Can you use alligator pepper as contraceptive? We have found that there is so much side to this seed (Aframomum melegueta) that you should also see.
Ngozi called one morning to let us know that she had lost her pregnancy. It was her first and she had depended on her knowledge to offer herself care for the pregnancy she so desired.
But her knowledge was not good enough.
We were not sure of what to say to her as we consoled her. But we knew there must be a reason the pregnancy dropped. It was her first trimester and the most delicate period.
She was at a traditional Igbo wedding and one of the few things the celebrants offered their guest was kola nuts, bitter kola and garden eggs.
These traditional fruits often come with a spicy peanut butter. Most times, the people prepare their peanut butter with alligator pepper.
When the tray got to her, she picked the garden egg and then took a handful of the spicy peanut butter.
After eating it, her taste bud carried a memory of it and on her way home, she saw a peanut-butter-seller and she got some.
She needed to get that lovely taste again and again.
“It could help me stop this saliva that comes to my mouth often as a result of this pregnancy,” she thought.
But the end result is not a palatable one. She lost the pregnancy.
Natural Contraceptives
Truly, it is important that females and males alike become more knowledgeable about plants and fruits as they age.
Also, they should work hard to know the natural family planning options that are available to them.
Basically, we know that there are some odds that go with using pills or other implants as contraceptives.
Some make a woman gain weight, while others just make some have irregular menstrual flow.
Have You Seen This Other Contraceptive That Works Well
However, amidst these situations, nature provides some alternatives that females and males can explore.
Recently, we met a woman and she asked my wife, what family planning option she was using.
I don’t use implants or anything apart from nature, she responded.
Yes! seeing that there are issues with the implants and pills, we went in search of natural contraceptives.
In the course of our search we found that you could use alligator pepper as contraceptive.
Alligator Pepper
Alligator pepper (Aframomum melegueta) is a spice that is widely used in many cultures for entertainment, religious and traditional rites, food flavor and as a part of many traditional doctors medications.
It is a common ingredient in pepper soup, a spicy delight in most parts of West Africa.
Alligator Pepper As Contraceptive
There are substances in alligator pepper that may have adverse effect if taken in the first trimester of pregnancy.
A 2009 animal study says pregnant rats fed with 20 grams of rat chow mixed with 50mg of Alligator pepper for one day only and thereafter fed with normal rat chow and clean drinking water ad libitum for 18-25 days (1).
The researchers found that the rats did not litter (give birth).
Some of the components of alligator pepper are humelene and caryophyllene.
While there are not much studies on the effect of these compounds on pregnancy, a study says avoiding the use of (Humulus lupulus) hops in pregnancy may be advisable (2).
Alligator Pepper And Gestational Weight Gain
Furthermore, another study offers a different information about alligator pepper and pregnancy.
The study says alligator pepper could help reduce gestational weight gain significantly.
In the animal study, female rats in the experimental groups were given intra-peritoneal injections of 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.5 mg and 2 mg of aqueous extract of alligator pepper respectively while the control had 2 ml of distilled water.
At the end, both groups littered, but the experimental group had a reduction in gestational weight gain (3).
All rats were observed for 18-25 days.
Implication Of The Studies
From the studies, a few things we can say is that the effect of alligator pepper as contraceptive is dose dependent.
According to the first study, a large quantity of alligator pepper, could serve as contraceptive.
However, in low quantity, it would reduce the chances of a woman gaining so much weight when she is pregnant.
If a little dose of 1.5mg could affect the weight of the foetus, a high dose would definitely affect pregnancy in its first trimester.
In all, you should be mindful of taking foods with this spice in your first trimester.