Betel Nut

Areca catechu

Betel nut is a name given to the seed of the Areca catechu tree, a species of palm tree that grows in parts of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and Africa. More commonly known as betel palm or betel nut tree, it can grow to a height of 65-90 feet. Areca catechu is part of the Arecaceae family (commonly referred to as the palm family). There are over 200 genera and about 2600 species contained in the family, almost all of which grow in the tropics (Ratsch 1998, 57-58).

A. catechu is limited to growing in warm tropical or subtropical areas, but it is not known where it originated. It may have come from the Philippines or an area near there. Nearly all of the Areca catechu trees that are now cultivated for betel nuts were planted by humans. Areca catechu trees can be found growing in parts of Arabia, China, East Africa, Egypt, Fiji, Hindustan, Indochina, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldive Islands, Melanesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan. Wild Areca catechu trees can be found growing in Malabar, a region in India between the Western Ghats and Arabian Sea (Ratsch 1998, 57).

The betel palm is grown primarily for betel nuts. It can be grown in a variety of soil types. Cultivation is performed using pre-germinated seeds. The saplings must grow in the shade, as they may be killed by strong sun. The palms bear fruit when they are 10-15 years of age. A productive betel palm can provide fruit for 45-75 years. Usually only the ripe fruits are harvested. Areca catechu can be infected by various fungi, especially Ganoderma lucidum (Raghavan & Baruah 1958).

The name betel nut is misleading. Piper betle, commonly known as betel, is a plant that originated in Asia. The leaves from Piper betle are often chewed together with A. catechu nut and edible lime (also called calcium hydroxide, limbux, or slaked lime). By association, the areca nut has become known as the betel nut (Ratsch 1998, 57-58).

TRADITIONAL USES: Betel nuts have been used as a narcotic (in the true definition of the word, not the connotation it now has) for thousands of years. The practice is thought to have started in south-east Asia and there is archaeological evidence to support this view. The Spirit Cave site in Thailand has yielded palaeobotanical remains of Areca catechu, Piper betel, and edible lime. As it is this combination that is still chewed today for its psychoactive properties, this find provides  circumstantial evidence for the practice of betel chewing in prehistoric times. These remains are between 7,500 and 9,000 years old. If the dating is accurate, this would make betel one of the earliest known psychoactive substances to be used by humans (Raghavan & Baruah 1958).

Printed references related to betel nut chewing go back to hundreds of years before the common era. In Pali, a story dating from about 500 BCE describes a princess giving a present of betel to her lover. Somewhere around 430 BCE, Theophrastus described use of the nuts as a component of the betel morsel. Areca catechu is mentioned in Sanskrit under the name guvaka, and in Chinese texts dating from 150 BCE it was called pinlang. In Persia there were 30,000 shops that sold betel nut in the capital town during the reign of Khosrau II (King of Persia from 590 to 628). Arabs and Persians who visited the Hindustan area of India in the 8th and 9th centuries found the habit  of chewing the nut deeply rooted there. Ali al-Masudi, an Arab historian who travelled through India in 916, described the chewing of betel nut as a national custom. There were even those who voluntarily ascended the funeral pyre comforted by betel nut. People who did not use betel nut were socially isolated (Voogelbreinder 2009, 87).

The custom of betel nut chewing is so common (it is estimated that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 10 people on earth are users) that raising Areca catechu trees for betel nuts is a major economic benefit to areas where they are grown for commercial purposes. In New Guinea and other parts of Melanesia betel chewing is as avidly pursued, as it is in India, mainland south-east Asia and Indonesia (Ratsch 1998, 59).

In Melanesian, A. catechu use is similar to our use of tea and coffee in the sense that it is an integral and informal part of the daily routine, although it is not without its ritualistic uses in the region. As in India and elsewhere, betel has been the inspiration for minor art forms and in Melanesia there are many finely decorated lime spatulas, lime containers and other objects incorporated into the betel chewing kit (Ratsch 1998, 59).

TRADITIONAL PREPARATION: Chewing betel nut is an important and popular cultural activity in many Asian countries. Betel nuts are also used as an offerings to Hindu deities. In India (the worlds largest consumer of betel nut), betel nuts are cut into small pieces with a special instrument. The practice of using betel nut is often called betel nut chewing but the nuts are not just placed in the mouth and chewed. They are usually dried and broken down into smaller pieces, sometimes into a powder, mixed with edible lime to aid in the absorption of their active ingredients, arecaine and arecoline. Rather than being chewed, the mixture is put between the cheek and tongue and left there, sometimes overnight (Voogelbreinder 2009, 87).

