Proc Biol Sci July 2008 PMID 18430648

You are what your mother eats: evidence for maternal preconception diet influencing foetal sex in humans.

Fiona Mathews, Paul J Johnson, Andrew Neil

Mentions

23
Peak: 4 in Jun 2025
across 4 sources since Mar 2020

Extended reach

510,813
potential audience

Total likes

15,502

Video views

465,356

Mentions per month

Mar 2020 – Jun 2025

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter11 posts
  • News8 articles
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Blogs2 articles

AI synopsis

What people are saying

This collection of discussions shows a high level of interest, with questions about diet and fetal sex, and remarks like 'ObGyn Reviews 7 Old Wives Tales with FACTS' hint at a desire to understand scientific credibility. The tone varies from curiosity to humor, and the references to historical contexts and biomedical debates highlight an active engagement with the topic, indicating the perceived significance of the research findings.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions acknowledge the evidence linking maternal preconception diet to fetal sex, showing general support for the study's findings.

InterestHigh interest

Posts demonstrate high curiosity, especially with questions like 'Can your diet determine the sex of your offspring?' and references to historical figures, indicating engagement.

EngagementModerate engagement

Several comments delve into the implications of the research, referencing old wives' tales, biomedical interpretations, and calling it a 'cognitive banquet,' showing a deeper involvement.

ImpactModerate impact

The discussions reflect recognition of potential influence on fertility practices and societal perceptions, though mostly speculative or humorous

Abstract in brief

  • The study suggests that a mother's diet before conception influences the sex of her baby, with higher energy intake increasing the likelihood of having a boy.
  • The research found no link between the mother's diet during pregnancy and the baby's sex, indicating that the mother's preconception diet plays a crucial role in sex allocation.
  • These findings support the idea that when resources are abundant, mothers may be more likely to produce male offspring, which could explain changing sex ratios in industrialized countries and inform practices in fertility treatments.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
@rizikaoikonomika@mastodon.social
@rizikaoikonomik · X

#πολύχρωμοGR Λοιπόν επειδή σήμερα με αφορμή το τουί της @madam_shou τέθηκε το ζήτημα αν το περιβάλλον επηρεάζει το φύλο του εμβρύου, υπάρχουν έρευνες, υπάρχει ειδική επιστήμη που ερευνά γενικά την έκφραση των γονιδιωμάτων, & δείτε & αυτό https://t.co/foU3T289JS

May 2, 2022 · 1 like · 2,829 followers View post →
Dating Hypothesis Podcast
@DatingHypothPod · X

Can your diet determine the sex of your offspring? https://t.co/jgLZrQOAQI

Jun 7, 2021 · 1 like · 9 followers View post →
SyataLinda
@SyataLinda · X

ObGyn Reviews 7 Old Wives Tales with FACTS https://t.co/e7ZYfqD571 via @YouTube

Oct 18, 2021 · 11,136 followers View post →
Miranda „agquarx” McKennitt—
@mirandamckenni1 · X

ObGyn Reviews 7 Old Wives Tales with FACTS https://t.co/K3l7lQPVkT

Jun 11, 2025 · 10,233 followers View post →
Miranda „agquarx” McKennitt—
@mirandamckenni1 · X

we recently engaged with a particularly scrumptious audiovisual artifact on the platform designated as youtube. titled ObGyn Reviews 7 Old Wives Tales with FACTS, the hyperlink to this cognitive banquet is as follows: https://t.co/K3l7lQPVkT.

Jun 11, 2025 · 10,233 followers View post →
UltimApe
@ultimape · X

You are what you eat? https://t.co/5kpJG1cTlk

Feb 20, 2021 · 6,760 followers View post →

All mentions

Miranda „agquarx” McKennitt—
@mirandamckenni1 · X

ObGyn Reviews 7 Old Wives Tales with FACTS https://t.co/K3l7lQPVkT

Jun 11, 2025 · 10,233 followers View post →
Agnieszka—means "a spark”—
@AgnaeshMcKenni1 · X

recently engaged with a particularly scrumptious audiovisual artifact on the platform designated as youtube. titled ObGyn Reviews 7 Old Wives Tales with FACTS, the hyperlink to this cognitive banquet is as follows: https://t.co/FNoLImbGfr.

Jun 11, 2025 · 184 followers View post →
Miranda „agquarx” McKennitt—
@mirandamckenni1 · X

we recently engaged with a particularly scrumptious audiovisual artifact on the platform designated as youtube. titled ObGyn Reviews 7 Old Wives Tales with FACTS, the hyperlink to this cognitive banquet is as follows: https://t.co/K3l7lQPVkT.

Jun 11, 2025 · 10,233 followers View post →
Friedrich
@Friedri23257098 · X

@Scars2005 @VansenQoD @Invisible_TSW @MayaD2807 @zarsonist @ZealousChoice @Jaremy_Clerkson @jk_rowling You Are What Your Mother Eats: Evidence for Maternal Preconception Diet Influencing Foetal Sex in Humans Proceedings of the Royal Society B 275(1643):1661-8 DOI:10.1098/rspb.2008.0105 https://t.co/72GFnSgQwX

Aug 25, 2024 · 547 followers View post →
Kim Newlove VO
@KimNewloveVO · X

ObGyn Reviews 7 Old Wives Tales with FACTS https://t.co/n6xpzPWdGB via @YouTube

Nov 11, 2022 · 490 followers View post →
@rizikaoikonomika@mastodon.social
@rizikaoikonomik · X

#πολύχρωμοGR Λοιπόν επειδή σήμερα με αφορμή το τουί της @madam_shou τέθηκε το ζήτημα αν το περιβάλλον επηρεάζει το φύλο του εμβρύου, υπάρχουν έρευνες, υπάρχει ειδική επιστήμη που ερευνά γενικά την έκφραση των γονιδιωμάτων, & δείτε & αυτό https://t.co/foU3T289JS

May 2, 2022 · 1 like · 2,829 followers View post →
@rizikaoikonomika@mastodon.social
@rizikaoikonomik · X

@josephstalkin @madam_shou @s4nuy3 Δεν ξέρω αν περιμένουμε την ειδικό να εξηγήσει καλύτερα, έχω κάθε καλή διάθεση να μάθω, όποτε ευκαιρήσει. Για την ώρα σας φέρνω αυτό & υπάρχουν & άλλα για την περιβαλλοντική μόλυνση. Όχι μόνο για ανθρώπους αλλά & για ζώα. https://t.co/foU3T289JS Καλό διάβασμα.

May 2, 2022 · 2,829 followers View post →
SyataLinda
@SyataLinda · X

ObGyn Reviews 7 Old Wives Tales with FACTS https://t.co/e7ZYfqD571 via @YouTube

Oct 18, 2021 · 11,136 followers View post →
Dating Hypothesis Podcast
@DatingHypothPod · X

Can your diet determine the sex of your offspring? https://t.co/jgLZrQOAQI

Jun 7, 2021 · 1 like · 9 followers View post →
UltimApe
@ultimape · X

You are what you eat? https://t.co/5kpJG1cTlk

Feb 20, 2021 · 6,760 followers View post →
Trent Collicutt
@tcollicutt · X

If only Henry VIII had known. https://t.co/kTWbddhm3u

Mar 3, 2020 · 108 followers View post →
P | PDF | Evolution | Biology
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In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B 10.1098/rspb.2008.0105, 2008. University of Exeter, School of Biosciences, Fiona Mathews.

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