The study, titled Sensory and Metabolic shifts in Aotearoa women over ReproducTion (Smart), aims to help scientists find a way to better manage the global obesity epidemic.
University of Otago food scientist Dr Mei Peng has received Marsden funding to recruit 160 women to participate in the longitudinal project, tracking sensory, diet, and brain changes, before and after pregnancy, in order to better understand our neuro-sensory systems and changes in metabolism.
One of the key questions she hopes to answer is: "Why do different individuals crave such contrasting energy sources?" and "Is there an underlying sensory neural mechanism secretly guiding our food choices?".
Dr Peng said understanding sensory shifts linked to pregnancy may shed light on longer-term change across our life-spans, with implications for diet-related health issues and better management of the global obesity epidemic.
After decades of research, scientists were only beginning to understand how human feeding behaviour was controlled via a complex homeostatic system, she said.
While these strong mechanisms combined to maintain energy balance in most cases, it remained unclear how and why individuals chose such different nutrients.
Recent data provided "an exciting clue" that our neuro-sensory systems play a key role in maintaining energy balance.
"Individual metabolic demands may be able to drive dietary preferences.
"While all individuals can experience metabolic shifts across their lifespans, pregnancy provides a unique window into major metabolic reprogramming.
"We will use pregnancy as a natural model to understand how the human brain adjusts to changing metabolic needs through food choices.
"Understanding sensory shifts linked to pregnancy may help to shed light on longer-term change across our lifespans, with implications for diet-related health issues.
"Such knowledge is needed to better manage the global obesity epidemic."
She said the research aimed to generate important information about women’s postnatal care.
"Specifically, our study will elucidate factors influencing postnatal health, thus improving mothers’ psychological and physical wellbeing."
