Baretta Method: The Way to Choose the Sex of Your Baby

The Baretta method suggests that it's possible to influence the sex of your baby through a series of changes at the nutritional level.

The Argentine biochemist Adriana Baretta has designed a dietary protocol that allows women to choose the sex of their babies: The Baretta method.

This procedure is based on the physiological changes caused by the mother’s diet on the formation of her cervical mucus, which influences the conception of a girl or a boy.

However, despite this, we must take into account the fact that the existing evidence regarding this mechanism is very limited. Although it’s true that nutritional intake can influence certain biological parameters, this association hasn’t been determined with certainty.

Bases of the Baretta method

Recently it’s been discovered that mothers could have the power to choose which sperm will fertilize their ovum, involuntarily and within certain limits. In this sense, food could play a prominent role in this mission.

By modifying her dietary pattern, a woman can cause changes in the pH of her cervical mucus. This change modifies the mobile capacity of the sperm and this determines the proportion of XX and XY chromosomes within the vaginal cavity.

Based on this fact, this proposes the hypothesis regarding the possibility of altering the chances of conceiving a boy or a girl depending on the micronutrients that the mother receives.

The influence of diet on the sex of the baby

According to biochemistry, in order to influence the sex of the baby, establishing a differential diet according to the case and regulating the consumption of sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium is necessary. Likewise, it’s also important to restrict the intake of certain foods that modulate the properties of cervical mucus.

Here are some tips for choosing the child’s gender:

• If the goal is to conceive a boy, it’s important to emphasize the intake of sodium and potassium but limit the presence of magnesium and calcium in the diet. For this reason, consuming foods such as bananas, juices, and smoked fish is essential.
• If you want to have a girl, you have to apply the opposite strategy, which prioritizes the consumption of calcium and magnesium. In this scenario, you have to ensure the intake of dairy and vegetables, in addition to legumes.

The evidence behind the Barreta method

Despite the promise of the method, the truth is that there’s no evidence to support its effectiveness.

The development of the sex of a baby is based on a fairly complex mechanism, as stated by research published in the journal Early Human Development. In fact, biology ensures the survival of the species through a similar distribution between males and females.

For this reason, it’s strange to think that a change in nutritional intake can actually change your chances of conceiving a boy or a girl. If so, the diet of a certain population could condition the conservation of the species.

Also, limiting the intake of certain nutrients when seeking pregnancy may be inappropriate for your health. The deficit of certain essential elements in your diet can favor the development of chronic diseases. For example, inadequate calcium intake has been shown to increase the risk of future osteoporosis.

Therefore, the best plan is always a varied and balanced diet at any stage of life. Don’t overemphasize the contribution of certain nutrients unless there’s a medical reason for it. Otherwise, it’s optimal to keep the intake within the values recommended by nutritionists.

The Baretta method, a mechanism that’s lacking in evidence

As you’ve seen, there’s no research that can confirm that the Baretta method is really effective. The only way to accurately choose the sex of your baby is through in vitro fertilization, as in these cases, it’s possible to know the genetic information of the embryos. All other natural remedies seem to have little or no significant effect.

However, when considering the right diet in order to get pregnant, you need to ensure an optimal nutritional contribution from both the mother and the father. To do this, both parents need to promote the consumption of fresh foods over industrial ultra-processed foods, as well as avoid soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.