As an occasional betel nut chewer, I note that this report doesn’t touch on possible positive aspects of the habit. Chewing sapari (coarsely powdered, sweetened, and clove-flavored areca nut) at the end of a meal leads to a sense of satisfaction and well-being, induces salivation, and freshens the mouth. Areca nut also contains lots of phenolics that could act as antioxidants and capturers of free radicals. Hence, the nut pieces could be anticancer agents!
S.N. Balasubramanian Bangalore, India
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