The areca nut (/ˈærɪkə/ 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 due to the presence of the stimulant arecoline, 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.
Consumption by hundreds of millions of people worldwide—mainly of South/Southeast Asian origins—has been described as a public health emergency.
- ^ a b Zumbroich TJ (2007–2008). "The origin and diffusion of betel chewing: a synthesis of evidence from South Asia, Southeast Asia and beyond". eJournal of Indian Medicine. 1: 87–140.
- ^ "Areca catechu L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Retrieved 2 May 2023.