Active Ingredient Betel Nut (areca Catechu L.)

betel nut use refers to a combination of three ingredients: the nut of the betel palm ( areca catechu ), part of the piper betel vine, and lime. anecdotal reports have indicated that small doses generally lead to euphoria and increased flow of energy while large doses often result in sedation. although all three ingredients may contribute to these effects, most experts attribute the psychoactive effects to the alkaloids found in betel nuts.

Source:

medlineplus herbs and supplements: betel nut (areca catechu l.)

Medical Condition	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
anemia unspecified	early poor-quality research reports that betel nut chewing may lessen anemia in pregnant women. reasons for this finding are not clear, and betel nut chewing may be unsafe during pregnancy.	c
dental caries	due to the known toxicities of betel nut use and the availability of other proven products for dental hygiene, the risks of betel nut may outweigh potential benefits.	c
latent schizophrenia	preliminary poor-quality studies in humans suggest improvements in symptoms of schizophrenia with betel nut chewing. however, side effects such as tremors and stiffness have been reported. more research is necessary before a firm conclusion can be drawn.	c
other ulcerative colitis	currently, there is a lack of satisfactory evidence to recommend the use of betel nut for ulcerative colitis. based on the known toxicities of betel nut use, the risks may outweigh any potential benefits.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.