Side effects risk factors of and cautions for areca nut areca nut is used to treat a number of ailments. Areca nut is classified as carcinogenic to humans by the iarc international agency for reasearch on cancer 11 and there is now evidence associating areca nut chewing without tobacco with oral squamous cell carcinoma and its precursors leukoplakia and erythroplakia figures 3 and 4. Areca nut has wide ranging effects on the human body.
areca nut effects
It could cause toxic reactions in the body or reduce the effects of medications.
Areca nut effects. Chewing areca nut alone has been linked to oral submucosal fibrosis. The fruit of the areca catechu palm tree also known as the betel nut contain the stimulant arecoline. In its most basic form betel nut is a seed of the areca catechu a type of palm tree. It is associated with central obesity and type ii diabetes.
It has many systemic effects see box. Native to se asia the nuts are ground and often combined with mineral lime and wrapped in the leaf of a betel pepper plant although they are sometimes consumed buccally chewed alone. However it may causes some side effects if taken in high doses for a long time. More testing is needed.
Overview information areca is a plant. Betel quid can be made up at home or purchased as ready to chew. Areca nut is chewed alone or in the form of quids a mixture of tobacco powdered or sliced areca nut and slaked lime. The nut is used to make medicine.
3 the iarc review concluded that areca nut is carcinogenic in humans and that it is linked to cancers of the oral cavity pharynx esophagus liver and billary tracts and the uterus. Habitual chewers of betel leaf and areca nut have a greatly increased risk of developing a range of serious diseases including cancers of the mouth and esophagus. There is a dose and duration dependent association of betel quid chewing with precancerous changes in the mouth as well as mouth throat laryngeal and esophageal cancer. Areca nut sometimes referred to as betel nut although it is from a different plant than the betel leaf is the seed of areca catechu the areca palm.
Areca nut and the betel leaf have caused dna damage and cancer in cells and in animal experiments.
