I love kale, but I get it that a lot of people aren’t fans. And that extends to unborn babies, according to a world-first experiment.
Apparently babies in the womb smile when their mothers eat carrots and frown at kale.
The study found that fussy eating begins in the womb, and that unborn babies tend give kale the thumbs down.
Foetuses were recorded on 4D ultrasound screwing up their faces and looking very unhappy when exposed to kale.
The finding was part of an experiment from Durham University that “recorded the first direct evidence that babies react differently to various smells and tastes while in the womb”.
The study involved 100 pregnant women aged 18 to 40. They were scanned at 32 weeks and 36 weeks “to see foetal facial reactions to the kale and carrot flavours”.
The mothers were given a single capsule containing about 400mgs of carrot or 400mgs of kale powder about 20 minutes before each scan.
Facial reactions in both flavour groups were compared with foetuses in a control group that had not been exposed to either flavour.
The scans revealed that “just a small amount of carrot or kale flavour was enough to stimulate a reaction”.
Are you a kale fan? Do you find it surprising that even a foetus can give it a thumbs down?
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