green fresh betel nut

betel nut

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