The April 1996 Scientific American had a piece in it on the theories
of the evolutionary biologist Margie Profet, who has written a book
titled 'Protecting Your Baby-to-Be.'

"...she recomended that pregnant women follow her advice: don't eat
pungent vegetables.

...her pregnancy theory posits that the nausea or food aversions
many women experience in the 1st trimester are adapatations designed
to protect embryos.  Profet argues that some toxins in plants
-including, for instance, allyl isothiocyanate, a carcinogen found
in cabbage, cauliflower & brussels sprouts- evolved to ward off
herbivores [that's us] & that some of these compounds, even in tiny
amounts, cause defects during the critical stage when organs are
forming."

I'm not going to retype the whole article here , but the bottom line
is that certain vegetables will cause birth defects.  I have not had
a chance to read the book, but maybe somebody could & give us a more
complete book review.  The whole subject of plant toxins is one I
would appreciate learning more about if anybody can shed some light
on this.

--Doug Schwartz
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