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Eat spicy food during pregnancy and breastfeeding, say experts
Posted on: 19/Jan/2018 3:17:32 PM
Medical advisers have said that the picky eating habit by infants is a result of the strict diet followed by women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Many women worldwide avoid spicy food during this period due to a pervasive myth that having strong flavours may cause fussiness and excessive gas in infants. However, medical advisors have said women should consume food of a variety of flavours during this stage mainly because it helps in enhancing infants` taste buds.
A senior research associate at University College in London says, Breastfed babies are generally easier to feed later because they`ve had this kind of varied experience of different flavours from their very first stages of life, whereas a formula-fed baby has a uniform experience. The absolute key thing is repeated exposure to a variety of different flavours as soon as you can possibly manage; that is a great thing for food acceptance.
Other experts agree. A professor of paediatrics and nursing at Rush University Medical Center says, Infants may get accustomed to the flavours mothers eat during their pregnancy and while breastfeeding. It`s important to remember that breast milk is not formulated directly from the digestive tract, it is formulated from the mother`s blood. So if a nursing mom eats cruciferous vegetables, for example, the nutrients will be pulled into the breast milk but the gassy component may not affect the baby. Certain cultures consume an abundance of spicy foods or foods with strong herbs, and spices and women have successfully breastfed for generations. That`s not to say that infants aren`t sensitive to certain foods, every baby is different. Women should have a well-balanced diet while nursing, as it is important for the baby`s growth. The nursing mother should also take their prenatal vitamins during this period.
