关键词: 新奇食物, 生理周期, 感知食物短缺, 食物恐新症, 食物风险

Abstract:

A woman’s menstrual cycle influences her psychology and consumption behavior. The classic menstrual cycle begins with menstrual onset and lasts approximately 28 days, comprising both the follicular phase (Days 1−14) and the luteal phase (Days 15−28). In particular, mating motivation increases during the follicular phase, and women are more likely to spend money on clothing to help them attract potential mates during the fertility window. During the luteal phase, women tend to spend more on food, and their preferences are characterized by a “desire for generalized food”, as well as “risk avoidance toward specific foods”. For example, women’s bodies are prepared for potential pregnancy, and they have a greater preference for high-calorie food (i.e., sweet foods) and tend to avoid risky food (i.e., genetically modified foods). Novel foods constitute an important category of food, as they have important value for the environment, consumer health, and well-being. Research findings have indicated that people’s preference for novel food is characterized by adaptability. In the present study, we focus on “food exploration behaviors” driven by “food desire” from an evolutionary perspective, examining the impact of the menstrual cycle on preferences for novel food.
One hormone-testing study and eight other studies were conducted to test our hypotheses using three types of novel foods (foods with new production processes, new ingredients or new cultural origins). Study 1A (which involved real food choices), Study 1B (in which the follicular phase was further subdivided into the early follicular and ovulatory phases), and Study 1C (which employed a within-subject design to minimize individual differences) all revealed that women prefer novel foods (British black pudding, clean-meat hamburger and Indian biryani) more during the luteal phase than during the follicular phase. A hormone-testing study (Study 2) revealed a positive correlation between progesterone levels and consumers’ preference for novel foods (clean-meat hamburger), providing further confirmation of the hypothesis that women prefer novel foods during the luteal phase. Study 3 further revealed that the findings are only valid for novel foods (clean-meat hamburger) but not for familiar foods (classic beef hamburger). Study 4 (measurement-of-mediation design) and Study 5 (process-by-moderation design), which used different methods, validated the mechanism of food shortage perception between menstrual cycle and novel food preferences (clean-meat hamburger). Study 6 surveyed female tourists’ local food preferences and menstrual cycle information in a famous tourist city and tested the moderating effect of food neophobia. Study 7 further revealed that when a novel food (insect-based food) poses a potential risk, the abovementioned effect of the menstrual cycle on novel foods is reversed.
Our results show that female consumers display stronger novel food preferences during the luteal phase due to the preparation of potential pregnancies. Food shortage perception mediates the effect of the menstrual cycle on women’s novel food preferences. Compared with those in the follicular phase, women in the luteal phase have a stronger food shortage perception, which leads to greater novel food preferences. In particular, the positive effect of the luteal phase on novel food preferences disappears for women with high levels of food neophobia, and the menstrual cycle effect reverses when the risk attribute is salient.
In summary, first, as prior research on the relationship between the menstrual cycle and food consumption has focused on high-calorie food preferences and risky food avoidance during the luteal phase, our research expands upon previous studies within this context. Second, a stronger food shortage perception in the luteal phase allows women to cope with potential greater food resource needs and insufficient food acquisition capability during pregnancy, thereby increasing their chances of reproductive success and the continuation of their genes. Finally, our research provides a new perspective from which to investigate novel food preferences, namely, the evolutionary perspective. Practically, it may be more effective if food brands, supermarkets, restaurants, and tourism agencies would disseminate novel or local food ads to women during their luteal phase.

Key words: novel food, menstrual cycle, food shortage perception, food neophobia, food risk