Chemicals in children's mouths may explain their dislike of broccoli, study ...

Chemicals in children's mouths may explain their dislike of broccoli, study ...
Chemicals in children's mouths may explain their dislike of broccoli, study ...
Does your child hate broccoli? Chemicals in their MOUTH may be to blame! Enzymes in brassica vegetables react with oral bacteria and produce unpleasant, sulphurous odours, study finds Researchers extracted chemicals and smells found in vegetables like broccoli  They looked at the different enzymes and chemicals from raw and cooked food  They had parents and their children smell the different chemicals extracted They also tested the microbiome found in the mouths of the adults and children  Children with high levels of the enzymes were more likely to dislike broccoli 

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It's a struggle that many parents regularly face at dinner time, and now a new study may finally shed light on why so many children dislike broccoli. 

Researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Canberra, Australia found that chemicals in the mouths of children could be behind their dislike of brassica vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower and sprouts. 

Enzymes produced by the vegetables react with bacteria in the mouth and produce unpleasant, sulphurous odours, according to the experts. 

While parents had the same levels of enzymes in their mouths, their reaction to broccoli doesn't tend to be as bad, which the team says could be from learning to accept the food. 

Chemicals in the mouths of children could be behind their dislike of broccoli, cauliflower and sprouts, according to a new study into the brassica vegetables. Stock image

Chemicals in the mouths of children could be behind their dislike of broccoli, cauliflower and sprouts, according to a new study into the brassica vegetables. Stock image

BRASSICA VEGETABLES 

Brassica is a genus of plants including cabbage, broccoli and other vegetables, also known as cruciferous.  

Food varieties include: Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, swede, turnip and seeds used in the production of canola oil and mustard. 

There are over 30 wild and hybrid species in cultivation today. 

The genus is native to Western Europe, the Mediterranean and temperate regions of Asia. 

Many wild species grow as weeds, especially in North America, South America, and Australia.

A dislike for cabbage or broccoli has been shown to be the result of an enzyme that interacts with the mouth tissue, producing a foul odour.

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The new study found that the same enzyme is produced by bacteria inside the mouth of some people, and taste for broccoli depends on levels of the enzyme. 

Previous research found that adults have different levels of the enzyme in their saliva, but it wasn't clear whether children also had varying levels, or what the impact was on their food preferences, according to the team. 

Damian Frank and colleagues, who conducted this research, wanted to investigate differences in sulfur

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