“It’s the food we eat that makes us have multiple twin births”. Mothers of Igboora community share their secret recipe

Igboora community, also known as the ‘home of twins’ is a town in Oyo state, Southwestern Nigeria. Research has shown that Igboora has the highest number of multiple births in the world, with almost every home having a set of twins or more.

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A number of factors can influence a person’s ability to have twins. Some people are genetically predisposed to having multiple births, while environmental factors and nutrition may also play a role.

Though some consider twins as their special gifts from God; a vast majority of the people of Igboora community are convinced their high rate of twin births is caused by nutrition. “It’s the food we eat that makes us have multiple twin births,” one of the mothers said to Odunayo of Battabox TV. “And the food that I eat like amala and ilasa soup,” she added.

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According to the mothers of Igboora community, the Ilasa soup is responsible for their twin births. The soup which is a common favourite in the community is prepared with ilasa (okra leaves), potash (akaun/kaun), locust beans (iru), melon (egusi), and pepper. “I promise you won’t eat it twice before you give birth to twins,” boasted one of the men.

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Speaking with TVC, the chief matron of the Igboora general hospital Saliu Olubunmi, said the reason for the prevalence of twins was all due to genetics. “It’s within the traits of the people here,” she said, adding that every one of them had a gene for multiple births.

However, Ray Oduntan-Kwadje, a nutritionist/Orthomolecular pratitioner is of the opinion that in addition to genetic disposition and environment, what the people of Igboora eat may contain things that stimulate multiple eggs in the ovary.