Some conditions that are passed down through a family’s genes are not exactly the kinds of things that anyone likes to talk about. Things like mental illness and alcoholism are very important to understand, yet discussion of them among family members may not be very frequent if they are discussed at all. This can make it difficult to know your family history of these conditions. If you know that someone in your family is an alcoholic or you suspect that there may be an alcoholic in your family, take heart. Although there are genes that are linked to alcoholism that … Continue reading →

Are you a smoker who is having great difficulty quitting? Part of the reason you are struggling so much could be due to your genetics. A study that focused on twins, and their smoking habits, revealed that there is a genetic link that influences people to start smoking, (and affects how hard it is for them to quit). I have plenty of smokers in my family. My mother has two brothers, and both of them smoke. One of my brothers is a smoker. My father has at least two siblings that spent many years smoking. This is the sort of … Continue reading →

The death of the singer Amy Winehouse has caused many people give some thought to addiction. Many news articles speculate about her exact cause of death, and how that might have been prevented. In general, there are both genetic and environmental factors that are connected with addiction. Addiction, in its many forms and varieties, tends to run in families. If one of your relatives suffers from addiction, then you can be certain that will be some other relatives and ancestors who also have struggled with addiction, located somewhere in your family tree. Genealogists may discover this as they work on … Continue reading →

If you have ever experienced an intense and unstoppable craving for a food, then you have experienced the workings of the genetics of addiction. The three most commonly craved types of foods are sweet foods, salty foods, and fatty foods. Research has shown that people who have very strong food cravings and have trouble sticking with a diet often exhibit many of the same symptoms of people that suffer from addiction to drugs or alcohol. Some of the diagnostic criteria for substance addiction include persistent desire, repeated unsuccessful attempts to “quit”, continued use despite knowledge of adverse effects, and withdrawal … Continue reading →