A religious
ritual, a grand feast or a social gathering would never be complete without
generous offering of areca nut, betel leaf and slaked lime (for making Tambula)
in ancient India. Areca nut used to be one of the most important ingredients
for every Ayurveda practitioner. There was a widespread consumption of Tambula (also called Betel quid, Paan) by commoners and noble men, due to which there was a huge demand for areca nut
and betel leaf in ancient India. With the introduction of Tobacco to the Indian
subcontinent in the 17th Century by Portuguese and subsequent change in the
consumption pattern of Tambula, there was a further boost in the areca nut
consumption in India. Currently areca nut offers lively hood to the numerous
areca farmers, traders, Pan masala manufacturers and retailers of areca
products. Areca nut has become a lifeline and the backbone of economy in areca
growing regions of Karnataka, Kerala and Meghalaya in India.
Of late, areca
nut is declared as a potential carcinogen by several research papers, non-governmental
organizations and certain international organizations dealing with cancer. Due
to the sustained media campaign, Governmental policies, chewing areca nut is considered as a taboo
among the educated youths. Many countries in southeast Asia have formulated policies to discourage the consumption of areca nut and its products. Couple of countries have succeeded in curbing the areca nut / Tambula consumption drastically by
implementing certain policy initiatives. How this paradigm shifts in the status
of areca nut from a most auspicious and revered item to the one blamed for
cancer, is worth exploring.
Areca nut is
cultivated and consumed not only in India but also in several south-east Asian
countries and Pacific Island nations. There is a great diversity in the
processing methods, consumption patterns and the perceived medicinal values of
areca nut in China, India and South-east Asian countries. Numerous research
groups are working on chemical composition of areca nut / Tambula, their ill
effects on lab animals & cell lines, cellular metabolism of active
principles of areca nuts/ Tambula, beneficial effects of several components,
therapeutic values of areca nut etc. Numerous scientific papers are being
published by these research groups in reputed international journals. Most of
the general public and people associated with the areca nut farming, processing
and trade are unaware of these scientific developments.
This Blog has
been created with a sole purpose of providing authentic facts, information and
data on all the aspects of areca nut with academic objectivity. My subsequent posts
will cover the following broad topics,
1.
Historical account of areca
nut/Tambula consumption in India.
2.
Historical account of areca
nut/Tambula consumption in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand etc.
3.
Diversity in Tambula
consumption pattern in various South-east Asian countries.
4.
Historical perspective of Tobacco
in Indian subcontinent
5.
Country-wise Areca nut
production status
6.
Areca nut production status
in India
7.
Prevailing practices of
areca nut processing and consumption
8.
Chemical composition of
Areca nut
9.
Excerpts of the monograph
on Areca nut, published by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
10.
Legitimate questions on
IARC-2004 (Vol 85) monograph on areca nut.
11.
Some notable reports on the
beneficial /therapeutic values of areca nut and its components.
12.
Important policies
initiated by governments concerned to areca nut & its products.
In the later
part of my Blog, I am going to provide commentary on the scientific reports
published in reputed international journals, monographs and books. Emphasis
will be on keeping the posts simple, easy to understand without diluting the
scientific content. I sincerely hope, this Blog is informative and meets your
expectations. Looking forward for your feedback and support.
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