8 Traits You May Not Know Are Genetic

Knowing about your genetic traits can be exciting and fun to discover.

Being able to point out eye color, certain mannerisms, or how likely you are to have freckles on your face and connect it to other family members is a wonder of science.

As the science around DNA has evolved, we are able to connect more traits about ourselves to genetics. Some may be expected, while others may not be.

Lesser-known genetic traits

1. Cilantro aversion

Have you eaten guacamole and wrinkled your nose because it just tasted off? It might have been the cilantro.

Research shows a specific is linked to how some people taste cilantro. Based on whether you have that gene, you might not be the biggest fan of the herb – it may even taste like soap.

2. Delayed sleep

Being a night owl might not be just a personal preference – it might be in your blood! Research shows a gene linked to our circadian clock, rs184039278, is related to how late you want to stay up. The dominant variation of this gene is linked to delayed sleep, leading people with this gene expression to wake up and stay up later.

3. Earwax type

Our ears naturally produce earwax to protect our inner ears, and keep germs and dirt away from our eardrums. But not everyone’s earwax is made the same way.

The ABCC11 gene is linked to whether our earwax is wet or dry. People with the dominant ABCC11 gene have wet earwax that is soft and more yellow or brown. The recessive ABCC11 gene is linked to dry earwax that is dry, flaky, and more grey or tan.

4. Alcohol flush

When we drink alcohol, our body breaks down the alcohol – releasing a toxin called acetaldehyde. The longer this toxin lingers in the body, the more its effects rise to the surface of the skin – leading to flushed cheeks.

People with a rs671 gene mutation have a harder time clearing acetaldehyde out of their body, meaning they typically have flushed cheeks.

5. Asparagus scent detector

Even what you can smell is encoded in your DNA! A marker near the rs4481887 gene makes it more likely for someone to be able to smell asparagus-related scents in urine.

This particular gene controls the protein in your DNA that detects odor molecules. When your body breaks down asparagus, it releases several types of molecules – one of which contains sulfur. That scent is linked to the asparagus smell that some people can detect in urine.

6. Endurance vs. power

While athleticism is influenced by both genetics and environmental factors, specific genes make it more likely for certain people to have more endurance, and others to have more power and strength.

Your muscles have a mix of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers, which help to balance your endurance and short bursts of power. The ACTN3 gene variant shows if you have a balance, if your muscles contract with a lot of power, or if you have more stamina.

7. Snoring

While snoring is linked to a variety of factors including weight, anatomy, smoking, alcohol use, and nasal congestions, there is a genetic component that slightly raises the chance of someone snoring.

Genetic testing can identify several of the genes that are linked to an elevated chance of snoring at night

8. Moving during sleep

Moving involuntarily during your sleep happens more often with some people than others. As it turns out, sleep movement is linked to hereditary traits. A genetic marker in the rs3923809 gene affects how often you move your limbs over the course of a sleep cycle.

The more variants of this gene that exist in your DNA, the more often you move your limbs.

DNA screening programs such as GenoWell offer testing for various hereditary conditions, including traits like these. Each patient does a blood draw, followed by a follow-up visit after test results come in, about 4-6 weeks. Additional appointments or referrals are made based on the results.