[[File:TH04BETEL-BRSC.jpg|thumb|Alt=Jojoba|450px|left|Betel Leaf]]
Other names : Areca catechu L. Family: Palmaceae (palms), Areca, Betel Vine, Paan (Hindi), paan-gutkha pinlang, pinang, Tambula or Nagavalli (in Sanskrit), vetrilai (Tamil), or Tamalapaku (Telugu) , and supari.<br>The areca tree is a feathery palm that grows to approximately 1.5 m in height and is widely cultivated in tropical India, Bangladesh, Japan, Sri Lanka, south China, the East Indies, the Philippines, and parts of Africa. The tropical palm trees bear fruit all year. The nut may be used fresh, dried, or cured by boiling, baking, or roasting. The quid is a mixture of areca nut, tobacco, and lime wrapped in the leaf of the betel vine (Piper betel L. Family: Piperaceae).<br>
See also : [[Areca]]
==Special Precautions of Betel Leaf==
As is the case When you chew a betel leaf, it releases certain active chemicals like catecholamines. These chemicals interact with most tobacco related products, there is the risk other secretions of developing oral cancer areca nut and slaked lime if you eat paan too oftenhave a betel quid. Consuming These chemical interactions may cause serious side effects : *May have psychoactive properties*Affect your central nervous system (CNS)*Cause mouth and esophageal (food pipe) cancer*Disturb your oral microbiome (the betel leaf good microbes in your mouth)*Can have a negative impact on its ownpregnancy, howeverchildbirth, is not that harmful. If you have never been exposed and fetal development*Linked to this leaf beforeaddiction and withdrawal issuesMoreover, it makes sense to perform a patch test in order to see whether or definite daily intake limit for betel leaves has not you are allergic to itbeen scientifically established yet. If you are generally susceptible Due to allergies, this is definitely a good idea. You should always consult with your doctor before adding anything new to your diet or lifestyle in case it does not suit you. Moreoverthese hazardous effects, as is the case with World Health Organization (WHO) has publicly stated that betel quid products are a lot of tobacco related products, chewing paan can be slightly addictive. But the addiction here is health threat to the tobacco in it, and not the leaf itselfthose consuming them.
==Health Benefits and Uses of Betel Leaf==
* In India, Betel leaf (BL) plays an important role since ancient culture. Its use in India dates back to 400 BC. As per ancient books of Ayurveda, Charaka, Sushruta Samhitas, and Kashyapa Bhojanakalpa, the practice of chewing BL after meals became common between 75 AD and 300 AD. Toward the 13th century, European traveler Marco Polo recorded betel chewing among kings and nobles in India. Uses of Betel Leaf. Betel leaves are commonly used as mouth fresheners in India. They are used as a base to wrap up various components of paan, including tobacco, betel nut, sugar syrup, and a few other components. Modern variations of this street favorite include chocolate syrup being poured in the center of the leaf along with all the traditional components. Paan has been used as a mouth freshener since ancient times and is more popular in some cities than in others. The leaf is rolled and wrapped up to create a conical shape and always ingested in one bite. It takes a long time to chew the entire leaf but the flavors and textures of this mouth freshener make it an interesting process. Paan is also used as a flavoring agent in many candies, food and drinks. It is also a popular flavor in hookahs. Paan flavored condoms are also a common sight in drug stores in India. Paan masala, a powdered mixture of paan flavor and tobacco, is also pretty common in India.
* Malaria : Terpenes, which is a healthy compound that is present in betel leaves has strong anti-malaria properties. Also, the flavonoids that are present in betel leaves have strong anti-parasitic properties and they help fight against parasite related strains of malaria. Betel leaves have been used for their anti-malarial properties since ancient times, and this practice started off in Malaysia. It can certainly protect you from the fatal dangers of malaria and can help you fight against this deadly disease.
