Research suggests that whether you like a spicy vindaloo, or a mild one, could be due to your mom’s diet while breastfeeding.
They found that when mothers eat a curry dish containing piperine – a chemical responsible for the pungency in pepper – it soon becomes present in their breastmilk.
Study of 18 women who were breastfeeding revealed that piperine could be detected in their breast milk within an hour.
Even though the levels were much lower than could be detected through taste, the scientists say the piperine could activate a ‘pungent receptor’ in babies’ bodies.
Researchers suggest that your preference for a hot vindaloo or mild korma may be due to the foods you ate as a baby.
An 18-year-old study on breastfeeding mothers revealed that after having eaten a curry, the piperine could be detected in their breast milk for many hours. (File Image)
The Technical University of Munich author Roman Lang said that this might help to increase their tolerance of spicy foods.
Only piperine, and not other compounds from the likes of ginger and chilli, were found in the milk.
The researchers say a barrier could exist between a mother’s circulation and the mammary glands that only piperine can cross.
Writing in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, the scientists said further research is needed to determine whether their hypothesis really is true.