HOW GOOD IS NAUSEA? SAID NO PREGNANT WOMAN EVER!

If the smell of meat cooking, or just a whiff of your morning brew suddenly has you making a beeline for the bathroom, then you might be wanting to rule out pregnancy as the trigger, that is of course, if you haven’t already confirmed it.

For years, women have attributed such aversions to the surge of hormones that attend pregnancy. But what if these aversions were more than just a result of hormonal changes? What if we felt nauseous in pregnancy for good evolutionary reasons?

In the late 1980’s, biologists such as Margie Profet, of the University of California proposed a new explanation: Suggesting that morning sickness, could actually be an evolutionary adaptation, one that protects the vulnerable foetus from natural toxins. Fast-forward 20 years and that hypothesis became science when neurobiologist Paul Sherman and Cornell University graduate student Samuel Flaxman published the results of a cross-cultural study in The Quarterly Review of Biology.

Sherman looked at the results of 56 morning sickness studies covering 79,000 pregnancies across 16 countries. 66%of the pregnant women, reported some sort of illness in weeks 6 through 14 of their pregnancy. More interesting, about 65% of the women had an aversion to at least one food; far too many for the aversions to be merely imaginative. Among those women, 16% avoided caffeinated drinks, 8% avoided cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, and 4% avoided spicy ethnic food; all of which contain natural toxins (secondary compounds), which protect plants from pests and pathogens. A staggering 28%, however, couldn't stomach animal products, especially meat, poultry, eggs, or fish.

The data confirmed the outlines of the evolutionary theory, but what was found in the detail came as a surprise. Whilst cruciferous vegetables, coffee and spices seem to trigger morning sickness, the most recent studies suggest meat, fish, poultry and eggs to be the foods most women avoid early in pregnancy. During the first trimester, fetal organs are still developing, so the evolutionary reason seems clear: these foods are the most likely to carry parasites and pathogens that could harm a foetus, as well as putting the mother at risk. The Cornell University team found further proof of this pattern by comparing anthropological reports from 27 societies where the early symptoms of pregnancy were considered. The societies in the first group relied on corn, rice, tubers and other plants as the main staples of their diet and rarely consumed animal products. The societies in the second group drank milk, and consumed fish or meat. What they found in the societies in the first group, morning sickness was all but unknown.

If you’ve already had a baby, or currently pregnant you may also agree with me when I say morning sickness is really an inaccurate term, since the nausea can strike at any time and/or for any length of time during the day. Your mum, sister or nan may have even cheered at the other end of the phone hearing that you’ve spent the morning getting acquainted with the toilet bowl, but don’t let those raging hormones fool you into thinking they are getting satisfaction out of your suffering, no no, the old wives tale suggesting women who get morning sickness are less likely to miscarry also carries some merit. When the body is invaded by something, be it a virus or a ball of foreign cells (such as an embryo), it will try its very best to rid itself of it. So getting sick early in pregnancy makes sense, and really it should be viewed as a positive thing, however you might want to have yourself a maxalon before thanking the universe or journaling your gratitude for it.

Another interesting aspect is the timing of morning sickness, which also happens to coincide with the mother’s immune response. This is typically weakened between 6-14weeks, giving the embryo time to burrow into the uterine wall. During this time the pregnant mother is more susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Spoiled food commonly contains toxoplasma, which is usually harmless, but early in pregnancy it can lead to maternal infection and possible miscarriage. The foetus becomes less vulnerable after the first trimester, which is when we generally start seeing these aversions subsiding, if you’re a new mum reading this, yes for most of us they do subside – hallelujah!

So if you’re planning on having a baby, or currently riding out the unpleasantness of that first trimester, try minimising or removing some of the aforementioned foods, spices and drinks to see if that reduces or eliminates your symptoms. If that fails you, then find comfort in knowing that your body is designed perfectly to protect the bundle of genes growing inside of you, even if that means spewing your guts out for a few weeks, the sacrifice is worth the reward!