Could a Wild African Yam Increase Your Chance of Twins?

The world has long been fascinated with twins. Single babies are a blessing, and fascinating as well, but there is just something magical about twins that seems to attract the attention of everyone. What isn’t interesting about two babies, having grown so close to one another, and now seeming to share a magical bond that only twins do? Many women find themselves longing for a set of twins of their own, but short of fertility drugs, there isn’t much that can be done to increase the odds of twins.

Increasing the odds of fraternal twins
Despite the heartfelt desires of many soon-to-be mothers, there is absolutely nothing that can be done to increase the chances of becoming pregnant with identical twins. Identical twins are a fluke of nature, occurring in roughly 1 in every 250 pregnancies when the egg splits and two separate babies with identical DNA develop. Fraternal twinning, however, occurs when more than one egg is released and each are fertilized by a separate sperm. It is possible that women can increase their odds of becoming pregnant with fraternal twins, by engaging in habits that increase their chances of hyperovulation, or releasing more than one egg.

Cassava
Although diets high in non-organic, full-fat dairy and high doses of folic acid are associated with the occurence of twins, there is one food that is catching the attention of women hoping for twins: cassava. Cassava is a wild yam, native to Africa. A tribe known as the Yoruba, has caught the attention of researchers with a twinning rate significantly higher than anywhere else in the world. Some researchers believe that the Yoruba tribe’s frequent consumption of cassava may be linked to the high rate of twinning due to the phytoestrogenic properties of cassava.

Finding cassava
Many women who want twins, or simply want a baby after struggling with infertility, have heard of the link between cassava and twins and gone in search of the elusive wild yam. Cassava isn’t the same as a traditional yam, however, and consuming the typical store-bought sweet potatoes and yams won’t be likely to produce the same effects. Cassava can usually be found as specialty stores that carry exotic and ethnic foods, or can be ordered online in bulk cases. Cassava may also go by the name of yuca, but should not be confused with an unrelated fruit bearing plant called yucca.

Taking cassava
Cassava is not usually able to be found in supplement form and in order to reap the benefits of cassava consumption, it is important to consume cassava on a daily basis. Women of the Yoruba tribe who have left their homeland and adopted a different diet had a significantly decreased rate of twinning in comparison to those who maintained the diet high in cassava, leading researchers to believe that the effects of cassava intake on twinning are short-term, rather than cumulative. So while trying for twins, it is important to keep up with cassava consumption.

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