Thursday, October 17, 2013

Diet's Influence on Baby’s Gender

Could choosing your baby’s gender be as simple as changing the way you eat? According to new research, it just may be- though not every dieter will find it simple. A new study supports previous theories showing that a diet low in sodium and potassium and rich in calcium and magnesium can increase the chance of having a baby girl. The study also included timing of intercourse- three to four days before ovulation- as an additional factor increasing chances of conceiving a girl. So how does the pre-selection diet work? One theory is that it changes the mineral content of a women’s uterine environment (changing the consistency of the cervical mucus or some other environmental condition in the reproductive tract) which makes it more hospitable to one type of sperm or another. Similarly, other theories suggest that the “gender diet” can change the pH (acidity) in the woman’s body and therefore change the polarity of the egg. By ingesting the correct ratio of minerals, a woman can alter her uterine environment making it more conducive to attract either an x or y chromosome from the male’s sperm. The most recent study focused on the ideal diet and timing of intercourse to conceive a girl. Of the thirty two women in the study who combined the prescribed maternal diet with timing of intercourse, 81% of them conceived a female baby. The diet was started 9 weeks before planned conception and lasted until a pregnancy home test provided proof of pregnancy. It included ample amounts of dairy products- about 500 grams per day, which is equal to 17 ounces. One serving of milk is 8 ounces, cheese is 1 ½ ounces, and 1 egg is 1 ¾ ounces. These dairy products provide plenty of calcium and magnesium in the diet. Intake of potatoes was limited due to their high potassium content, and no salt was added during food preparation. This diet was supplemented by 400-600 mg of magnesium, 500-700 mg of calcium and 5-7.5 micrograms of vitamin D depending on the initial amount of these minerals found in the woman’s blood. - See more at: http://www.babymed.com/food-and-nutrition/diet-may-influence-baby-gender#sthash.lHfPWB02.dpuf

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