There are 8 changes to your genes that can give you “superpowers”

More than 99 percent of your genetic information is the same as everyone else’s. Your genes decide what color your skin is, what gender you are, what color your hair is, and whether or not you have certain genetic diseases.

But things get interesting in that less than 1 percent. Some of us have certain, dare we say “super,” qualities because of the way our genes are made. Here are some ways that our genes can make us more likely to have certain skills.

ACTN3 and the variant with the super-sprinter

We all have a gene called ACTN3, but only some versions of it help our bodies make a special protein called alpha-actinin-3. This protein controls fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are the cells that make your muscles tighten and relax quickly when you sprint or lift weights.

Geneticists studying top sprinters and power athletes in 2008 found that very few of them had two bad copies of the ACTN3 gene. This led to the gene being called the “sports gene.”

In the general population, however, about 18% of us don’t have enough of the protein that makes muscles contract quickly. We got two bad copies of ACTN3 from our parents.

hDEC2 and the mutation called “super-sleeper”

Imagine if you could feel fully rested even if you only slept for 4 hours each night. Some people are just born like that.

People like this are called “short-sleepers,” and scientists are just now figuring out what makes them this way.

Researchers think that the abilities are mostly caused by specific genetic mutations. One of these mutations has been found on the hDEC2 gene.

That means that short sleeping patterns can be passed down from parent to child. Scientists hope to figure out how to use this trait to help people change their sleeping habits one day.

TAS2R38 and the version with the supertaster

About a quarter of the population has a much stronger sense of taste than the rest of us.

These “super tasters” are more likely to sweeten bitter coffee with milk and sugar or avoid fatty foods. Scientists think that their reaction is set up in their genes, specifically in a gene called TAS2R38, which is the bitter-taste receptor gene.

The variant that makes a person a great taster is called PAV, while the variant that makes a person a bad taster is called AVI.

LRP5 and the mutation that can’t be stopped

Fragile bones cause a lot of trouble. Researchers have found a genetic mutation on the LRP5 gene that controls bone mineral density and can lead to bones that are fragile and weak.

So far, scientists have found several mutations in the LRP5 gene that seem to be linked to bone diseases like juvenile primary osteoporosis and osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome.

But a different kind of mutation on the same gene could have the opposite effect and give some people bones that are so dense they are almost impossible to break.

The type that protects against malaria

People who are sickle-cell disease carriers, which means they have one sickle gene and one normal haemoglobin gene, are less likely to get malaria than people who don’t have sickle-cell disease.

Even though blood disorders aren’t always “super,” this information could lead to more creative ways to treat malaria in the future.

CETP and the mutation that caused low cholesterol

Even though our environment, such as what we eat, can affect our cholesterol levels, our genes are also very important.

When a gene that makes a protein called cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gets mutated, there isn’t enough of that protein. CETP deficiency is linked to having higher levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, which helps carry cholesterol to the liver so it can be removed from the body, leading to lower cholesterol levels.

Studies have also shown that people with the mutation that causes the deficiency have a lower chance of getting coronary heart disease.

BDNF, SLC6A4, and the variants for people who drink a lot of coffee

At least six genes are involved in how your body handles caffeine.

Some variations near the genes BDNF and SLC6A4 affect how caffeine makes you feel good, which makes you want to drink more.

Others have to do with how the body breaks down caffeine. People who break it down faster may drink more caffeine because its effects wear off faster.

Others still help explain why some people can fall asleep at night after drinking coffee in the morning, while others have to stop drinking coffee altogether in order to sleep well.

ALDH2*2 is the extra-flush version.

Do your cheeks turn pink after just one glass of wine? It could be because of a change in the ALDH2 gene.

One of these changes makes it hard for an enzyme in the liver called ALDH2 to turn the byproduct of alcohol, acetaldehyde, into acetate.

When acetaldehyde builds up in the blood, it opens the capillaries, making the skin look like it’s glowing or flushed.

But acetaldehyde has another harmful part: it can cause cancer in people. Research shows that people who flush when they drink alcohol may have a mutation that makes them more likely to get esophageal cancer.