What do you call cheese that’s not yours? Nacho cheese! Did you just smile or laugh out loud? Turns out it could depend a lot on your genes. Hey guys, Julia here for DNews How happy of a person you are depends on a lot. Your personality, your circumstances, and even your culture can all impact your happiness. And some people are happier than others. Some people when they hear a stupid pun or a good joke will crack a small smile while others will throw their heads back in a belly laugh. Research published in the American Psychological Association journal Emotion found that there’s a link between your genes and how emotionally reactive you are. The researchers looked at short and long alleles of the gene 5-HTTLPR, which might be responsible for some of the activity of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Most people think that serotonin plays a part in mood disorders like depression and anxiety. Previous research suggests that those with the short allele are more prone to negative mood disorders like depression. But this new research finds that it’s not all bad news for short allele havers. Turns out those with the short allele are also more likely to laugh and smile more at funny things. So maybe this gene kind of acts as an amplifier for emotion. People with the short allele might be more emotionally reactive to their environments. So negative experiences hurt more, but they also thrive in positive environments. Other studies like one published in the journal Psychological Science, also found evidence of a genetic predisposition to happiness. In this study researchers studied more than 900 pairs of twins. Twins are often used in studies that look for genetic links. The researchers found that those who “do not excessively worry, and who are sociable and conscientious tend to be happier”. And that these traits might be genetic to some degree. This personality can even act as a buffer during more difficult periods of that persons life. But if you’re worried you don’t have the right inherited traits, the researchers stress that only 50% of your happiness is dependant on your genes.

Your relationships, health and careers easily make up for the other half. On the other hand, being happy can impact your genes! One study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that different types of happiness can change your gene expression. Even though they had similar rates of happiness, people’s gene expression looked different based on what kind of happiness that was. People who rate highly on eudaimonic well-being or happiness, that’s like having a sense of purpose and meaning in life, have low levels of inflammatory gene expressions and strong expression of antiviral and antibody genes. And conversely, those with hedonic well-being, like consuming things to gain happiness, have high levels of inflammatory gene expressions and lower antiviral and antibody gene expression. Which would, you know, change how your immune system responds to an infection. So don’t worry, be happy! Real happiness, not the kind of happiness our consumeristic society wants you to have. Your genes will thank you. And if you’re happy, maybe you should thank your genes! On a related note, do you ever cry when you’re happy? Why do you do that? Tara has some answers in this video.