Topic summary
Betel nut
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Areca nut.
Toxicity
Betel nut chewing causes an increased risk of head and neck cancers and esophageal cancer. Betel quid affects almost all parts of the human body, including the brain, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and reproductive organs. It can cause myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, liver damage, asthma, type II diabetes, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, hypothyroidism, prostate hyperplasia and infertility. Habitual chewing of areca nuts increases the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Chewing areca nuts is a cause of oral submucous fibrosis, a condition which may progress to mouth cancer. It has also been linked to throat cancer.