It’s been researched: unborn babies gag at the smell of kale
Hahaha, those silly unborn babies! Turns out they find kale disgusting. Maybe they should first come out to experience just how insanely delicious an old-school kale mash can be, but apparently they’re not fans while they’re still in the womb. So what’s the deal?
Researchers examined how fetuses in the womb between 32 and 36 weeks old respond to different flavors. Tests were conducted by giving the mothers two different flavor capsules, and as far as the unborn babies were concerned, there was one very clear winner:
Clear favorite
Carrot. The little ones generally loved it. And how did they reach that conclusion? At Durham University in England, researchers looked at the facial expressions of unborn babies after their mothers had eaten something specific. According to researcher Nadja Reissland, it is new to be able to study fetuses’ facial expressions in this way.
Time for some powder
It also became clear that flavors and aromas from the mother’s food could be detected by the fetuses through the amniotic fluid. Whether they could distinguish between them was specifically examined, with their ‘reaction’ reflected in their facial expressions. The mothers were divided into two different groups: one group received capsules containing carrot-flavored powder, while the other received kale-flavored powder.
Enough to make them gag
I don’t know whether I could have held back my laughter when seeing the facial expressions of the babies who ‘received’ kale: grimaces and crying faces were observed. Poor little things… And the carrots? Something that definitely looked like a smile. Just you wait, kids—one day you might be whining that you want kale mash again, even though it’s the height of summer and you’ve already had it twice this week. Or, for the even more advanced sprout: kale pesto.
What does seem to be true, writes the British newspaper The Guardian, is that if babies are introduced to lots of different flavors in the womb, they may become less fussy eaters later on. So perhaps it’s simply a matter of persevering a little longer—with some Brussels sprouts thrown in for good measure.
We have the solution
We’re just wondering: did they try the flavor of deep-fried kale?! Because surely even the pickiest unborn baby couldn’t resist that..? And to the mothers: we hope you’ll soon be able to enjoy a plate of kale mash with sausage and, yes, the best-matching wine again.
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