(bouncy jazz tune)
- [Voiceover] Millions of people around the world
enjoy a hot cup of Joe every day.
But why do we all love this weird, bitter taste?
In theory, humans should not enjoy the taste of coffee,
because we're born with a natural reflex
to reject bitterness.
We think this is because bitterness is generally
an indication of poison.
So if coffee reminds us of poison,
why do we drink it?
One theory is that people consume bitter foods
when it provides some kind of pharmacological benefit,
and one benefit, it wakes us up
with a good dose of caffeine.
Caffeine is a powerful drug that not only gives you
that jolt of energy, but it's also been linked to improving
overall cognitive function.
When the positive feeling we receive from drinking coffee
outweighs the rejection of the bitterness,
our bodies seem to be more willing to accept the flavor.
But this isn't true of everyone.
Research has found that some people may taste the chemicals
that produce a bitter flavor more intensely than others.
People whose receptors are less active than others
may have a better chance of accepting the taste of coffee.
So, if you enjoy coffee, you're working against nature
telling you, "You shouldn't."
But that kind of makes you want it more,
now doesn't it?
(bouncy jazz music)
(creaking)