Areca Nut - Effects On Health

Effects On Health

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) regards the chewing of betel and areca nut to be a known human carcinogen. The media has reported that regular chewers of betel leaf and areca nut have a higher risk of damaging their gums and acquiring cancer of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus and stomach. Studies have found tobacco and caustic lime increase the risk of cancer from areca nut preparations.

Studies have been conducted on the use of a "pure" paan preparation: areca nut, betel leaf, and lime only. One study found that unprocessed areca nuts, even at high doses, displayed only a very weak carcinogenicity, whereas use of processed areca nuts, as commonly used in paan preparations, causes cancer. Since 1971, many studies have showed areca nut extracts to cause cancer in rodents. In 2003 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reached the conclusion that there is sufficient evidence that the habit of chewing betel quid, with or without tobacco, is carcinogenic to humans. Support for this conclusion is provided by a recent study which found that paan, even without concurrent tobacco use, is a risk factor for oral cancer. The Merchant et al. study further determined that paan, when consumed with and without tobacco, increased oral cancer risk by 9.9 and 8.4 times, respectively, compared to those who do not consume paan.

Chewing areca nut alone has been linked to oral submucosal fibrosis. According to Medline Plus, "Long-term use has been associated with oral submucosal fibrosis (OSF), pre-cancerous oral lesions and squamous cell carcinoma. Acute effects of betel chewing include asthma exacerbation, hypertension, and tachycardia. There may additionally be a higher risk of cancers of the liver, mouth, esophagus, stomach, prostate, cervix, and lung with regular betel use. Other effects can include a possible effect on blood sugar levels, which may in turn increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The use of areca nut paste to clean teeth is mentioned in fiction, notably in James Joyce's Ulysses, set in 1904. However, the increase in mouth ulcers and gum deterioration caused by chewing areca nut and betel may outweigh any positive effects.

Use of areca nut has been associated with deterioration of psychosis in patients with preexisting psychiatric disorders

According to traditional Ayurvedic medicine, chewing areca nut and betel leaf is a good remedy against bad breath (halitosis).

In October, 2009, 30 scientists from 10 countries met at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a World Health Organization sponsored group, to reassess the carcinogenicity of various agents including areca nut, and mechanisms of carcinogenesis. They concluded there is sufficient evidence that areca nut, with or without tobacco, can cause cancer.

Effects of chewing areca nut during pregnancy

Scientific teams from Taiwan, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea have reported that expectant mothers who chew paan (and/or other areca nut and betel leaf formulations) during pregnancy significantly increase adverse outcomes for the baby. The effects were similar to those reported for mothers who consume alcohol or tobacco during pregnancy. Incidences of lower birth weight, reduced birth length and early term were found to be significantly higher.