Chinese medicine believes that betel nut has the effects of stopping diarrhea, diminishing inflammation, reducing swelling, promoting granulation and relieving pain, eliminating phlegm and relieving asthma, purging qi and promoting diuresis, killing insects and resolving hard mass.
People who are sick, postpartum and weak are not suitable for eating. Generally, excessive eating will lead to swelling and ulceration of lips and eyes, numbness of limbs, rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath. In Taiwan Province Province, there were arrhythmia and myocardial infarction caused by excessive chewing, and one of them died after taking six betel nut pills.
Some people in parts of southern China have the custom of chewing betel nuts. Modern medical research shows that chewing betel nut is potentially harmful to human health. Because chewing betel nut is an important factor leading to oral cancer. Betel nut contains many chemicals. A large number of studies have shown that these substances have carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. Hygienic investigation was carried out in 224 betel nut sales points in a city of China. The results show that areca nut has the highest fluorine content and an amazing number of bacteria. Some samples also include white mold, yellow mold and Escherichia coli. Therefore, people who have the habit of chewing betel nut should quit as soon as possible.