Those who attended boarding schools in Nigeria should be familiar with the dread and complete terror that comes with old wives tales and horror stories like Madam Koi Koi. This is the same feeling that most Nigerian kids felt when we heard many of the popular food myths peddled by our parents.

Older Nigerians also swear that there is ‘ scientific evidence’  backing up the fact that beans make people tall. Anyway, I’m here to tell you why all those myths are okoto meow meow skrr yarns.

Eating mango with garri is a sure-fire way of dying by stomach ache

Which Nigerian child was never severely warned not to eat mango after drinking garri? I was always sceptical about this one because I’m a picky eater but these are two food items I enjoy(ed) immensely. I always adhered regardless because well, I didn’t want to die young from a greed-induced tummy ache. And while there is no science to back this up since I have eaten this combination several times in my adulthood and survived, it is probably a good idea not to have garri and mango as a meal because it sounds like your insides will hate you for it.

Your academics will suffer if you eat fish eyes.

In other words, you’ll become a dullard by eating too many fish eyes. One is too many, by the way. This myth is so widespread that there’s even a song/ rhyme about it used to taunt ‘olodos’ – something about them knowing how to do nothing else but eat fish eyes. Harsh!

I think fish eyes are delicious, and this is one myth I never believed for a second because I always eat them and I’m anything but dull. I’m sure there are other fish eye lovers out there who share the same story.

Eating a lot of Beans will make you tall

Beans are healthy and have a lot of protein content and while it’s true that (some of) these proteins have the ability to increase one’s height, this plan might be less successful if they aren’t already genetically inclined. 

Swallowing seeds will make trees grow on your head

I don’t think I need science to prove that this is complete and utter hogwash. Many of us have accidentally or *cough* intentionally swallowed seeds from fruit like oranges and agbalumo. Those of us who have ingested these seeds don’t have orange leaves sprouting out of our ears and nostrils, so it’s safe to say that this is untrue.

Let’s also consider the fact that the human body doesn’t contain soil and sunlight and other factors that contribute to plant growth.

There was this man though, who had a fir tree growing in his chest but I’m pretty sure that’s the exception, not the rule.

Drinking garri while it’s raining will somehow give you pneumonia 

My dad always hammered on this particular one and one day I asked him why and he said because of the cold weather. That didn’t make any more sense to me than the rest of these myths did and so I’m concluding that it’s baseless; probably rooted in the fact that excess garri consumption affects eyesight. And yes, that one might be true. 

The prevalent question is why all these lies were fed to us, scarring us for life. I heard once that it was some sort of lesson in teaching children about the dangers of greed, but was that really the best way? Plus gluttony will hold who it will hold, methinks. It’s not called one of the seven deadly sins for nothing. Are there any other food myths you’ve heard of? Share with us!