The Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education: Palm Oil Does Not Cause Cancer But Overconsumption of It Can Be Harmful
“I have been falsely quoted on palm oil causing cancer several times but it is undeniable overconsumption of it can be harmful to health. There are different types of palm oil, some of which can be beneficial and the others can harm. Nonetheless, using palm oil in ice-cream and sweets is inescapable.” said the Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education, pointing out to considerable import reduction policies of palm oil.
Acknowledging that 80% of deaths in Iran occur due to noncontagious diseases, Dr. Hashemi added: “In older times, people would die of typhoid, pox, and malaria, whereas the major causes of today deaths are related with lifestyle, diet, and improper use of technology. Of course, 50% of the mortality rate originates from noncontagious, preventable diseases.”
According to Vebda, Hashemi said: “Those fostering negativity and character assassination have spread among the community that palm import has significantly increased, while the import rate has dropped from 750,000 tons with less dues to less than 450,000 tons with 30% dues. So far in the tenth month of the year, approximately 300,000 tons of palm oil has been imported and, alternatively, internal production of rapeseeds and other oilseeds has been strongly supported.”
Source: ISNA
Translation: Fardaoil International Department
