taste measures." So, there you go — now you know why you are often tempted to get second slices of pie.