IFLScience We Have Questions: Can Transplants Change Your Personality?

0
1K

IFLScience We Have Questions: Can Transplants Change Your Personality?

IFLScience We Have Questions: Can Transplants Change Your Personality?

From loving gherkins to switching from white to red wine, bone marrow transplants have seemingly altered people in strange and mysterious ways.

Rachael Funnell headshot
Episode 13 of We Have Questions playing on a smartphone

Episode 13 of We Have Questions.

Image credit: 35lab/Daniela Barreto/Igor Normann/PaKApU/Spalnic/Shutterstock.com; modified by IFLScience

There’s a strange phenomenon reported among some recipients of organ transplants whereby people report altered memories, tastes, and personality changes. A particularly curious example included a woman who, having never much liked chicken nuggets, found herself compelled to eat them after receiving an organ from a man who had nuggets on his person when he died.

The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Similarly perplexing changes in taste have also been reported among the recipients of bone marrow transplants, from loving gherkins to switching from white to red wine. This is something the UK-based stem cell charity Anthony Nolan knows a thing or two about. We spoke to their senior medical officer Dr Tania Dexter to find out more about what these transplants entail, how they've changed people, and why we think it happens.

You can listen to this episode and subscribe to the podcast on all your favorite podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Amazon Music, and more.

This interview first appeared in Issue 32 of our digital magazine CURIOUS.


ARTICLE POSTED IN


health-icon

More Health and Medicine Stories

clock-icon2 days ago

comments icon1

clock-icon2 days ago

comments icon1

clock-icon2 days ago

Search
Categories
Read More
Technology
Get a MacBook Air for the lowest-ever price while supplies last
Get a MacBook Air for the lowest-ever price while supplies last...
By Test Blogger7 2025-11-07 03:00:43 0 588
Science
Newly Discovered Cell Structure Might Hold Key To Understanding Devastating Genetic Disorders
Newly Discovered Cell Structure Might Hold Key To Understanding Devastating Genetic...
By test Blogger3 2025-06-30 13:00:14 0 2K
Home & Garden
10 Amazon Best-Selling (and Budget-Friendly!) Outdoor Decor Finds, Starting at $10
10 Amazon Best-Selling (and Budget-Friendly!) Outdoor Decor Finds, Starting at $10 Credit:...
By Test Blogger9 2025-07-18 12:00:23 0 3K
Technology
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition review: This laptop takes premium to a whole new level
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition review: This laptop takes premium to a whole new level...
By Test Blogger7 2025-07-26 10:00:16 0 2K
Music
The Lyrics to Aerosmith + Yungblud's New Song 'My Only Angel'
The Lyrics to Aerosmith + Yungblud's New Song 'My Only Angel'Here are the lyrics to Aerosmith and...
By Test Blogger4 2025-09-19 05:00:05 0 1K