A lady asked me: “Dr, is there any side effect of eating alligator pepper as a woman?”

This is a good question.

Alligator pepper (The ‘ose’ in ‘ose oji’ in Igbo, ‘atare’ in Yoruba and ‘chitta’ in Hausa) is a spice used commonly in pepper soup, as an accompaniment to kolanut and garden eggs (egg plant) especially in Ibo land.

It is believed to have quite a number of health benefits. However, a study carried out in 2009 (Inegbenebor et al), suggests that its excessive use in the first trimester of pregnancy may pose a health risk to women.

What’s a little, what’s a lot? Who knows? 😉

To be safe, my advice is simple:

If you are pregnant, especially in the first trimester, it is best to avoid it.

Better safe than sorry.