Profet, profits, and proof: do nausea and vomiting of early pregnancy protect women from "harmful" vegetables?

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this research was to test a widely publicized theory that nausea and vomiting of pregnancy protects women from ingesting certain vegetables and other foods that produce congenital anomalies and other adverse outcomes of pregnancy.

STUDY

DESIGN

The theory was tested with use of data on dietary intake, illness, and pregnancy outcome obtained from 549 women participating in a prospective, population-based study.

RESULTS

No relationship between intake of proscribed vegetables and other foods and the presence of nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy was identified. Intake of proscribed foods was unrelated to adverse outcomes of pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

It is suggested that claims made in the popular press about food and health relationships should be evaluated by the media as fiction unless supported by scientific research.