Spicy substance from pepper gets into breast milk after eating: New finding

Various studies have suggested that the “taste experience” in early childhood influences eating behaviour in adults

According to a recent human study led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, it was found that after eating a curry dish containing pepper, piperine – an alkaloid responsible for the pungency of pepper – was present in the milk of breastfeeding women. The findings help decipher mechanisms that shape our food preferences from infancy.                  

Through extensive mass spectrometric analyses, the team has shown that already one hour after consumption of a standardized curry dish, piperine is detectable in breast milk for several hours.

“It seems rather unlikely to us that the infants consciously perceive the sharpness. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that regular, low-threshold activation of the ‘pungent receptor’ TRPV1 could help to increase tolerance for such substances later on.”

“Continued exploration will help us to better understand both the emergence of food preferences and the metabolic processes that play a role in the transfer of bioactive food ingredients into breast milk”, said the researchers.