Beer tends to be a divisive drink. Some people swear by it while others swear it off. While you may think your tastebuds evolve and change over the years scientists have recently discovered that some preferences start young and stay the same. In fact, they recently revealed that whether or not you love beer starts in the womb.
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Your Love Of Beer Starts In The Womb
Daily Mail shares that "a surprising new study suggests many of us are predisposed to boozing well before birth." While it seems improbable scientists at Swansea University conducted a thorough study. They interviewed over 250 individuals about their drinking habits while also measuring the length of their fingers.
You may be wondering how finger length correlates to alcohol consumption. Well, studies prove that finger length is used as a metric for determining how much testosterone we were exposed to in the womb. Testosterone levels indicate how "manly" someone is. Just like love of beer starts in the womb, so does the levels of testosterone.
You may have guessed correctly. The study revealed that who were exposed to more testosterone in the womb consumed more alcohol as adults. While personal preference in taste during adulthood does affect which booze we choose to drink, scientists are now arguing that "it is possible that differences in alcohol consumption are set in the womb."
Testosterone To Beer Ratio
Professor Manning shared his findings on the finger length to testosterone ratio. He argues that, "having a longer ring finger than index finger means you were more exposed to testosterone (the male sex hormone) in the womb." Whereas, " having a longer index finger than ring finger means you were more exposed to estrogen (the female sex hormone) in the womb."
Regardless of gender, both males and females are exposed to testosterone in the womb. This means that both men and women have a chance of developing a love of beer in the womb. For the study, Professor Manning and colleagues measured the length of fingers of 258 adults. 89 of them were men and 169 of them were women. In addition to finger length, participants were also quizzed about their drinking habits.
The study found that those who had longer ring fingers, or low-digit ratios, had higher testosterone exposure in the womb. The exact link between testosterone, finger length, and developing a love of beer in the womb is unclear. However, "Professor Manning thinks having more testosterone in us increases alcohol tolerance, perhaps by making our blood absorb less of it."
