It is a common misconception in Nigeria, particularly among the younger generations, that consuming mango after having a beverage containing Coca-Cola or Fanta might be deadly. It’s also possible that you’ve heard that consuming mango after drinking garri can put your health at risk.
In 1986, there was a rumor going around that a teacher had been cultivating a plot of farm land that was located at the back of the school blocks. In most cases, he sends his students on field trips to the farm so that they can assist with various activities associated with farming during the various seasons.
They had finished their job on the farm for the day, so the teacher and the students decided to take a break and relax under a mango tree one afternoon (government schools do have mango trees around). Some of the students climbed the mango tree and plucked some ripe mangoes, which were then shared among all of the students. Everyone, including the instructor, was in a good mood, and as they were unwinding and enjoying their mangoes, they laughed and made jokes.
When they were almost done eating the mangoes, out of his generosity, the teacher dispatched several of the students to a local shop to buy bottled minerals (carbonated soft drinks) so that they could drink, and that was it. There were no more activities.
After the students drank the minerals, it took them only a few minutes to start having terrible stomach pains, and they died almost right away. The instructor did not consume the mineral, which was a fortunate turn of events; but, he became very anxious and agitated over the possibility that his actions led to the deaths of the students. He was surrounded by people who tried to comfort him, but he would not listen.
During the time that individuals were congregating and sobbing and howling, the instructor took a bottle of mineral that had not been completely consumed and drank from it. Likewise, he passed away in an instant.
Since then, I have made it a point to keep those two things in the forefront of my mind at all times. If I ate a mango first thing in the morning, I would never drink a soft drink of any kind on that day. Never! Because of how memorable that tale is, and how strongly I believe it to be true. Don’t judge me.
This belief is, therefore, a myth.
However, there is no evidence from the medical community to suggest that consuming mango after drinking carbonated beverages is harmful. There is no evidence from any study that either Coca-Cola or Fanta can interact with mango to produce a lethal poison that is capable of killing someone.
Furthermore, if it were really the case that consuming mango after drinking Fanta posed a health risk, then several health warnings would be posted regarding the dangers of combining the two items. There would be extensive coverage of it in a wide variety of news organizations, websites, and government bodies all around the world.
In conclusion, I am one hundred percent certain that a significant portion of the world’s population has consumed mango and coke or Fanta at some point in their lives. If what is being said is accurate, then we should have already heard about the deaths of a great number of people.
Thank you very much for reading. Do you happen to be familiar with any other myths? Leave a comment below and tell us what you think.
Also, make sure to tell all of your friends about this because it is important information for them to have.
