Synonyms
Introduction
The sudden shift in dietary preferences, such as the onset of food aversions and unusual cravings, is considered a hallmark of pregnancy. Aversions and cravings can be understood as strong urges to avoid or consume certain foods and nonfood substances regardless of the cultural norms or other perceived health indicators that aim to regulate avoidance or consumption. Several influential evolutionary theories have been put forth to explain these shifts, and accumulating evidence suggests that environmental, biological, and cultural factors all play a role in shaping women’s dietary preferences.
Dietary Aversions
Dietary aversions in pregnancy are characterized by distaste or disgust toward a specific food item, typically beginning during the first trimester, and coincide with nausea and vomiting (“morning sickness”; Flaxman and Sherman 2000). The leading hypotheses to explain dietary aversions include maternal-fetal protection...
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References
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Placek, C.D. (2018). Food Aversions and Cravings. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_734-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_734-1
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