A word from someone who has both experienced morning sickness in all its glories as well as read some of Margie Profet's articles: hmmmm.
Margie Profet holds two Bachelor's Degrees, one in political philosophy, one in physics. She spent two years in Germany programming computers, and three years in San Francisco working part time jobs and "thinking".
Though sometimes referred to as "Dr. Margie Profet" she holds no postgraduate degree and no University position.
After her paper on pregnancy sickness was published in 1986, she went on to produce two more theories. One allergic reactions, the other regarding menstruation being a form of expelling toxins from the body (when interviewed shortly after her article was published she did not know if other primates menstruate - all female mammals do). She won a Macarthur Genius award in 1993 and went on sabbatical to write Protecting Your Baby-to-Be : Preventing Birth Defects in the First Trimester. She has never conducted any scientific study on any of her theories, she relies instead on anecdotal evidence from her family members.
Here is a short list of her dietary cautions:
Good foods
- fruits and fruit juices
- milk and plain yogurt
- processed grains made into bland breads, pastas, and other starchy foods
- cooked fresh eggs
- fresh meat, boiled or in microwave
Food to be cautious about--eat only in small quantities
-vegetables that are not bitter or pungent (green beans, carrots, tomatoes and peas
-oils and oily foods
- dessert flavoring derived from bitter or pungent plants (chocolate, vanilla, ginger)
Food to avoid in first trimester
- pungent or bitter vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and peppers
- all spices and herbs
- onions, garlic, hot peppers and mustard
- mushrooms
- potatoes
- barbecued or burned foods
- beverages derived from bitter plant parts (i.e., coffee, tea, herb teas, colas)
Ok so there are the facts, here is my opinion. Miss Profet's book is yet another piece of the information bombardment that pregnant women face. Eat this, don't eat that, lay on your left side, buy a bunch of stuff - all at a time when you feel a mix of emotions and physical distress you can't imagine unless you've experienced it. It pulls our attention away from other, sound science that says eat a balanced diet and exercise.
She gives parents who have children with special needs to obsess, "was it something I did?", and all with no science backing her up. She could've waited to publish her book to the public until after a study or two, but didn't. Irresponsible. I, for one, am sick of "Flavor of the Month" pseudo-science being shoved at me from all sides with interesting titles and hot air backing it up.
You are completely correct radlab0, people do not require graduate degrees to have good ideas, I hope I have one someday.
My problem is not at all with Miss Profet's theory, it is with her adaptation of that theory for the consumer. She outlines a diet for pregnant women with boiled and microwaved meat? That is making me nauseous now! Potatoes have less chance of producing a child with Spina Bifida than fluoridated water (the data from the potato-spina bifda study says that because there is a high concentration of SB in Ireland, potatoes must be the culprit - boolean logic fails us again). Ginger RELIEVES morning sickness. ALL spices and herbs? What about Red Raspberry Tea Leaf - given to pregnant moms to help keep those lady parts healthy?
I believe this is an interesting theory that requires more study, but Margie Profet is no biologist, scientist, or nutritionist.