Fermenting the fruits of A. catechu can be fermented to create an Areca wine. Leaves that have been inoculated with beer yeast for alcoholic fermentations, as well (Voogelbreinder 2009, 87).

MEDICINAL USES: In Ayurvedic medicine betel nut is used as a diuretic, digestive, anthelmintic, astringent, and cardiotonic.  The nuts are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat diarrhoea, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, and other intestinal troubles.  The leaves of the plant are consumed in Cambodia as a tea to treat lumbago and bronchitis.  They use the root for liver disease and the fruit along with opium for the treatment of intestinal troubles.  A. catechu is used as an abortifacient in Malaysia, and the young shoots and flowers are eaten as food (Voogelbreinder 2009, 87).

The betel nut can cause black stained teeth and gums to those who chew it regularly, although it is excellent for maintaining a healthy digestive tract, especially in disease-ridden areas.  However, it has been proposed that betel nut is a carcinogen, though this may be due to the common modern addition of tobacco products.  Betel nut can also cause bronchoconstriction, and so should be avoided by asthmatics (Voogelbreinder 2009, 87).

TRADITIONAL EFFECTS: The effects of betel nuts are stimulating and can be compared to a mild amphetamine dose. There is also an appetite suppressing effect. Betel nuts have a spicy taste, and large amounts of saliva are usually produced when chewing them. Overuse of betel nuts can cause a feeling of intoxication, convulsions, diarrhea, dizziness, or vomiting. After years of daily use, long term betel chewers will eventually develop a distinctive red stain of the mouth, teeth, and gums (Voogelbreinder 2009, 87).

