Betel

Betel’s homeland is considered to be Southeast Asia , most likely its southern part. It is currently grown in most countries in the region, as well as in India and Sri Lanka .

Betel grows up to 1 meter, is notable for its glossy heart-shaped leaves and white ear- shaped inflorescences .

Betel leaves are traditionally used as a tonic in India and Southeast Asia. They are chewed with slaked lime and pieces of palm seed catechu ( lat. Areca cathecu ). Hydrated lime is used to preserve the active substances in the form of a free base, allowing them to penetrate into the circulatory system sublingually . Catechu palm seeds contain the arekoline alkaloid , which stimulates salivation ( saliva turns red) and is itself an aphrodisiac. In this form, betel gum has been used for many centuries, perhaps millennia. At present, in various countries, some additional components are sometimes mixed with it, sometimes tobacco . In India, a betel-based chewing mixture is known as pan or pan masala (almost any Indian will understand this name, even if there is a different name in his native language). Indian street betel sellers can cover ^{[ what? ] a} ready-made bundle of betel gum with silver leaf, which is believed to disinfect the product.

Betel leaves are widely used in folk medicine in the countries of South and Southeast Asia in various qualities, including as an aphrodisiac, analgesic and antiseptic . In Ayurvedic medicine, betel nut is known as an aphrodisiac . His broth and infusion are also sometimes drunk as an antibiotic . The infusion is also used to treat dyspepsia , local treatment of constipation , as an decongestant, and as an adjunct in lactation . In India, betel nut is also used to remove worms .

The spread of betel, despite the many negative health effects, contributes to its extremely low cost, multiplied by the tonic effect. According to various estimates, betel leaves consume 10 to 20 percent of the world's population . Betel can be freely purchased almost everywhere in South and Southeast Asia.

Mixing and chewing betel nut with tobacco for a long time can be life and health hazard. Teeth blacken and gums may become inflamed. It is known that in betel chewing with tobacco, the mucous membrane of the mouth acquires a characteristic dark red color and often wrinkles. Sometimes there is “scarring of the mucous tissue and a chronic disease develops,” called submucosal fibrosis of the oral cavity. Chewing betel nut mixed with tobacco increases the risk of developing one of the forms of cancer ^{[2] of the} oral cavity - squamous cell carcinoma, which can also occur on the back of the throat. This confirms the large percentage of people suffering from this disease among adults in Southeast Asia who consume betel and tobacco. In Taiwan, nearly 85% of those with oral cancer also use betel and tobacco.

The active ingredients of betel nut oil, which is obtained from the leaves, mainly belong to the class of allylbenzenes. Although habibetol (betel-phenol) is of primary importance, betel also contains havikol , estragol , eugenol (allyl guaiacol), methyleugenol , and hydroxycatechol .

Betel oil also contains several terpenes and terpenoids: two monoterpenes ( para - cimen and terpene ), two monoterpenoids ( eucalyptol and carvacrol ) and two sesquiterpenes ( cadinene and caryophylline ).

Betel and Areca play a prominent role in Indian culture , especially among Hindus . They are used in many important religious ceremonies, especially in the southern parts of the country. For example, in order to pay a clergyman, money is sometimes placed in betel leaves and placed in front of it.

In modern India, in public places you can often see posters warning about the prohibition of chewing betel nut - to prevent spitting of this place with red streaks.

In Sri Lanka, offering a betel leaf means an expression of the highest reverence. This is especially true for peasants when they visit the high boss.

Betel and Areca also play an important role in Vietnamese culture . There is a Vietnamese proverb “the conversation begins with betel nut”, referring to the custom of chewing betel nut at official events or for “melting ice” during scrupulous conversations. Betel leaves and areca seeds are used in ceremonies of traditional Vietnamese weddings. According to a folk tale about the origin of these plants, the groom traditionally offers (among other things) to the bride's parents betel leaves and areca fruits in exchange for the bride. Betel and areca are such important symbols of love and marriage that the Vietnamese phrase “betel and areca issues” ( chuyện trầu cau ) is synonymous with weddings.

A peculiar subculture associated with the sale of betel has developed in Taiwan . Here, betel consumers, due to its strong tonic effect, are mainly professional drivers of automobiles and motor vehicles - “truckers”, taxi drivers , freight forwarders , couriers , so the points of sale are located along the main driveways in settlements and suburban highways. To attract the attention of potential buyers, as a rule, men from the lower social layers, the stalls are richly decorated with neon and LED lights, and their front part is entirely made of glass, appearing, in fact, a brightly lit showcase . The sellers are girls dressed in provocative revealing outfits - short low-necked dresses and tops, sometimes bikinis , so this subculture is called " betel beauties " (檳榔 西施 / bīnláng xīshī).

A related plant, Piper sarmentosum , used in cooking, is sometimes referred to as a “wild betel leaf”.

In the literature

• The Plant Hunters (1858) - the story of Mine Reed .
• Brothers (1914) - the story of Ivan Bunin .
• Ariel (1941) - a novel by Alexander Belyaev .
• Clockwork (2009) - a novel by Paolo Bachigalupi

• Bethel // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• P. Guha: Betel leaf: The neglected green gold of India. J. Hum Ecol., 19 (2) 2006 [1]
• Soboleva E. S. Bethel in South and Southeast Asia. // The phenomenon of pleasure in culture. Mater. Int. scientific Forum April 6-9, 2004 - St. Petersburg. : Center for the Study of Culture, 2004. - S. 189-192 . Retrieved January 6, 2009

• 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
• Betel news page - Alcohol and Drugs History Society