2) Health Us Betal

[Tina Popielarczyk]

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Some traditional beliefs hold that it may offer relief for a range of ailments, from dry mouth to digestive problems. However, the drug has not been well tested in clinical trials, and evidence of any health benefits is limited.

Research has revealed some serious health risks of betel nut. The WHO classifies betel nut as a carcinogen. Many studies have shown a convincing link between betel nut use and cancer of the mouth and esophagus. A study in the Journal of the American Dental Association reports that betel nut users are at a higher risk for oral submucous fibrosis. This incurable condition can cause stiffness in the mouth and eventually the loss of jaw movement. Regular chewing of betel nut can also cause gum irritation and tooth decay. Teeth may become permanently stained deep red or even black.

Betel nut may interact with other drugs or herbal supplements. It could cause toxic reactions in the body or reduce the effects of medications. More testing is needed to determine just how betel nut affects other drugs. Regular betel nut use may also lead to dependency and withdrawal symptoms.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not consider betel nut safe for chewing or eating. It has placed the nut on its Poisonous Plants Database. A fact sheet on betel nut with tobacco issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns of the following medical conditions associated with betel nut use with tobacco:

Chewing betel nut has a long history reaching back 2,000 years, and some cultures claim to have found benefits associated with it. However, modern research shows many health risks associated with the practice. Regular chewing of the betel nut has been linked to cancer of the mouth and esophagus, oral submucous fibrosis, and tooth decay. The WHO has classified betel nut as a carcinogen and initiated an action plan to reduce its use. In the United States, both the FDA and the CDC have issued alerts on health risks associated with betel nut chewing. Reducing risk factors such as those presented by betel nut chewing is important for public health around the globe.

CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is provided by Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.

Therapeutic Research Faculty 2020.

The areca nut (/ˈrɪkə/ or /əˈriːkə/) or betel nut is the fruit of the areca palm (Areca catechu). The palm is originally native to the Philippines,[1][2] but was carried widely through the tropics by the Austronesian migrations and trade since at least 1500 BCE due to its use in betel nut chewing.[1] It is widespread in cultivation and is considered naturalized in much of the tropical Pacific (Melanesia and Micronesia), South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is not to be confused with betel (Piper betle) leaves that are often used to wrap it. The practice of betel nut chewing, often together with other herbs as a stimulant drug, dates back thousands of years, and continues to the present day in many countries.

Betel nut chewing is addictive and causes adverse health effects, mainly oral and esophageal cancers, and cardiovascular disease. When chewed with additional tobacco in its preparation (like in gutka), there is an even higher risk, especially for oral and oropharyngeal cancers. With tobacco it also raises the risk of fatal coronary artery disease, fatal stroke, and adverse reproductive effects including stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight.

The areca nut is not a true nut, but rather the seed of a fruit categorized as a berry. It is commercially available in dried, cured, and fresh forms. When the husk of the fresh fruit is green, the nut inside is soft enough to be cut with a typical knife. In the ripe fruit, the husk becomes yellow or orange, and as it dries, the fruit inside hardens to a wood-like consistency. At that stage, the areca nut can only be sliced using a special scissors-like cutter.

Usually for chewing, a few slices of the nut are wrapped in a betel leaf along with calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) and may include clove, cardamom, catechu resin (kattha), or other spices for extra flavouring. Betel leaf has a fresh, peppery taste, but it can also be bitter to varying degrees depending on the variety.

The first nut cultivation in the world was done in Kyasanuru Seeme area of Shimoga district in Karnataka state of India. Even today the cultivators plant the same variety here. Kyasanuru variety gives high yield. Grows wildly in all regions.

In parts of India, Sri Lanka, and southern China, areca nuts are not only chewed along with betel leaf, but are also used in the preparation of Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicines. Powdered areca nut is used as a constituent in some dentifrices.[5] Other traditional uses include the removal of tapeworms and other intestinal parasites by swallowing a few teaspoons of powdered areca nut, drunk as a decoction, or by taking tablets containing the extracted alkaloids.[5] According to traditional Ayurvedic medicine, chewing areca nut and betel leaf is a good remedy against bad breath.[6][unreliable source?] Diplomat Edmund Roberts noted that Chinese people would mix areca nut with Uncaria gambir during his visit to China in the 1830s.[7] After chewing a betelnut, the red residue is generally spat out. Accordingly, places have banned chewing this nut to avoid eyesores.[8][9][10]

The major alkaloid in betel nut is arecoline. There are other compounds, such as arecaidine, guvacine, isoguvacine, and guvacoline.[11] Tannins present in betel nut are mainly proanthocyanidins along with catechins and arecatannin.[11] Two new alkaloids were recently discovered and named acatechu A and acatechu B.[12] Several non-alkaloid compounds including benzenoids, terpenes, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, alcohols, and esters were also identified.[13]

Betel nut chewing causes an increased risk of head and neck cancers and esophageal cancer.[18][19][20] Betel quid affects almost all parts of the human body, including the brain, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and reproductive organs. It can cause myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, liver damage, asthma, type II diabetes, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, hypothyroidism, prostate hyperplasia and infertility.[21] Habitual chewing of areca nuts increases the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.[22] Chewing areca nuts is a cause of oral submucous fibrosis, a condition which may progress to mouth cancer.[23] It has also been linked to throat cancer.[24]

When chewed with additional tobacco in its preparation (like in gutka), there is an even higher risk for cancer, especially for oral and oropharyngeal cancers.[25] With tobacco it also raises the risk of fatal coronary artery disease, fatal stroke and non-fatal ischaemic heart disease[26][27]

Women who chew areca nut formulations, such as paan, during pregnancy significantly increase adverse outcomes for the baby. Betel quid chewing can cause stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight.[28][29][30]

Using tobacco or areca nuts during pregnancy significantly increases adverse outcomes for the baby.[32] The habit is associated with higher incidences of preterm birth and low birth weight and height.[33] Biologically, these effects may be a consequence of the arecoline that is found in areca nuts.[34] The habit also exposes the fetus to various other toxic components linked to cancer.[33]

Chewing the mixture of areca nut and betel leaf constitutes an important and popular cultural activity in many South Asian, Southeast Asian, East Asian and Oceanic countries. Why or when the areca nut and the betel leaf were first combined into one psychoactive drug is not known. Archaeological evidence from Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines suggests they have been used in tandem for at least 4000 years.[35]

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