Areca Catechu (Whole Betel Nuts)
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The Areca catechu (Betel Nut) has a long and rich history, and interestingly enough, most betel pams that exist today have been planted by humans. The most common use of these nuts (seeds) is in the ritual chewing of the "betel-quid." This habit is very widespread throughout Asia, India and the Pacific, making it one of the most popular stimulants in the world.
Generally the the betel-quid is a small morsel consisting of a quarter betel seed (cushed), a pinch of lime, spices like cardamom or nutmeg for flavour all wrapped in a betel leaf (Piper betle). On some Pacific Islands it is traditional for the men to also add tobacco into the package. This quid is chewed slowly over several hours, causing mild stimulation and a feeling of well-being.
There have been reports of Betel Nut being used by simply as mixing 1/4 of a Betel Nut, crushed or powdered, with 1/8th of a gram of edible lime. The edible lime increases the amount of arecoline (the active ingredient) that the body can absorb, making smaller amounts more effective. After an hour or so, the mixture is spit out rather than swallowed, since swallowing the mixture can upset the stomach. Sometimes cloves are used for flavoring, although the Betel Nut, according to reports, has quite a mild flavor.
As stated 1994 by Roth; "Since betel in non-addictive, it does not appear on any of the international lists of addictive drugs." But, since reports of Parag, a product that contains tobacco mixed with Betel Nut, causing mouth cancer, imports of ALL Parag products are regularly blocked into the USA, regardless of whether the products contain tobacco or not. It seems that the Betel Nut has been blamed for the cases of mouth cancer, wheras the most-likely culprit is the tobacco. There have never been any reports of Areca causing cancer on it's own.
Areca catechu, or the betel palm, was referred to in early Sanskrit as “gouvaka,” and was sited even earlier than that in the Jataka Tales as well as in the Pali lexicon. The word “areca” means “cavalier,” and is speculated to be derived from the Kanarese word “adeke” or the Malayalam word “adakka.” The first documented, descriptive account of the betel palm was put forth during the fifth century by the Greek historian Herodotus of Halicarnassus. Travelogues of early 17th century Arabic and European travelers documented the betel palm and the habitual chewing of its seeds by native tribes.
History of Betel Nut
It has been speculated that the wild form of betel palm may have originated in the Sunda Isles or possibly in the Philippines. The betel palm grows wild in Malabar, India, however, most modern betel palms today have been hand planted by man. The betel palm can only survive in areas in close proximately to lush, tropical rain forests, so its milieu is limited to India, Hindustan, Indochina, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Madagascar, Egypt, East Africa, Arabia, southern China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Fiji and Melanesia.
Areca catechu is grown primarily for its seeds, commonly referred to as betel nuts, although the plant is also a popular ornamental. It is often sold under the name “areca palm.” The betel palm is a commonplace plant in India, where it can be found lining the drives leading to palaces and public parks. In order to cultivate the betel palm, first its seeds must be pregerminated. The plant grows well in a variety of soil, however, the saplings need to grown in shade, since they are very susceptible to falling victim to the intense tropical sun.
Betel palms will bear fruit when they mature ten to fifteen years. One palm can bear fruit for forty-five to seventy years. This fan-type palm tree can grow to over eighty feet tall, and develops a trunk that grows to ten to twenty inches in diameter. Its loculate fronds commonly grow to over six feet in length. The male and female flowers are located in spadices that develop just below the leaves, and mature palms can produce up to three such spadices, each yielding 150 to 200 fruits. The egg-shaped fruits each contain one brown, reticulate seed, or betel nut, which usually weighs in anywhere from three to ten grams.
Psychoactive Properties
The psychoactive properties of Areca catechu are contained in the betel nuts, also known as areca nuts, noix d’arec and puwag. Freshly harvested betel nuts are highly desired in many areas of India. In order to preserve their freshness, they may be stored for several months in a sealed container full of water. When the nuts dry out, they develop a very hard outer skin, or shell, and become very difficult to chew. Nevertheless, even dried betel nuts can be found for sale in markets. The process of producing these market-bought nuts consists of drying them in the sun for six to seven weeks before they are put out for sale.
