Six Things Nigerian Mothers, Aunties, and Grandmothers Have Been Telling Us About Food That Are Not Quite True
Every Nigerian household has them. The food rules nobody questions. The warnings passed down from one generation to the next as if they were laws of physics. Do not eat this when you are pregnant. Do not give that to children. Cold water will kill you. Eggs will block your arteries.
Some of these beliefs come from real wisdom about food, the body, and the seasons. Others are misunderstandings that hardened into rules over time. And a few are simply wrong, with consequences that affect how Nigerian families eat, how children grow, and how chronic diseases are managed.
This is not a post about disrespecting our elders. It is a post about taking what they gave us, examining it honestly, and keeping what serves us while letting go of what does not. That is what every generation owes the next one.
One. Pregnant women should not eat okra because it makes the baby slippery
You have heard this one. Probably from more than one person. The idea is that the slimy texture of okra somehow translates into a slippery delivery, premature labour, or some general harm to the pregnancy.
There is no scientific basis for this. Okra is one of the most nutritious vegetables a pregnant woman can eat. It is rich in folate, which is essential for preventing neural tube defects in the developing baby. It contains vitamin C, fibre, and calcium. The mucilage that gives okra its slippery texture supports digestion and feeds healthy gut bacteria. Nothing about it affects the uterus or the birth canal.
The myth is metaphorical, not medical. Slippery food does not equal slippery delivery. Pregnant women in Nigeria should be eating more okra, not less.
Two. Pawpaw causes miscarriage
This one has more nuance, which is why it has lasted so long.
Unripe and semi-ripe pawpaw contain higher concentrations of latex and an enzyme called papain. In very large quantities, theoretically, these compounds could affect the uterus. That is the kernel of truth the myth grew from.
But ripe pawpaw is a different story. The papain content drops to negligible levels as the fruit ripens. Ripe pawpaw is safe and genuinely beneficial during pregnancy, providing vitamin C, folate, beta-carotene, and fibre. The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health includes ripe pawpaw in its recommended foods for pregnant women.
The honest version of this rule is: avoid unripe pawpaw during pregnancy if you want to be cautious. Eat ripe pawpaw freely.
Three. Children should eat last, after the adults
This is the belief that bothers me most as a public health nutritionist, because it is not just nutritionally wrong. It is one of the quiet contributors to childhood malnutrition in Nigeria.
Children between six months and five years have the highest protein and micronutrient needs per kilogram of body weight of any group in the household. Their brains are developing. Their bodies are growing. They need protein and iron and zinc more urgently than the adults around them do.
Stunting affects nearly four out of every ten Nigerian children under five. That is not because there is no food in the house. In many cases, it is because the food that was there did not reach the children who needed it most.
Children should not eat last. They should eat first, or alongside everyone else, with priority access to the protein on the table.
Four. Eggs are bad for you because of cholesterol
This was conventional wisdom for decades, and many Nigerians still believe it. The thinking goes: eggs contain cholesterol, cholesterol clogs arteries, therefore eggs cause heart disease.
The science has moved on, and the science was wrong.
For about 70 to 80 percent of people, the cholesterol you eat has very little effect on the cholesterol in your blood. The body produces most of its own cholesterol and adjusts based on what comes in through food. Major health organisations, including the American Heart Association, removed the cholesterol limit from their dietary guidelines years ago.
What eggs do contain is the highest quality protein available in any food, choline that supports brain function, vitamins B12 and D, and antioxidants that protect the eyes. They are also one of the most affordable complete protein sources available to Nigerian households.
Five. Garri is good food because it gives energy
Garri is everywhere. It is affordable, it lasts, and it fills the stomach. Many people genuinely believe it is nutritionally complete, or at least reasonably good.
It is not.
Garri is roughly 85 to 90 percent carbohydrate, with only about one to two percent protein. The processing destroys most of the vitamins that were in the cassava root. It contains very little fibre and minimal essential micronutrients. Its glycaemic index is between 85 and 95, which means it spikes blood sugar quickly, then leaves you hungry again soon after.
Garri provides quick, cheap calories. It does not provide the nutrients a growing child or a working adult needs to be healthy. Whenever garri is on the table, it should be paired with substantial protein and vegetables. When garri is the meal, the meal is incomplete.
Six. Drinking cold water after eating is dangerous
This one comes up everywhere. The cold water solidifies the oils in your stomach. It causes cancer. It harms your heart.
None of this is true. There is no mechanism by which it could be true.
The human body keeps its core temperature at 37 degrees Celsius. Whatever water you drink reaches that temperature within minutes of arriving in your stomach. The body does not solidify fats based on water temperature. There is no link between cold water and cancer or any cardiovascular condition.
This myth seems to have spread through chain messages and social media. The Nigerian Medical Association has repeatedly debunked it. Drink your water. The body does not care what temperature it is.
What This Is Really About
Each of these beliefs has a history. Most have a logic, even when the logic is wrong. None of them came from nowhere. But the food choices we make based on inherited beliefs have real consequences. A pregnant woman who avoids okra and pawpaw misses out on folate and vitamin C. A child who eats last gets less protein than their growing body needs.
The good news is that nutrition knowledge is something we can update. Not by abandoning culture, but by holding it up to evidence and keeping what stands. EKO Nutrition exists for exactly this conversation. Teaching with respect. Learning together. Asking the questions our communities deserve to have answered honestly.
If this post made you reconsider something you have always believed, that was the point. Share it with someone who could use the information.
