6 African foods believed to increase chances of having twins

In many African societies, African foods are respected whilst having large numbers of children tend to be a struggle. Nevertheless, the arrival of twins is often received with so much joy by families who regard it as a blessing. Twins, the birth of two offspring from the same pregnancy, is a relatively uncommon phenomenon, and, as such, twins are often regarded as special.

Worldwide, the birth rate of twins varies by region and country. Latin America and Southeast Asia have the lowest rates, with only about 9 sets of twins per every 1,000 births. In Europe, the figure is about 16 twins for every 1,000 births, and in the United States, it is about 33 for every 1,000 births.

In central Africa, that number rises to around 18 to 30 sets of twins for every 1,000 births. However, the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria boast the highest number of twin births in the world, with about 50 sets of twins for every 1,000 live births.

In Yorubaland, one town, in particular, appears to take the prize for the highest number of multiple births in the world. Igbo Ora, an agrarian town 80 kilometres from Lagos, is easily the twin capital of the world: unconfirmed estimates from the town say it boasts a mind-blowing 158 sets of twins for every 1,000 live births. This tends to prove accounts that African women have a higher chance of giving birth to twins in comparison to others.

Generally, twins run in families, implying that the chance of having them is partly determined by one’s genes, though older women also bear more twins.

In recent years, it has been disclosed that one’s diet may also play a role in having twins. The following are various African foods that you should eat if you want to get pregnant with twins: