Dive Brief:
- Researchers at a German university have found that if a nursing mother eats garlic, she can produce garlic-flavored milk, according to Science World Report.
- The taste is caused by allyl methyl sulfide (AMS), a metabolite, which forms a strong concentration during breastfeeding.
- The AMS produces a different smell milk than the original aroma of garlic. “It is a generally interesting finding of our research that derivatives of aromas are also found in breast milk, which are different to their original form in the food consumed,” researcher Andrea Buttner said.
Dive Insight:
Some researchers have been trying to suggest that what a mother eats while nursing could impact a child’s food choices later in life. In 2008, Danish researchers gave nursing mothers flavor capsules, finding that various flavors were passed into the milk. Other studies have indicated that babies drink more mother's milk when their mother eats garlic.
Nursing mothers are encouraged to eat a variety of foods, both for their own health and because diet has been found to affect the composition and flavor of the milk. A 2010 European study found that nursing infants whose mothers ate caraway flavors were more likely to eat a caraway-flavored puree.
Garlic has been touted for its nutritional value, with lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is also a popular flavoring. But, researchers say there is still more to be explored to find out if the scent in milk leads babies to grow into garlic-loving adults.