In Malaysia, cracked betel nuts mixed with gum benzoin are sold as “pinang ukup” in both smoking blends and as an incense; both forms famous for emitting a heady, enticing fragrance. Different variations of the seeds can also be found in open air markets, including whole, ripe, dried betel nuts (pinang kossi), halved and dried betel nuts (pinang blah), smoked nuts (pinang salai), and semi-ripened, salted nuts (pinang asin).
On occasion, nearly ripe betel nuts are harvested then boiled in a decoction of betel leaves along with chunks of bark from Szyzygium jambolanum, Pterocarpus santalinus (red sandalwood), Adenanthera pavonia, Ficus religiosa, and slaked lime (obtained by burning mussel, conch and/or snail shells, coral or limestone, then dousing the ashes in water), and essential oils. The red sandalwood lends the nuts their reddish color and gives them an iridescent, glistening luster. Betel nuts prepared in this way have a more fragrant flavor and tend to stay softer for a longer period of time.
Ritualistic Uses
The most significant ritualistic use of the betel nut takes place during ceremonies involving betel quid. Although recipes vary slightly, betel quid consists of essentially three ingredients: betel nuts, betel leaves (Piper betle), and slaked lime. Often, specially treated tobacco is added to this mixture, as are an assortment of spices and a varietal array of psychoactive plants and a variety of substances such as essential oils and alkaloids. Fermenting the Areca catechu fruits can produce an inebriating wine. Betel leaves that have been infused with beer yeast can be used for alcoholic fermentation.
In many cultures, betel nuts are considered magic once a shaman has uttered a spell over them. The nuts then are believed to carry the magical power of the shaman’s words themselves and are able to transfer this magic to a specific target, whether that be a person, an action or an object. They are often used in this fashion as a conduit for love magic.
In India, the blooms of the betel palm are one of the most important ceremonial flowers used in rituals as offerings. The Areca catechu tree itself is symbolically venerated as the Hindu deity Ganesha, the Lord of Beginnings and Remover of Obstacles. The leaves of the betel palm also have ritual significance. They are often employed in Buddhist ceremonies and during initiations. On the isle of Sri Lanka, watertight bowls are woven from the leaves, and newborn boys are ritually bathed in them.
In Southeast Asia generally, and in Indonesia specifically, betel palm leaves are placed at the threshold of the door of a newlywed couple and attached to their house as a sign of honor. The betel palm is also occasionally discovered in portrayals of ancient Indian and Thai art, and the hard areca nuts are carved into small bottles or containers for storing incense in modern-day India.
The people of India use betel nuts medicinally in a decoction with areca leaves as a general health tonic and an aphrodisiac. In addition, the seeds themselves are primarily ingested to dispel tape worms. To that effect, betel nuts were once widely used throughout all of Europe as a popular anthelmintic (worm killing) remedy, especially in veterinary medicine. They are also used in folk medicine to treat diarrhea and similar ailments.
Active Alkaloids
Betel nuts contain various alkaloids, the primary of which is arecoline. When betel nuts are chewed in combination with slaked lime, the alkaloid arecoline is transformed into arecaidine. Arecoline is a parasympathomimetic, inducing a deceleration of the heartbeat and tremors. It has stimulating effects that greatly promote salivation, and it possesses anthelmintic properties. The polyphenolic substances it contains have tumor-inhibiting and immune-strengthening effects. The oil of areca nuts has anti-fertility properties and the aqueous extract helps to strengthen the body’s own immune system.
Throughout India and its neighboring regions, the two traditional medical systems, namely Ayurveda and Unani, have used betel nuts for centuries for a variety of purposes, including treatment of digestive ailments and as a panacea for nervous disorders. Similar uses of betel nuts can be found in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as in Cambodia. In Iran, areca nuts are mixed with sugar and coriander and given to pregnant women to induce labor. |
