Medical impasta: Man keeps strict ‘noodle diet’ in order to sire son

A man in Southwest China was mocked on social media for claiming he had been eating noodles daily to help him conceive a son.

The object of ridicule, surnamed Peng, said he had been eating two liang (100 grams) of noodles for breakfast every day for a month in the hopes it would change his body chemistry and make him more likely to have a boy, news outlet cqcb.com reported Monday.

Peng, 29, said it is a local belief in Chongqing that daily consumption of noodles, a culinary specialty in the city, could help men sire a son.

“I think the saying is believable, I searched online and it says alkalinity is helpful for having a son, and noodles can make the body more alkaline,” said Peng.

“It’s been a month and it feels OK since I’ve always loved noodles,” he added.

Peng’s wife, surnamed Ping, seems to be the one using her noodle. “I don’t quite believe the saying, I’d rather just let nature decide if we have a daughter or son,” said Ping.

Peng’s pasta regimen was a recipe for sarcasm on social media. “LOL… apparently he is just finding an excuse to eat more noodles,” commented Sina Weibo user “Liao Xiaoting.”

“He is a typical example of a guy who didn’t listen in high school biology,” wrote “93-forever.”

Wang Dan, an OBGYN at Southwest Hospital, said to believe that alkaline food and beverages can determine a child’s gender is “irrational.”