The name areca, which means “cavalier,” may be derived from the Kanarese word adeke or the
Malayalam adakka. In early Sanskrit works, the palm is referred to as gouvaka. It was already
mentioned in Jataka and Pali writings. The first description of the palm, however, is purportedly
that of Herodotus (ca. 340 B.C.E.). Later, both the palm and the chewing of betel were more or
less precisely discussed by many Arabic and European travelers (e.g., Abd Allah Ibn Ahmad,
Marco Polo, Vasco da Gama, Garcia da Orta, Abul Fazal, Jacobus Bontius) in their travel
reports. The British traveler R. Knox, in his Historical Relation of the Island of
Ceylon (London, 1681), was obviously impressed, and he described both the use of the betel nut
and its economic significance. The first European pictorial representation of the betel nut is a
copperplate engraving by Carolus Clusius in Aromatum et simplicium aliquot
medicamentorum . . . historia (Antwerp, 1605).
—Areca nuts (arecae semen, formerly semen arecae, nuces arecae); also known as betel nut,
areca nut, noix d’arec, puwag In Sri Lanka (Ceylon), the seeds of the closely related
species Areca concinna Thwaites are sometimes chewed as a substitute for the true betel nut
(Raghavan and Baruah 1958, 318). In the Philippines, the seeds of another related
species, Areca ipot (known as bungang-ipot), are used as a substitute (Stewart 1994, 40*). The17
seeds of the palm Areca laxa Ham. serve as a substitute on the Andaman Islands, while Areca
nagensis Griff is used in Bengal and Areca glandiformis Lam. and Calyptrocalyx
spicatus Blume are used on the Moluccas for the same purpose (Hartwich 1911, 529*). In
Assam, the seeds of Gnetum montanum Mark. [syn. G. scandens Roxb. (Gnetaceae)], known
locally as jagingriube, are chewed as a substitute for areca nuts (Jain and Dam 1979, 54*). In
India, the bark of Loranthus falcatus L. (Loranthaceae) is used as a substitute for areca nuts and
has narcotic effects. The fruits of Pinanga dicksoniiBlume are also used as an areca substitute in
India, while the fruits of Pinanga kuhlii Blume are used in the Malay Archipelago for the same
purpose (Hartwich 1911, 529*). In many areas of India, freshly harvested betel nuts are
preferred. In order to maintain their freshness, these may be stored for several months in a
vessel full of water. When the nuts dry, they become very hard and can then be chewed only
with difficulty. Sometimes, however, even dried betel nuts can be found in the market. These
are dried in the sun for six to seven weeks before sale (as so-called chali nuts). In Malaysia,
cracked betel nuts are smoked with gum benzoin, which imparts to them a pleasant aroma; these
are sold in the markets as pinang ukup (see incense). In addition, whole, ripe, dried nuts
(pinang kossi); halved, dried nuts (pinang blah); smoked nuts (pinang salai); and semi-ripened,
salted nuts (pinang asin) are also sold in the markets. Sometimes, nearly ripe betel nuts are
harvested and boiled in a decoction of betel leaves (Piper betle L.); pieces of bark
from Szyzygium jambolanum DC., Pterocarpus santalinus L., Adenanthera pavoniaL.,
and Ficus religiosaL.; and some slaked lime and oils. This lends them a reddish color (from the
red sandalwood) and a beautiful luster. Such nuts have a more aromatic taste and remain soft for
a longer period of time (Raghavan and Baruah 1958, 332f.). Occasionally, freshly harvested,
tender, unripe nuts are boiled in a solution of lime, dried, and exported. Cut into slices, these
nuts are sold under the name kali (Macmillan 1991, 427*). Betel nuts have their greatest
ethnopharmacological significance as the primary ingredient in betel quids. Fermenting the
fruits can even produce an areca wine (Raghavan and Baruah 1958, 316). Leaves that have been
inoculated with beer yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) are employed for alcoholic fermentation.
One betel quid contains approximately one-quarter to one-half nut. According to Roth et al.
(1994, 141*), the maximal individual dosage is 4 g. Eight to 10 g of powdered seed can be
sufficient to produce lethal effects. A dosage of 2 mg of the isolated main alkaloid, arecoline,
produces strong stimulating effects. The individual dosage should not exceed 5 mg. In India,18
betel nuts are administered primarily to dispel tapeworms (Raghavan and Baruah 1958, 338).
Betel nuts were also once a popular anthelmintic in Europe, especially in veterinary medicine
(Macmillan 1991, 426*; Pahlow 1993, 430*). They also found use in folk medicine for diarrhea
and similar ailments. Betel nuts are used for a variety of purposes in Ayurveda and Unani, the
two traditional medical systems of India and its neighboring regions. They are administered to
treat digestive problems and nervous disorders. A decoction of them is also esteemed as a tonic
and aphrodisiac (especially in combination with other substances) (Raghavan and Baruah 1958,
338). Similar uses of betel nuts can be found in traditional Chinese medicine and in Cambodia.
Malay magicians and poisoners use a mixture of betel nuts and opium (see Papaver
somniferum) to poison and rob their victims. In Iran, areca nuts are mixed with sugar and
coriander and administered to induce labor (Hooper 1937, 86*). The seeds contain various
alkaloids (0.3 to 0.6%) of a relatively simple chemical structure: 0.1 to 0.5% arecoline (primary
alkaloid), as well as arecaine, arecaidine, arecolidine, guvacoline, isoguvacine, and guvacine.
Tanning agents (tannins: galotannic acid, gallic acid, D-catechol, phlobatannin), mucilage,
resin, carbohydrates (saccharose, galactan, mannan), proteins, saponines, carotene, minerals
(calcium, phosphorus, iron), and fat (sitosterol) are also present (Raghavan and Baruah 1958,
335 ff.). When betel nuts are chewed in combination with slaked lime, the alkaloid arecoline is
transformed into arecaidine. Recently, Areca seeds were discovered to contain four new
polyphenolic substances (NPF-86IA, NPF-86IB, NPF-86IIA, NPF-86IIB) that may be able to
inhibit a membrane-bound enzyme (5’-nucleotidase) (Uchino et al. 1988). Arecoline, the
primary alkaloid, is a parasympathomimetic. It has stimulating effects, strongly promotes
salivation, and has anthelmintic (worm-killing) properties; it can also induce brachycardia
(deceleration of the heartbeat) and tremors. Eight to 10 g of the seed can be lethal, death
resulting from cardiac or respiratory paralysis (Roth et al. 1994, 140*). The polyphenolic
substances (NPF-86IA, NPF-86IB, NPF-86IIA, NPF-86IIB) have tumor-inhibiting and
immune-strengthening effects (Uchino et al. 1988). The oil of areca nuts has antifertility
properties (Roth et al. 1994, 140*). An aqueous extract strengthens the body’s own immune
system (Raghavan and Baruah 1958, 339).

REFERENCES

Raghavan, V., and H. Baruah. “Arecanut: India’s Popular Masticatory – History, Chemistry, and Utilization.” Economic Botany 12 (1958): 315–345.

Ratsch, Christian., The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and its Applications. Rochester: Park Street Press, 1998.

Voogelbreinder, Snu, Garden of Eden: The Shamanic Use of Psychoactive Flora and Fauna, and the Study of Consciousness. Snu Voogelbreinder, 2009.