No medical evidence that ‘remedy’ of bitter kola, sugar and beer improves female fertility

“Remedy to get pregnant,” reads a Facebook post shared more than 2,400 times since it was published on August 6, 2024.

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Screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken on August 13, 2024

The post then describes the steps for preparing the concoction which entails soaking bitter kola, sugar, beer and a soft drink in a bowl for 24 hours.

“Not for people with infection or seized [sic] menstruation,” it warns. 

The post features images of the listed ingredients and was published by a page called “Hudu Villa” with 14,000 followers.

Most of the content in the account’s feed promotes traditional treatments for various medical conditions.

The same claim has also been shared elsewhere on Facebook including here, here and here.

However, experts say medical evidence does not support the purported fertility advice.

Experts reject ‘remedy’

Nigerian obstetrics and gynaecology professor Michael Aziken told AFP Fact Check that the claim “is a lie” (archived here).

Aziken, an infertility management specialist who teaches at the University of Benin, said the concoction “is not a documented, prescribed medical intervention for infertility management”.

“Medicines contain plant extract at specific concentrations and are used in managing certain conditions and ailments. It has not been established that bitter kola should be incorporated in the management of infertility,” he added.

Aziken further explained that various issues could cause reduced fertility or infertility, including polycystic ovarian syndrome, blocked fallopian tubes, and low or zero sperm count.

“Instead, affected parties should visit the hospital so that the specific cause of the problem is determined and treated appropriately.”

Similarly, Kikelomo Adesina, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Ilorin in north-central Nigeria’s Kwara state, said science did not back such treatments (archived here).

“It is not scientific or evidence-based. Therefore, it is not something that should be propagated. Such claims are common because people like to spread such narratives without the proper scientific evidence to support such claims,” Adesina told AFP Fact Check.

Subject of scientific research

Bitter kola (Garcinia kola) is the nut of a commonly cultivated forest tree in West and Central Africa  (archived here). The nuts are chewed in the West African region where they have cultural significance.

There has been various research into the medicinal uses of bitter kola.

Aziken said early studies suggested that the plant had some aphrodisiacal properties but could not boost one’s fertility.

“A substance having aphrodisiac properties is different from having fertility-boosting properties. Aphrodisiacs influence sexual desire and libido while fertility drugs improve semen and egg quality or quantity in men and women,” he said.

AFP Fact Check found two studies where female and male lab rats were administered bitter kola extract to assess its effect on reproductive hormones. Both studies, published in peer-reviewed academic journals, concluded that bitter kola partly inhibited ovulation in female lab rats and reduced fertility in male lab rats. 

Another study tested the impact of bitter kola extract on male fertility in guinea pigs and concluded that it caused decreased semen count and mobility.

AFP Fact Check has previously debunked a claim that a mixture of lemon and bitter kola increases the size of the male genitalia.