Bananas are great. They're the key ingredient in some of our favourite treats: pudding, bread, good-for-you ice cream — we could go on forever. But thanks to an old wive's tale, a certain group of people won't ever touch those foods.
A rumour's been circulating for years that eating bananas before conception will increase your chances of having a boy. And some soon-to-be-pregnant women will do anything to have a girl, including cutting out the fruit altogether. Like many other anecdotes of the sort, most people chalk it up to crazy ladies propagating stories that the generation before them told … and the generation before that, and so on. But a study found that there may actually be a little truth to the ditty.
Researchers surveyed 740 women during their first pregnancy and found that those with a diet high in potassium (one of the main vitamins in bananas) were more likely to have a boy. The same was said for women who had higher calorie and sodium intakes. One myth that was debunked, however what that drinking plenty of milk will increase your chances of having a girl. High levels of calcium were actually linked to the birth of a boy.
You could listen to the fodder and change your diet — or just take whatever you get.
Sarah Weinberg is the deputy editor at Delish and has covered food, travel, home, and lifestyle for a number of publications, including Food Network Magazine and Country Living. She's originally from the Bay Area, has an unhealthy affinity for the Real Housewives of Anywhere, and harbors strong feelings about fruit salad.
