Betel nut chewing and human health: certain glaring lacunae in research
Journal Title: IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences (IOSR-JDMS) - Year 2018, Vol 17, Issue 5
Abstract
Areca catechu L is a slender and tall palm grown mostly in tropical and subtropical climate. It’s fruit or nut is called arecanut or betel nut or supari. This nut, in combination with several other ingredients, is considered to be the common masticatory being practiced since several centuries by human population all over the world as this nut is believed to have certain medicinal properties. However, several scientific reports say that chewing arecanut or betel nut is not good for human health and even causes cancer. On close examination of several such reports, it looks as if the conclusions were drawn hastily and the method of approach lacked clarity. In some reports the terminology itself was ambiguous. Several studies were conducted by unusual methods of application such as by injection or by applying directly on cultured cells. Correlating such results either with the chewing habits of arecanut or certain chewing products containing arecanut seems to be totally wrong as the processes themselves are different altogether from one another. Some researchers studied the effects of arecanut by using very high doses and claimed arecanut as harmful. Some even arrived at the conclusion with very small sample size. In several papers, the quality of arecanut or its chewing products used for the experiment were not at all ascertained. The synergistic effects of several other products used for chewing along with arecanut as betel quid, pan masala or gutka were not taken for consideration in several papers but simply blamed arecanut for all the consequences. Such pitfalls are discussed and highlighted in this paper.
Authors and Affiliations
S. Keshava Bhat, D. Ashwin, S. Mythri, Sukesh Bhat
Keywords
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- EP ID EP374383
- DOI 10.9790/0853-1705040915.
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