* This leaf contains a high amount of a carcinogen called safrole. However, it gets metabolized to dihydroxychavicol and eugenol. Both of these compounds are excreted via urine. Betel leaf exhibits antioxidant, antimutagenic, and anticancer properties. The betel phytochemicals are responsible for these properties. This means betel quids may not be cancer-causing at a non-addictive level of consumption (unless you make them with tobacco). Tobacco quids are linked to oral cancer. In fact, the compounds in betel leaf – hydroxychavicol and chlorogenic acid – counter the carcinogens from tobacco. They can selectively kill the cancerous cells without affecting the healthy cells, unlike common cancer drugs and relevant therapeutic procedures.
* Aromatherapy : Piper betel oil comes from the heart shaped leaves of the betel plant that have been harvested and used for centuries in traditional medicine. The natural chemical compounds of piper betel are antimicrobial, antifungal, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory. Piper oil can kill various microorganisms that can cause infections on the skin and in the body, and it has a natural expectorant that can loosen phlegm and ease breathing. Piper betel has pain relieving analgesic properties that ease symptoms of swelling, tension, and cramping. Supports skin health and fights acne.** Sharp, bitter aroma.**Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.**Eases feminine ailments.
==References==
* ''Kumar N, Misra P, Dube A, Bhattacharya S, Dikshit M, Ranade S. Piper betle Linn. a maligned Pan-Asiatic plant with an array of pharmacological activities and prospects for drug discovery. Curr Sci. 2010;99:922–32.''
* Betel Leaf: The Neglected Green Gold of India, Journal of Human Ecology, CiteSeerX, The Pennsylvania State University.http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.729.4572&rep=rep1&type=pdf
* Betel leaf: Revisiting the benefits of an ancient Indian herb, South Asian Journal of Cancer, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3892533/
* UTILIZATION OF RED BETEL LEAF (Piper crocatum) AS HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINK TO REDUCE BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL IN DIABETES MELLITUS PATIENTS, Academia. https://www.academia.edu/36678578/UTILIZATION_OF_RED_BETEL_LEAF_Piper_crocatum_AS_HEALTHY_FOOD_AND_DRINK_TO_REDUCE_BLOOD_SUGAR_LEVEL_IN_DIABETES_MELI_TUS_PATIENTS
* Antihyperglycemic activity of Piper betle leaf on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats., Journal of Medicinal Food, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16579737
* To Strengthen the Teeth and Harden the Gums-Teeth blackening as medical practice in Asia, Micronesia and Melanesia, Ethnobotany Research and Applications, ScholarSpace, University of Hawai’i at Manoa. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/21020/i1547-3465-09-097.pdf
* EFFECT OF BETEL CHEWING ON THE ORAL MUCOSA, University of Ceylon. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=AE07CE59E0280BFC9A804BBB992EE78D?doi=10.1.1.279.2136&rep=rep1&type=pdf
* Piper betel leaves induces wound healing activity via the proliferation of fibroblasts and reducing 11 ꞵ hydroxysteriod dehydrogenase-1 expression in diabetic rat, Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5192284/
* Effects of Consumption of Thamboolam (Conventional Betel Chewing) in Traditional Siddha Medicine, Academia. https://www.academia.edu/5493884/Effects_of_Consumption_of_Thamboolam_Conventional_Betel_Chewing_in_Traditional_Siddha_Medicine
* BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH LITERATURE ON PIPER BETLE, BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH LITERATURE ON PIPER BETLE, Digital Commons@University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4649&context=libphilprac
* Effects of Betel chewing on the central and autonomic nervous systems., Journal of Biomedical Science, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11385294
* Paan, bidi and shisha, Health A to Z, National Health Service. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/paan-bidi-and-shisha-risks/
* Impact of Chewing Betel Nut on the Oral Microbiome INDIGO Repository, The University of Illinois at Chicago. https://indigo.uic.edu/bitstream/handle/10027/21241/Drucker_Scott.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
* Betel nut chewing during pregnancy, Madang province, Papua New Guinea, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Elsevier, Academia. https://www.academia.edu/25017813/Betel_nut_chewing_during_pregnancy_Madang_province_Papua_New_Guinea
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[[category:Herbal medicine]]
[[Category:Essential oil]]