Can your diet really determine the sex of your child? Scientists this week declared that first-time mothers who consume more calories around the time of conception are more likely to give birth to boys. The theories surrounding gender selection are as outlandish as they are numerous. So what should we believe?

So it all comes down to the banana. The yellow fruit with the phallic shape – appropriate in this context – is the best dietary aid for intending mothers wanting a boy, according to research published yesterday.

 

In what they claim is the first scientific evidence that diet influences infant gender, researchers at the Universities of Exeter and Oxford have found that women who consume more calories around the time of conception, and, in particular, eat more bananas, are more likely to have sons. At the same time, those who skip breakfast (and breakfast seems to be key) are more likely to have daughters.

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