🌅 Children’s Taste for Veggies May Begin in the Womb

SOURCE

Ustun et al. (2022)

WHAT TO KNOW

• Children exposed to the flavor of kale or carrot while in the womb are less likely to show negative facial reactions to the scent of the foods at three years old, suggesting exposure to flavors during pregnancy can lead to long-lasting odor and flavor preferences in kids. The new study by researchers at Durham University in the U.K. followed earlier work by the same team that suggested fetuses could detect flavor compounds about 20 minutes after their mother had consumed them.

WHY IT MATTERS

• In two previous experiments, the researchers found fetuses exposed to kale grimaced when they first experienced the bitter green, but grimaced less four weeks later when exposed again. While more work is needed, the present study suggests the effect persists after birth and into early childhood, offering parents and policymakers new ways of thinking about dietary interventions and development.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• The authors say the study also raises questions about artificial sweeteners in modern diets, which could make fetuses more accustomed to sweetness before birth. However, the team says the take-home message isn’t that pregnant women should be made to feel guilty about what they eat, as they already have enough to deal with during pregnancy, but that if mothers can get fetuses used to healthier foods, a preference for healthy eating may develop later on.