Is it Safe to Eat Durians?

Dr Patrick Chia answers:

It is true that some Asian communities maintain a taboo against eating durians in pregnancy. For example, in the Chinese traditional approach to well-being, durians are believed to be too “heaty” to be eaten in pregnancy. As such, many ethnic Chinese communities in Southeast Asia advise their mothers-to-be to avoid this king of fruits.

Strictly speaking, there have been no studies about the safety of eating durians in pregnancy. At the same time, modern science has not uncovered any reason to believe it is unsafe to do so. There is certainly no reason to conclude that eating durians in pregnancy can cause high blood pressure or nappy rash in newborns.

However, a pregnant woman should eat durians in moderation as the fruit contains large amounts of sugar and carbohydrates – two medium sized seeds have about 60 calories. Durians are considered a high-glycaemic food so it is best to limit its intake in pregnancy. Those with gestational diabetes should avoid eating durians because of its high sugar content.

Some researchers have highlighted the benefits of organo-sulphur and tryptophan that is present in durians. These compounds have antioxidant effects. They also have anti-microbial, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties which may benefit pregnancy.

Gender Selection

None of these methods are proven to be 100% effective; in fact most are folklore. But it can’t hurt to try!

If you're hoping for a boy...
Shettles Method:
• Have intercourse (with deeper penetration) right around ovulation.
• Go for a female orgasm.

Folklore includes:
• Consume salty food and red meat.
• Have intercourse around a quarter moon.
• Men should keep down the heat and avoid hot tubs and tight clothes.

If you're hoping for a girl...
Shettles Method:
• Have intercourse 2-3 days prior to ovulation, and again two days after ovulation (with shallow penetration).
• Hold off on a female orgasm.

Folklore includes:
• Consume sweets and calcium-rich foods.
• Have intercourse around a full moon.

Food for Thought
It is thought that minerals in your diet affect the metabolism and environment of the egg and therefore make it more attractive to sperm of one particular sex. If you want a boy, eat plenty of potassium-rich foods such as meat, bananas, apricots, and celery. If you want a girl, lots of magnesium-rich foods such as nuts, soya beans, and leafy green vegetables should do the trick.

While some couples swear by gender selection methods, others say that there is no certain way to choose the sex of your baby. No matter which theory you believe, there is one definite: you and your partner will have fun trying out the various methods!

Study results from http://www.ivf1.com/diet-gender-selection/
The only significant finding was that a woman's diet before conception seemed to be associated with the gender of the baby born. Specifically, women who ate a greater amount of food were more likely to have a male baby. Food intake was measured by total number of calories consumed. Women who were in the highest third for calories consumed were 1.5 times more likely to have a boy compared to women who were in the lowest third.

Researchers then sought to determine whether a specific food or nutrient was influential in determining the gender of the baby. The interesting result was that breakfast cereal was strongly associated with infant sex. Women producing male infants ate more breakfast cereal on average than women who produced female infants. Women who ate at least one bowl of breakfast cereal daily were 1.87 times more likely to have a boy compared to women who ate one or less bowls of cereal per week.

These results could not be due to an overall skewing in the sex ratio since overall about 1/2 the babies were boys and 1/2 were girls. Furthermore, the age of the mother was not linked with the likelihood of having a boy or girl. The weight of the mother also did not predict the gender of the baby.

Vitamins to Help Get Pregnant Now

Did you know that there are vitamins to help you get pregnant faster? When couples are trying to conceive a child many couple fail to get pregnant because of the lack of nutrients in their diets.

When a couple is trying to get pregnant you want your bodies to produce the healthiest sperm and eggs possible. It is important that the women have a fertile and healthy body this will increase the odds of conception.

Taking supplements help give your body what it needs naturally to get pregnant. By taking supplements you should have increased energy and a great sense of well being.

Vitamins to help get Pregnant help your body become more fertile. There are supplements that will help a man’s reproductive system and sperm count. While other vitamins and supplements aid the women’s reproductive health and give the egg a fertile environment for conception.

Vitamins to Help Get Pregnant Now:

Calcium - Calcium is important in making fertile mucus in the women vagina. Toxemia can result when a women has a vitamin deficiency.

Vitamin B group - In men vitamin B is important in helping the testes production of sperm. In females vitamin B group which includes folic acid help the women balance progesterone and estrogen production of hormones. Lack of Vitamin B during pregnancy can result in miscarriages and still born.

Vitamin A - In females vitamin A helps keeps the cilia in the women fallopian tubes fertile and healthy. In men vitamin A is important in the man’s testosterone and sperm production.

Bioflavonoid - In men bioflavonoid aid in sperm production and keep the man’s sperm from clumping together. In females bioflavonoid helps with ovulation in woman that has not been producing eggs.

Potassium - Helps the man with sperm motility and keeps glands healthy.

Magnesium - Magnesium is important for women’s production of estrogen and progesterone. Magnesium helps keep the fallopian tubes healthy enabling the muscles to contract properly.

Zinc - A man needs zinc for a healthy sperm count, zinc helps the sperm to be well formed. Zinc deficiency can result in low levels of testosterone for men.

When trying to get pregnant it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat plenty of fruits and vegetable whole grains and lean meats. Avoid alcohol and smoking. Taking supplements and vitamins to get pregnant along with a healthy lifestyle will increase your chances of getting pregnant faster.