Science

Ew, Broccoli: Mouth Bacteria May Explain Some Kids' Aversion

NBC Universal, Inc.

If your kid hates broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or Brussels sprouts, there may be a scientific explanation. 

Study results published in a scientific journal on Wednesday suggest bacteria in a child’s saliva can make these vegetables taste particularly putrid. 

Australian researchers said in an article in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that children whose mouths produced more of a compound were particularly sensitive to vegetables in the Brassica family

Here’s how the scientists put it: “Bacteria naturally present in some human individuals’ saliva can further increase the production of sulfur volatiles in the oral cavity, thereby potentially affecting the in-mouth flavor and perception of Brassica vegetables.” 

The researchers studied the saliva of 98 child-parent pairs, with children between ages 6 and 8. 

Kids in the study who had high sulfur volatile production in their mouths particularly hated raw cauliflower. 

Go here to dig into the study

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