Betel
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 A Piper betle plant
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| Piper betle L. |
The Betel (Piper betle) is a spice whose leaves have medicinal properties. The plant is known by a series of different names in the regions in which it is consumed - among these are Taambuul and Nagavalli (Sanskrit), Vidyache pan (Marathi), veeleya/vilya (kannada), Vetrilai (Tamil), Vettila (Malayalam). The plant is evergreen and perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins, and grows to a height of about 1 metre. The Betel plant originated from South and South East Asia (India, Srilanka, Vietnam, and Malaysia). The best Betel leaf is the "Magadhi" variety (literally from the Magadha region) grown near Patna in Bihar, India. In Kerala, the famous variety of betel leaf is from Venmony near Chengannur and it is called "Venmony Vettila". Betel leaf cultivated in Tirur, Kerala is also of fine quality. Betel leaves exported from Tirur are famous in Pakistan as "Tirur Pan".
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[edit] Ingredients
The active ingredients of betel oil, which is obtained from the leaves, are primarily a class of allylbenzene compounds. Though particular emphasis has been placed on chavibetol (betel-phenol; 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyallylbenzene), it also contains chavicol (p-allyl-phenol; 4-allyl-phenol), estragole (p-allyl-anisole; 4-methoxy-allylbenzene), eugenol (allylguaiacol; 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-allylbenzene; 2-methoxy-4-allyl-phenol), methyl eugenol (eugenol methyl ether; 3,4-dimethoxy-allylbenzene), and hydroxycatechol (2,4-dihydroxy-allylbenzene).
Several terpenes and terpenoids are present in the betel oil as well. There are two monoterpenes, p-cymene and terpinene, and two monoterpenoids, eucalyptol and carvacrol. Additionally, there are two sesquiterpenes, cadinene and caryophyllene.
[edit] Chewing
In India, Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka and parts of South Asia, the leaves are chewed together with the mineral slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), Catechu, called "Kattha" in Hindi,and the areca nut which, by association, is sometimes inaccurately called the "betel nut". The lime acts to keep the active ingredient in its freebase or alkaline form, thus enabling it to enter the bloodstream via sublingual absorption. The areca nut contains the alkaloid arecoline, which promotes salivation (the saliva is stained red), and is itself a stimulant. This combination, known as a "betel quid", has been used for several thousand years. Tobacco is sometimes added.
Betel leaves are used as a stimulant, an antiseptic and a breath-freshener Paan. In Ayurvedic medicine, they are used as an aphrodisiac. In Malaysia they are used to treat headaches, arthritis and joint pain. In the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and China they are used to relieve toothache. In the Philippines, they are used specifically as a stimulant. In Indonesia they are drunk as an infusion and used as an antibiotic. They are also used in an infusion to cure indigestion, as a topical cure for constipation, as a decongestant and as an aid to lactation.
In India, betel is used to cast out (cure) worms.
In India, the betel and areca play an important role in Indian culture especially among Hindus. All the traditional ceremonies governing the lives of Hindus use betel and areca. For example to pay money to the priest, they keep money in the betel leaves and place it beside the priest.
The betel and areca also play an important role in Vietnamese culture. In Vietnamese there is a saying that "the betel begins the conversation", referring to the practice of people chewing betel in formal occasions or "to break the ice" in awkward situational conversations. The betel leaves and areca nuts are used ceremonially in traditional Vietnamese weddings. Based on a folk tale about the origins of these plants, the groom traditionally offer the bride's parents betel leaves and areca nuts (among other things) in exchange for the bride. The betel and areca are such important symbols of love and marriage such that in Vietnamese the phrase "matters of betel and areca" (chuyện trầu cau) is synonymous with marriage.
A related plant P. sarmentosum, which is used in cooking, is sometimes called "wild betel leaf".
The high rate of oral cancer in India is thought to be due to the chewing of betel preparations, though it is unclear whether the cause is due to the betel nut or tobacco which is added to some betel preparations. There is an association between the chewing of betel preparations and oral and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. It is also unclear whether similar health risks exist with traditional recipes as those that are associated with modern betel preparations.
[edit] Further reading
- P. Guha: Betel leaf:The neglected green gold of India. J. Hum Ecol., 19(2) 2006 [1]
- U J Nair et al: Role of lime in the generation of reactive oxygen species from betel-quid ingredients.[2]
- The Merck Manual. Tumours of The head and neck. [3]
[edit] External links
- Avandia Drug Trial for Oral Premalignant Lesions at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
- Sulindac Drug Trial for Oral Premalignant Lesions at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
