In India, you will find many who carry little steel box or batwa of supari or betel nut or areca nut wherever they go. For the ones in northeast India who love it with equal passion, it is called tamul or kwai. So much so that the visitors there often may wonder what s with the locals that they are always red-mouthed. But while chewing beetle nuts can give you a jolt of energy and create a feeling of euphoria and light-headedness it can be equally dangerous when consumed in high amounts. Oral physician Dr. Adarsh Gill tells you about its potential side effects.
We don t have to tell you this as one of the most visible side effects of chewing betel nuts is staining of teeth. When handled, betel nuts can also stain your hands.
Chewing betel nuts has been linked to oesophagus cancer even though the contents of supari do not contain tobacco or magnesium. It contains alkaloids and polyphenols which have been linked to cancer.
Frequent chewing of betel nut can lead to significant increase in chromosome abnormalities which in turn can increase the risk of developing oral cancer. The caustic lime or chuna added to the betel nut preparation paan further increases the chances of oral cancer. The only way to entirely avoid the risk of chewing betel nut is to abstain completely from it.
Chewing supari can rot the gums and lead to an increase in mouth ulcers. Chewing betel nuts can also cause your gums to recede.
Betel nut has psychoactive effects similar to caffeine and nicotine that can potentially cause dependence, tolerance, and withdrawal. The boosted energy and euphoria you get after chewing betel nut result in the repeated intake and dependence.
Other side effects of chewing betel nut include altered speech, increased sensitivity to heat, cold and spices, high blood pressure, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, loss of concentration and also disturbed sleep. This anti-smoking drug can help curb betel nut addiction.
While betel nut has many side effects, there is one potential benefit too. If you have dry mouth, just chew a little betel nut. Betel nut can help produce a significant amount of saliva which can help you deal with dry mouth caused by conditions such as diabetes. However, do not consume it more than once if you have dry mouth.
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