Morning sickness 'regulates diet'

[pbowers]

Morning sickness might have evolved to ensure pregnant women do not digest too much unhealthy food, say scientists.

They found evidence that nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is associated with high intake of sugar, alcohol, oils and meat.

In contrast, cereals were least likely to trigger sickness.

The University of Liverpool analysis of 56 previous studies in 21 countries appears in the Royal Society's Biological Journal.

Morning sickness occurs in the first three months of up to 80% of pregnancies.

Until recently, it was thought to be simply an unfortunate by-product of dramatic hormonal changes during early pregnancy.

However, research has suggested that morning sickness might have positive consequences - such as a reduced risk of miscarriage.

Toxins
The researchers believe it is possible that the pregnant human body may have evolved an aversion to foods containing high levels of toxins, and that this may have carried over into modern living.

They suggest that the body might reject meat because of the relatively high risk that it might harbour disease-causing agents.

Conversely, the low level of plant toxins in cereals may make them particularly unlikely to trigger nausea.

However, they say the body's rejection of sugars and oils is less easy to explain.

Lead researcher Dr Craig Roberts said: "While there may be no particular harm in eating, say, meat, now that we have refrigeration and best before dates, our bodies may be pre-programmed by evolution to avoid these particular foodstuffs in the first trimester.

"It may be that the nausea women feel towards certain foodstuffs could be helpful, and that although it is inconvenient and miserable, their nausea could be nature's way of avoiding problems in pregnancy for both mother and foetus."

Dr Maggie Blott, a consultant obstetrician at London's King's College Hospital, said: "I can understand why mother nature might do this.

"Morning sickness is always worst in the first three months, which is when the most important part of a foetus's development is happening."

Dr Blott said while it was sensible for a woman to eat healthily in pregnancy, it was more important to avoid alcohol, smoking or drugs.

It was also important to take folic acid supplements, and to avoid high levels of vitamin A.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/5168882.stm

[2bthinner!]

I didn't get morning sickness. Either pregnancy. However, I did have an aversion to meat with the first one. And for years she was not much of a meat eater. Now she loves steak..

The second, nothing bothered me, (except the vitamins) but I didn't drink any alcohol or anything while pregnant.

Now, my sister with her first one, was so sick they put her in the hospital and recommended she abort. She didn't. The second one she wasn't sick. Both of hers are boys. Both of mine are girls. I don't know if that makes any difference either...

I don't see how the rumored nausea to cooking eggs could be beneficial. It seems like eggs are one of the least processed protein sources.

Also, both her kids had trouble in school, both of mine were A students. Weird..

[Galliard]

About the only thing I could eat with my first pregnancy was hamburgers... and I had been consuming a nearly vegetarian diet up until that point! I guess my body was telling me something, but it wasn't "eat more grains."

[chezza98]

An interesting article, but why does this have to be down to evolution? Surely you can just as equally say that instead of evolution "pre-programming" our bodies, that God, the awesome creator that He is, made women this way for the same reasons given in the article? Are we giving a theory as random as evolution a rational insight into nutrition now? Or could it be that God knows just what is good for us and what isn't?

[Nancy LC]

Do we have to include an accounting for all religious mythology in posting anything scientific now? I'm going to have have a hard time appeasing Hellenic Greeks if so and boy, the Pastafarian's are not going to be happy with us here... ;)

But back to the original article, I thought morning sickness hit before you actually ate anything.

[Hellistile]

My theory is based on my own experience. I worked during my pregnancy and I would wake up fit as a fiddle and happy but also very hungry. I would have tons of eggs, bacon, ham, sausages, a huge bowl of oatmeal with cream, butter and cinnamon, toast, with butter and jam and anything else that wasn't nailed down. By lunchtime, I wasn't hungry and at supper time I would have morning sickness.

My explanation for this is that in paleo times, women usually ate once a day. I don't need stupid scientists, especially male ones, telling me what causes morning sickness.

[Rachel1]

An interesting article, but why does this have to be down to evolution? Surely you can just as equally say that instead of evolution "pre-programming" our bodies, that God, the awesome creator that He is, made women this way for the same reasons given in the article? Are we giving a theory as random as evolution a rational insight into nutrition now? Or could it be that God knows just what is good for us and what isn't?

Guess God the awesome creator created me with genes for diabetes and heart disease, so I may as well just accept his/her will that I die young, eh? Cheesh.

Rachel

[Angeline]

Good one Nancy :)

[Wyvrn]

What if evolution IS intelligent design?

Wyv (I didn't make that up, I wish I knew who did)

[ItsTheWooo]

I think the sickness might be related more to ketones or low blood sugar than anything you are or aren't eating, because I know in myself that's how I feel when I shift over metabolism from sugar to fat.

That it occurs in the morning, after the fast of the night (stress on sugar), makes sense.

