FRESH BETEL NUT

betel nut

Areca catechu is the fruit of the betel nut (Areca catechu), which grows in most of the tropical Pacific (Melanesia and Micronesia), Southeast and South Asia, and parts of East Africa. It is commonly referred to as betel nut, so it is easy to confuse it with the betel leaf (Paan) that is often used to wrap it. The term betel nut originates from the Kannada word adike and dates back to the 16th century, when Dutch and Portuguese sailors brought the nut to Europe from Kerala. Consumption has many harmful effects on health and is carcinogenic to humans. Various compounds present in nuts, including arecoline (the main psychoactive component similar to nicotine), contribute to histological changes in the oral mucosa. It is known to be a major risk factor for cancer of the mouth and esophagus (squamous cell carcinoma). As with chewing tobacco, precautions discourage its use. Consumption by hundreds of millions of people worldwide - mostly from South and East Asia - has been described as a "neglected global public health emergency"