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Areca nut

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Betel nut, also known as pinang or Areca nut, is the seed of the Betel Palm (Areca catechu), a species of palm which grows throughout the Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is a medium-sized tree growing to 20 m tall, with a trunk 20-30 cm diameter. The leaves are 1.5-2 m long, pinnate, with numerous, crowded leaflets.

Constituents

Dried and half-cut Betel nuts are given as gifts and offerings, while the betel nut powder is flavoured with spices and chewed for pleasure.

The most important active principles of betel nut are arecaine and arecoline, alkaloids which are comparable to nicotine in its stimulating, mildly intoxicating and appetite-suppressing effects on the mind. It also contains the alkaloids arecaidine, arecolidine, guracine (guacine), guvacoline and a number of others that have not yet been studied extensively. When consumed on a regular basis betel chewing is likely to have harmful effects on health including cancers of the stomach and mouth and damage to gums.

Betel chewing

Betel chewing is a part of many Asian cultures and is often chewed at ceremonies and gatherings, and preparation techniques vary from region to region. The nut is either slivered or grated, often flavored with spices according to local tradition and usually wrapped in a betel leaf (note: betel leaf comes from the betel pepper plant, Piper betle, which is not botanically related to the betel palm, Areca catechu), along with some lime (calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide) to better extract the alkaloids. Some people also chew tobacco with betel nut. After about 20 minutes of chewing, the fibrous residue which remains of the nut is spat on the street, where it remains visible due to its characteristic bright red dye. Trails of bright red sputum lining the sidewalks are a sure indication of the popularity of betel chewing in an area.

Shopkeeper making Paan in an Indian store

Effects on Health

Carcinogen

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) regards betel nut to be a known human carcinogen. In addition, the mixing with chewing tobacco provides the same dangerous properties as normal chewing tobacco.

Effects on teeth

Regular betel chewing causes the teeth and gums to be stained red; however, it may also reduce cavities, and toothpastes were once produced containing betel extracts, and it is believed that it may reduce the number of cavities. However, the increase in mouse ulcers and the rotting of gums (leading to total removal of teeth) caused by betel chewing outweigh any positive effects.

Habit-forming effects

Betel chewing is addictive, and some practicioners consume vast quantities of the drug.

Other harmful effects

According to Medicine Plus [1], 'Long-term use has been associated with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), pre-cancerous oral lesions and squamous cell carcinoma. Acute effects of betel chewing include asthma exacerbation, hypotension, and tachycardia.' 'Studies of Asian populations have linked pre-cancer conditions of the mouth and esophagus to betel use ("oral submucous fibrosis"). There may be a higher risk of cancers of the liver, mouth, stomach, prostate, cervix, and lung with regular betel use. ' Other effects can include a possible effect on blood sugar levels, possibly increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Positive effects

MedicinePlus indicates 'poor-quality research' showing a possible beneficial effect for sufferers of anaemia during pregnancy. However, it counsels against betel nut chewing due a possible risk of spontaneous abortions. It also indicates 'poor-quality studies' showing a possible beneficial effect on schizophrenia and for stroke recovery.

Uses

Drawing of a Betel nut tree

Powdered betel nut is a constituent in tooth powders. Other medicinal uses include the removal of tapeworms and other intestinal parasites by swallowing a few teaspoons of powdered betel nut, or by taking tablets containing the extracted alkaloids.

In Taiwan, betel nut shops stereotypically have large picture windows behind which a young attractive woman who is usually not wearing very much is wrapping betel nuts (see betel nut beauty). Shops are often identified by several green flourescent tubes arranged in a radial pattern.

In India, betel (called paan or pan) chewing is as popular as tobacco smoking once was in the United States. Paan is often served wrapped in a betel leaf, as described above. A ground mixture of betel nuts and other spices, called paan masala is increasingly popular. Also popular in India is a concoction of ground (or thin sliced) betel nuts (supari), tobacco and flavorings known as gutkha.

One of the biggest misconception about Paan, the leaf as seen in the picture, is not actually the leaf of betel nut but of a plant that produces a type of peppers called Piper betle. In Hindi the plant is called 'Naagarvel' [2]. When you eat the leaf by itself you can taste pepsin. Betel Nut tree is type of a palm tree and has large fan shaped leaves. Betel Nuts are the fruits of that tree.

In the United States, betel nut is not a controlled or specially taxed substance and may be found in some Asian grocery stores.

Penang Island, off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, is named after pinang, a local name for betel nut.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Areca catechu.
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