My mother said she felt no nausea, but she would get dizzy and feel faint during the day.


BLAME YOUR HORMONES
Mood swings? Morning sickness? Fatigue? Blame your hormones, specifically, human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG. This hormone that supports your pregnancy also unsettles your stomach. Like all drugs, hormones have a few unpleasant side effects, namely intestinal upsets.

When levels of the hormone cholecystokinin increase in pregnant women, it increases the efficiency of digestion by making better metabolic use of food within your system. The unpleasant side effects contribute to:

Low blood sugar
Nausea
Dizziness
Delayed emptying of the stomach
After-meal sleepiness

[potatofree]

Both of my pregnancies were different. With Laura, it was all-day, every day sickness for a couple months straight. The only thing that didn't make me want to yammy in my shoes was the good old standby of saltine crackers. With Steven, it was more like the traditional feel crappy the first half of the day variety. Since it often hit after eating, I don't think it's related to low blood sugar, certainly not in my case. There was just no rhyme or reason.

The smell of raw meat did me in both times for the first few months. Once it was cooked, great, but I drove everyone nuts making them smell meat before I'd cook it since it ALL smelled foul to me, even though I knew it was completely fresh.

[Michelle H]

Funny, the only things that would settle my stomach during both pregnancies were protein and fat (mmmmm). Carbs, on the other hand, made me feel so bad. After my 2nd preg. I never ate some carb items again because of this. And for the record - 3 months - try 6 or so!

[ysabella]

I found lean protein revolting while I was pregnant. But fat agreed with me fine! Steaks tasted livery and gross. I could eat chicken if I concentrated on wings and skin and such. And I ate a lot of vegetable soup with lots of bacon in it. Pots and pots of that. I called it "bacony goodness soup."

I've heard a similar theory before, that women get hypersensitive to smells and foods during pregnancy so they won't eat anything dangerous. But it's hardly a safety precaution when women end up with hyperemesis (near-constant vomiting) that makes them lose weight and have to stay in bed, etc. I met a gal in birthing class who couldn't eat anything but Jell-O for three months.

[Paleoanth]

Actually, I think the original hypothesis is correct. It is more than likely a side effect of the elevated hormones. Why different people have different reactions or the same people have different reactions for different pregnancies would be due to a number of factors. Diet, exercise, age, genetics, normal variation....all would affect how severely someone was effected.

I am a human evolutionary biologist. Science doesn't or shouldn't have anything to say about God or god or gods. God is an untestable hypothesis, and is therefore outside the realm of science. Period. Science deals with only what we can quantify and any good scientist knows this. Science doesn't bash religion, science cannot deal with religion. It isn't built to deal with religion or spirituality of any kind. It isn't something that can be tested. In my mind accepting evolution, which has been scientifically verified on a micro level, does not preclude a belief in any kind of creator. In fact, I know several scientists who are very religious.

[ojoj]

So why is it I was as sick as a dog most of the time with my "girl" pregnancies and absolutely fine and dandy with my "boy" pregnancy??

[AmoryBlain]

Paleoanth--great response. It seems no one is safe to say anything anymore, geez.

Amory

[tuscany]

I am not sure anybody knows for sure. The only thing that gave me nausea was the vitamin pill they had me take. And I could not stand the smell of eggs. I could not even eat ice cream because I could smell the eggs in it...
For the record, I was & am a vegetarian, so I ate beans, rice, veggies, fruit, nuts, ww bread & some pasta for the most part when I was pregnant. I was not lc back then.

[doreen T]

*Moderator Note*


Members are reminded that off-topic debates about religion, politics - or similar potentially divisive issues - are not permitted here. Please stick to the original topic; inappropriate posts will be removed. For more info, you may wish to review our policy on this matter .. Closure of the Current Affairs Forum (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=218284).

We also ask members to use the http://forum.lowcarber.org/images/buttons/report.gif report tool to bring offensive/inflammatory posts to our attention, rather than replying in kind.

Thank you all for your co-operation :rose:


Doreen

[dane]

It is more than likely a side effect of the elevated hormones.I agree with this. I think it has more to do with our body struggling to deal with the massive amounts of progesterone flooding our system. Each person has a different threshold, and each pregnancy is different, due to the variables Paleoanth mentioned. I was VERY sick all day with kid #1, pretty sick w/kid #2--and with kid #3, at 6 months gestation, I haven't puked once, am able to exercise, and feel terrific.

And they're all boys, for what that's worth. :)

[Lessara]

About the only thing I could eat with my first pregnancy was hamburgers... and I had been consuming a nearly vegetarian diet up until that point! I guess my body was telling me something, but it wasn't "eat more grains."

I hear ya! I gave birth twice and I had morning sickness with both but only the first month. My daughter I wanted cheddar cheese... my son I wanted chili dogs :lol: Both my teens do well in school, though my daughter does have Autism (was a blue baby)