Centre to initiate evidence-based research on areca nut's health impact

Mangaluru: In response to the World Health Organization (WHO) classifying arecanut as a carcinogen, the Central Government has taken steps to safeguard the interests of arecanut farmers and address the ongoing confusion. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has announced plans to undertake evidence-based research titled “Arecanut and Human Health” to ascertain its health effects.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Bhagirath Choudhary, revealed these plans in a written response to a question raised by Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The proposed research will involve collaboration among 16 national and state-level institutions, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and others. This initiative aims to eliminate misinformation, bridge knowledge gaps, and conduct an in-depth analysis of arecanut’s impact on human health.

Arecanut, commonly consumed with betel leaves or as scented supari, holds significant cultural, religious, and medicinal value in India. It is also used in Ayurvedic and veterinary medicines due to its alkaloid content.

The Minister acknowledged that several WHO-cited studies linking arecanut consumption to health risks have methodological limitations. Many of these studies focused on mixtures like betel quid and gutka, which include arecanut alongside other harmful ingredients. Preliminary findings from a review by the ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute in Kasaragod suggest that the concentration of arecoline (an alkaloid in arecanut) used in these studies was much higher than what is typically released during normal chewing.

Further, some studies indicate that low doses of arecoline may inhibit tumor growth. The government is committed to conducting comprehensive research to establish conclusive evidence on arecanut’s health effects and advocate for a review of its classification by WHO.

This move is seen as a significant step toward protecting the livelihoods of arecanut farmers, who have been facing challenges due to the WHO’s classification.