Summary
Food choices during pregnancy and lactation are influenced by a variety of factors. While internal factors, such as cravings and aversions, play an important role especially during the first trimester of pregnancy, environmental factors such as cultural food practices and beliefs often dictate the types of foods eaten throughout pregnancy and lactation. Such traditional food practices serve to predispose infants to flavors that are characteristic of their mother’s culture and geographical region. As discussed herein, amniotic fluid and human milk are composed of flavors that directly reflect the foods, spices, and beverages eaten by or inhaled by (e.g., tobacco) the mother. Because the olfactory and taste systems are functioning by the last two trimesters, these flavors are detected early in life, and early experience can bias behavioral response to these flavors later in life. Although more research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved in early flavor learning, these pre- and early-postnatal flavor exposures likely serve to facilitate the transition from fetal life through the breastfeeding period to the initiation of a varied solid food diet. Such learning is the first, but not the only, way in which children learn to appreciate and prefer the flavors of the foods cherished by their culture.
Keywords
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Forestell, C.A., Mennella, J.A. (2008). Food, Folklore, and Flavor Preference Development. In: Lammi-Keefe, C.J., Couch, S.C., Philipson, E.H. (eds) Handbook of Nutrition and Pregnancy. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-112-3_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-112-3_4
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-834-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-112-3
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)