Betel nut

Also Known As : Supari (Hindi), vakka , poka chekka (Telugu), supari (Marathi), adake, punga , kaungu (Kannada), buah (Assamese), atekka, ghonta, kamuka (Malayalam), kamuga, pakku, pugam (Tamil).

Technical Name : Areca catechu

Descriptions
details

Vegetarian

Taste Profile

It has a bitter, salty and spice like taste

Usage Tips

This nut is used in the fresh form, as well as in the dried form, and the nut can be boiled or roasted.
Betel nut is popularly chewed throughout countries, such as China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, and India.
Usually, for the purpose of chewing, few slices of betel nut are wrapped in a betel leaf along with calcium hydroxide and may even include clove, cardamom, catechu (kattha), or other spices for extra flavoring.
In Assam, traditionally pan-Tamul (betel leaves and raw areca nut) is offered to guests, after tea or meals, served in a brass plate with stands called bota.
Betel nuts have a long shelf life and last for a couple of months when stored in a cool and dry place.

Common names and forms

Areca nut (Supari)
Beetal Nut
Supari

Description

Betel nut is a seed of the fruit of plant areca palm. It is also known as areca nut. It is cultivated in the regions tropical India, Bangladesh, Japan, Sri Lanka, south China, the East Indies, the Philippines, and parts of Africa. India is the largest consumer of betel nut. The areca nut-producing states in India are Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, and West Bengal. The outer husk of betel nut is coarse and matures from green to yellow-orange and may also contain patches of red. Within this, hard light brown nut called dried endosperm is present. Betel nuts have a chewy texture and a spice-like flavor similar to nutmeg and cinnamon. It stands at the fourth place as one of the most popular psychoactive substances in the world after nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine. The best season for the cultivation of betel nut is between June to December. The various varieties of betel nut that are cultivated in India are Subamangala, Mangala, Sumangala, Mohitnagar, Hirerhalli dwarf and Samruthi.

Health benefits

Consuming excessive sugary foods leads to poor oral health and causes cavity on the tooth’s outer cover called the enamel. Eating betel nut instead of sugars prevents cavities and helps in reducing the toothache. ⁽¹⁾
Dry mouth is a condition that results from diabetes. By chewing betel nut, the mouth produces more saliva and helps to prevent dry mouth and associated conditions like cracked lips and bad breath effectively. ⁽¹⁾
Usually, the estrogen imbalance in women’s body leads to yellowish vaginal discharge, called Leucorrhea. Consuming betel nuts before the menstrual cycle starts is found to reduce vaginal cramps and abdominal and vaginal pain. ⁽¹⁾
Often indigestion causes blandness in the mouth. Chewing betel nuts ensures a healthy digestive system, eradicates indigestion and helps restore appetite. ⁽¹⁾

Note

Pregnant women should avoid betel nut as the chances of harming fetuses are high. Since the chances of getting cancer are high thus betel nut should be consumed in mild doses only.In a few cases, betel nut has been found to cause low blood pressure and shortness of breath. Thus, people with asthma are strongly advised to not consume it.⁽¹⁾

Resource & Links

(1) http://https://www.lybrate.com/topic/betel-nut-supari-benefits-and-side-effects

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