Is chewing betel nut beneficial or harmful?

I read in the newspaper that chewing betel causes oral cancer, but some people say betel leaves are very medicinal.

My mother is 75 years old but still enjoys chewing betel nut. She's been chewing betel nut for over 50 years. Is this true?

(Bach Le)

Reply

Betel leaf (betel nut), scientifically known as Piper betle, belongs to the Piperaceae family.

According to the analysis of the active ingredients in betel leaves: they contain 85.4% water, 3.1% protein, 0.8% fat, and 6.1% sugar.

In addition, betel leaves contain a lot of calcium, carotene, and vitamins including vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. Betel leaves also contain tannins, sugars, esters, and essential oils.

The fragrant, pungent, pale yellow essential oil, known as chavicol, has strong antiseptic effects against bacteria such as staphylococci, streptococci, bacterium subtilis, and Escherichia coli, and is therefore used as a medicine to treat dysentery and malaria.

Betel leaves are good for health, but should be used in appropriate amounts (Photo: TGT)

Some uses in medicine

- Betel leaves have long been used as a digestive stimulant and anti-flatulence agent. They are also used as a hemostatic agent.

- To treat scanty urination and urinary retention: mix betel leaf juice with a little diluted milk and drink it to help urinate more easily.

- To treat nervous exhaustion: Mix the juice of a few betel leaves with a spoonful of honey and drink twice a day; this is an excellent tonic for the nervous system.

- Treating headaches: Applying or sticking betel leaves to the painful area can help reduce severe headaches.

- Treating respiratory illnesses: Soak a few betel leaves in mustard oil and heat it up, then apply it to the chest to treat coughs and shortness of breath.

- To treat constipation in children: take a betel leaf stem, dip it in purple papaya oil, and insert it into the anus; the child will immediately be relieved of constipation.

- Treating sore throat: Crush a few betel leaves and mix with honey; drinking this mixture will help treat sore throat, cough, asthma, and shortness of breath.

- Anti-inflammatory effect: Applying crushed betel leaves to swollen and painful areas, such as in cases of arthritis, will show immediate results.

Although betel leaves have the beneficial uses mentioned above, they should not be overused, as in areas where many people practice the custom of chewing betel, there have been cases of oral and lip cancer.

Sometimes symptoms such as indigestion, purulent gingivitis, and cancer of the tongue and cheekbone can still occur in people who chew betel nut excessively.

According to Tuoi Tre - NT