What Are the Benefits of Chewing Betel Nut?

Chewing betel nut is a hobby of women of Li, Zhuang and other ethnic groups. When chewing, wrap it with "Fu Liu Ye" with a small amount of mortar, and slowly chew it in your mouth until the mouth is full of fluid and the lips turn red. In addition to Taiwan, chewing betel nuts are also popular in Hainan, Hunan, and parts of Guangdong. Experts remind that betel nut is a first-class carcinogen listed by the World Health Organization ^[1] , and eating betel nut is not good for health. People should quit betel nut. People who have the habit of chewing betel nut, if there is a long-term cure for oral ulcers, and white and dark spots on the oral mucosa, they should go to the hospital to check in time to rule out the possibility of cancer.

Chewing betel nut

As early as 2003, the International Cancer Research Center of the World Health Organization has identified betel nut as a primary carcinogen. ^[1] Modern research suggests that oral cancer is most likely caused by long-term chewing of betel nut. Experts said that Taiwanese people love to eat betel nuts, and the local health department reported that Taiwan s oral cancer patients have increased nearly three times in 10 years, of which 90% are long-term chewing betel nuts. Betel nut contains a large number of cytotoxic substances. The reaction between oral mucosa and alkaloids in betel nut can cause oral mucosa fibrosis and white spot disease. These are precancerous lesions of the oral cavity, with clinical manifestations of difficulty opening mouth, numbness, and ulcers. In addition to betel nut, tobacco and alcohol are also inseparable from oral cancer. At the same time, chewing betel nut, smoking and drinking, the risk of oral cancer is greatly increased. Experts remind that eating betel nut is not good for health, and citizens should control the amount of betel nut they eat. People who have the habit of chewing betel nut, if there is a long-term cure for oral ulcers, and white and dark spots on the oral mucosa, they should go to the hospital to check in time to rule out the possibility of cancer. And canceration is only one of the most serious harms of chewing betel nut. Experts point out that the long-term soaking of calcareous and betel nut juice in betel nut is easy to form stones, and rough betel nut may induce various periodontal lesions. Frequent chewing of betel nuts can also seriously damage the teeth, causing the teeth to turn red and black, seriously affecting aesthetics, and even falling off prematurely.

Frequent chewing of betel nut can cause oral ulcers, gum degradation, and submucosal fibrosis, leading to oral cancer. In addition, current medical research has found that chewing betel nut can increase the risk of oral cancer by 8.4-9.9 times. Areca nut and betel nut in betel nut Alkali has potential carcinogenicity. The flowers and vines of betel nut contain carcinogens. A variety of active ingredients and metabolites in betel nut have cytotoxicity, genetic toxicity and even direct carcinogenicity. These substances include betel nut alkaloids, areca tannins, areca nuts Specific nitrosamines and reactive oxygen species. Experiments in the United States and Japan with betel nut extract have been found to cause cancer in mice. ^[2]

" Ten oral cancers and nine chewing betel nuts " is an objective fact. On April 14, 2018, the official website of Hunan Xiangya Hospital published a statement that in the 46 ward of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 45 of the 50 inpatients have oral cancer, and 44 of them have a long and extensive history of chewing betel nut. ^[3] In 2011, the "Chinese Journal of Stomatology Research" published a study saying that in countries and regions where chewing betels are endemic, the incidence of oral cancer is among the highest. The country with the highest betel nut consumption in the world is India, which has the highest incidence of oral cancer in the world. The second largest in the world is Papua New Guinea, where close to 60% of the country's population chews betel nuts. Taiwan is also a common practice of chewing betel nut, with 27.4 cases of oral cancer per 100,000 male residents. The medical community has found that betel nut is significantly related to pharyngeal, laryngeal, and esophageal cancer. CCTV has also reported many cases of oral cancer caused by chewing betel nut, many of which are shocking. ^[2]