Betel Nut And Leaf
The most common method of using betel nut is to slice it into thin strips and roll it in a betel leaf with slaked lime powder or crushed seashells.
Betel nut and leaf. The betel piper betle is a vine belonging to the piperaceae family which includes pepper and kava. Betel leaf is mostly consumed in asia and elsewhere in the world by some asian emigrants as betel quid or in paan with areca nut andor tobacco. Areca nut and the betel leaf have caused dna damage and cancer in cells and in animal experiments. There is a dose and duration dependent association of betel quid chewing with precancerous changes in the mouth as well as mouth throat laryngeal and esophageal cancer.
Betel vine and areca nut betel nut palm are not indigenous to india. The historical epigraphic records and philological as well as archaeological evidences reveal their original home to be. Although the exact preparation varies across countries and cultures the quid is usually a mixture of slaked lime a betel leaf and flavourings such as cardamom cinnamon and tobacco. Areca nut is chewed alone or in the form of quids a mixture of tobacco powdered or sliced areca nut and slaked lime wrapped in the leaf of betel vine piper betel.
Betel leaf or paan is a pretty commonly used leaf in india. Though its primary purpose is to be used as a mouth freshener many people also use it for the numerous health benefits that it provides. Some producers wrap the ground up betel nut and spice mixture in a fresh betel leaf and sell it in local shops. Unlike the male dominated world of tobacco chewing however a number of women in asian countries enjoy chewing the betel nut.