BETEL NUTS

Areca nut is the seed of the areca palm, grows in tropical Pacific, It is commonly referred to as betel nut, various compounds present in the nut, including Arecoline, (the primary psychoactive ingredient which is similar to nicotine The areca nut is not a true nut, but rather the seed of a fruit categorized as a berry.

     It is commercially available in dried, cured, and fresh forms, The areca nut contains the tannins arecatannin and gallic acid; a fixed oil gum; a little terpineol; lignin; various saline substances; and three main alkaloids—arecoline, arecaidine, and guvacine—all of which have vasoconstricting properties,

    Areca nut affects almost all organs of the human body, including the brain, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and reproductive organs. It causes or aggravates pre-existing conditions such as neuronal injury, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, hepatotoxicity, asthma, central obesity, type II diabetes, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome