Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, former Director General of the Ghana Health Service, has warned Ghanaians about the health risks associated with consuming vegetable and industrialised oils.
In an interview with Citi News at the Graphic National Development Series in Accra, Prof Akosa cautioned that these oils are major contributors to heart diseases, which are prevalent in Ghana.
According to Prof Akosa, locally produced oils like coconut oil, palm oil, and shea butter are healthier alternatives, debunking the misconception that they are unhealthy.
He expressed concerns about the quality of industrially produced oils, suggesting that the industry promotes them as healthy to drive sales of cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Prof Akosa stated, “They say it’s good because they have arranged with Big Pharma to produce drugs called statins. If you eat vegetable oil, your cholesterol will go up, and you will go to a physician to get statins to bring it down, but constantly you are still eating vegetable oil.”
He emphasised that traditional oils are natural and healthy, saying, “The traditional oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, shea butter, red palm oil, those were traditional oils. They tell us those oils are bad, but those oils are natural. These are the best and healthy oils.”
—————
Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
No spams, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital