- #1
scott1
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http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060529/full/060529-10.html
This reminds me of my mom saying that she changed her diet to be healther while she was pregenet.
Mom's diet can tinker with baby's genes
- Thread starter scott1
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Discussion Overview
The discussion centers around the impact of maternal diet and environmental factors on offspring, particularly in relation to genetic changes and potential influences on gender determination. It includes references to research on mice and anecdotal claims regarding diet and pH levels affecting baby traits.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Debate/contested
- Conceptual clarification
Main Points Raised
- Some participants mention research indicating that a vitamin supplement in a pregnant mouse's diet can lead to fatter offspring due to chemical changes in the mother's DNA.
- Previous experiments on various lab animals suggest that factors like stress, diet, and living conditions can influence future generations, potentially through changes in DNA methylation patterns.
- A participant expresses skepticism about the claim that mothers can influence the gender of their baby by altering blood pH, arguing that gender is chromosomally determined.
- Another participant notes that while blood pH cannot determine gender, there are claims that X and Y sperm may respond differently to the pH of the female genital tract, though this has not been proven.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants generally agree that gender is determined chromosomally, but there is disagreement regarding the influence of maternal factors like diet and pH on offspring traits, with some claims remaining speculative.
Contextual Notes
Some claims about the influence of maternal diet and blood pH on offspring traits are based on anecdotal evidence and may lack empirical support. The discussion includes unresolved questions about the mechanisms behind these influences.
This reminds me of my mom saying that she changed her diet to be healther while she was pregenet.
- #2
muadib2k
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There have been previous experiments done on mice, rats, and other lab animals showing similar results. Some experiments have shown that stress levels, diet, living conditions, etc. can influence future generations. From what I remember a lot of the effects are attributed to changes in DNA methylation patterns...but I could be wrong.
- #3
Moonbear
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I guess you didn't follow the link to read the full article, because that's exactly what it says the likely explanation is.muadib2k said:
- #4
muadib2k
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lol, yeah I didn't follow the link...my bad. At least my memory didn't let me down (this time).
- #5
scott_alexsk
- 335
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I have also heard that mothers can vary the gender of their baby by slightly changing their blood ph. I believe if the mother makes it more acidic she increases the chances of having a boy.
Thanks,
-scott
Thanks,
-scott
- #6
Mattara
- 347
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scott_alexsk said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that seems highly unlikely, as the sex of the baby is determined by the chromosome set-up in the sperm that fertilizes the egg in question.
If so, how would a higher blood pH have any effect on the sperms with the Y chromosome? Most of these things are just speculations.
- #7
Amanita-Virosa
- 5
- 1
Gender is of course determined chromosomally and blood pH per se can't have an effect on that. I have heard that the x and y sperm are differentially sensitive to the pH of the female genital tract though but I don't think its ever been proven (i've heard of people using vaginal douches to try and influence the gender of their baby).
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