Areca nut is more commonly known as the betel nut. It is tropical in nature, hence can be found in Asia and parts of east Africa but is believed to be a native in the Philippines. The areca tree can grow up to 20 meters in height with a trunk of 10-15 centimeters in diameter. It has long leaves that are about 1-2 meters long. The leaflets are pinnate and numerous. It is grown for its commercial use. The betel nut palm can be used for interior landscaping, especially in malls and hotels.
The betel nut contains a stimulant called arecoline, hence it can be psychoactive. Therefore intake of high dosage of betel nut is not recommended. However, since the nuts are usually chewed in the Pacific cultures, it is cut into small pieces and or broken down to powder, and is often chewed with lime. Lime increases the amount of active ingredients that the body can absorb. It is advisable to chew the betel nut alone because the stimulant effect of the plant is lessened. One other effect of betel nut in the body is appetite control. It can suppress the appetite because it has a spicy taste and large amount of saliva is produced when chewing the betel nut.
Betel nut is diuretic (ability to increase passing of urine), digestive (affects the process of digesting food), and anthelmintic (ability to destroy parasitic worms) in nature. In traditional Chinese medicine, the use betel nut includes treatment of diarrhea, low blood pressure and other intestinal problems. The roots, fruits and leaves are often used for medicinal purposes. The leaves are dried and broken down to tiny parts to produce tea. The tea is used to cure bronchitis. The roots however, are used for liver diseases while the fruits are used for intestinal troubles such as constipation and diarrhea.
Some people also use betelnut (Areca catechu nuts) to treat anal fissure since anal fissure can be caused by constipation (difficulty in emptying the bowels) and chronic diarrhea (instances when stools are discharged frequently from the body and in liquid form). Anal fissure is actually a tear or crack along the linings of the anal or rectal tube. Both constipation and diarrhea can aggravate the muscles surrounding the anus (anal sphincter) causing the muscles to go into spasms. When the anal sphincter goes into spasm, the anal linings are inflamed and most times, it causes a tear or crack in the anus. Common symptoms to watch out for are severe pain before, during, and after bowel movements; blood found in the tissue after bowel movement (can also be found in the stools discharged from the body); and intense irritation down the anus. Other causes of anal fissure include trauma from child birth and insertion of foreign objects in the anus.
People still use betelnut (Areca catechu nuts) to treat anal fissure because of its digestive property. Since it has the capacity to help the digestive system process food effectively, its use is highly recommended when a person has constipation and diarrhea.
Caution: When betel nut is overused, it can cause nausea, vomiting, feeling of intoxication, diarrhea and even convulsions.
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