'Arecanut is not carcinogenic,has medicinal properties'

An interim report compiled by CPCRI on the medicinal properties of arecanut has been submitted to the Union government recently, by a delegation representing Campco, Mamcos, Tumcos and Karnataka State Arecanut Societies Marketing Federation.

Briefing reporters here on Monday, Campco president S R Sathishchandra said that the report was submitted to Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Radha Mohan Singh and Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda.

The delegation has urged the union minister to conduct a thorough scientific study on the medicinal, phytochemical properties and the effects of arecanut chewing on human health under the aegis of ICAR- CPCRI, in association with the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, Central Food Technology Research Institute, Mysuru, Centre for Cellular Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, Noida, and Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, and collect full scientific data on the medicinal properties of arecanut. Till the final report is submitted, the ministry should not proceed further on the subject of arecanut in the Supreme Court, he said.

Stating that arecanut has a plethora of medicinal properties, both for human beings and livestock, Karnataka State Arecanut Societies Marketing Federation president Konkodi Padmanabha said that way back in 1974, the scientists from Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru, reported that arecanut cures cancer. The same has been substantiated by a group of 25 scientists in the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, in 2016. Further, he said that in China, more than 30 medicines have already been prepared using arecanut and is practiced even now, as is reported in "Materia Medica."

He appealed to the farming community not to panic as Campco is committed to protecting the interest of arecanut growers.